“My father had a full beard, and I pretty much grew a beard as soon as I was able.

“This took various forms from goatee to tidy beard until one day a wise man said this pearl of wisdom - ‘Why grow a beard and still have to shave?’

“So I stopped shaving and grew a full set. I kept it relatively short until Autumn 2015 when I decided to take advantage of the popularity of facial hair and let it grow.

“October will mark 9 years of growth, at which point I'll take stock, have a look at the results, and in all likelihood, say ‘Let's do another year!’”