Chris grew up on the South Coast and first picked up a guitar whilst dodging fights between mods and rockers in Brighton. At the age of sixteen Chris followed his wandering spirit around Western Europe. It was at this time that he fought riot police on the streets of Paris, spent the night in Franco's cells in Cataluna and first developed a taste for fine wine whilst arguing politics into the early hours with fellow Bohemians from Russia, Italy and America. Chris would have starved or been pecked to death by pigeons whilst sleeping rough on park benches had he not had his guitar with him. His busking was his meal ticket, bed ticket and of course helped him with the ladies. But he had to return to England after a brush with the police whilst attempting to smuggle a stolen painting into Belgium in his guitar case. His reward for his daring exploit was just a week's food, that may have sounded like a big risk, but at the time a week's food meant his life was certain to last a further seven days.
On his return to the UK Chris did what all Bohemian musicians faced with the prospect of becoming the next Alan Whittaker did...he became a teacher. This meant a trip to North Buckinghamshire and the new town of Milton Keynes where he has remained ever since. Chris never stopped playing the guitar and was heavily involved in folk nights around Stony Stratford. He began playing in pubs in the local area and made appearances at the local music festival at Horsefair Green. Chris played on a ferry touring the Baltic and was the only musician to begin his set sober and amongst the luvvies in the Algarve but his red hair and fair skin did not agree with the climate and he returned to Milton Keynes. He now lives on a Canal Boat on the Grand Union Canal and can still be heard strumming his guitar in pubs, clubs and at private funcitons all over the South Midlands.
©Chris Allin MMV
