Paul Simmons' journey from Hough House to published poet

After leaving Brentwood School (Hough House) in 1976 I went on to the University of Southampton, studying French and Spanish, then worked for a number of years in the City of London, for a bank and investment company - and became a student again, at the
University of Essex, gaining a degree in English.

I later established a career in Local Government, based in Chelmsford and Colchester, where for much of the time I supported the County Music Service, retiring in 2016 after 27 years.

I came to writing poetry some twenty years ago, while attending a regular poetry group in Maldon, which I still have connections with.

My poetry publications now extend to five books, all available on Amazon and other retail outlets. The first one, entitled ‘A Construction in Space’ came out in 2013, followed by ‘The Look of Beauty’ (2015), ‘A Valley to Traverse’ (2024), ‘Interpretations’ (2025) and most recently ‘The Flow of Ages’ (2026). Over 300 poems in total so far, and maybe more in the making!

I don’t really aim to be considered a ‘poet’s poet’, writing, as it were, for an elite. The work is largely fluent and accessible and also quite personal at times - expressing thoughts, ideas, feelings, emotions and experiences in an imaginative and heartfelt way; sometimes lyrical,
sometimes descriptive, and as a kind of prose poetry, often with a spiritual dimension.

I have lived for the past forty years near Colchester, and have two daughters and three grandchildren.

There are many reasons to be grateful for my time at Brentwood School - it gave me good role models, memories and opportunities and greatly helped with my social and intellectual development.