"I couldn't read or write until I was 27 years old"

"I couldn't read or write until I was 27 years old"

Brian Clissold now reads a book a week and enjoys biographies

On the face of it, 61-year-old Brian Clissold from Brighton has had the kind of life most of us would aspire to.

He has owned companies, sailed on the maiden voyage of the Queen Mary 2 and lived in Spain for five years.

But behind the success, Mr Clissold has a secret. "I couldn't read or write until I was 27," he says.

"It's been a slow process because I've worked all my life and haven't have time to study but I'm getting there now.

"It wasn't until this year that I've been able to read books written for adults.

At the age of 27, Mr Clissold signed up for weekly reading lessons with a doctor's wife in Brighton.

He carried on with the lessons until he started running a hotel at the age of 35.

"I was only able to read Janet and John books, but I stopped seeing her because I was too busy with work," he says.

Mr Clissold remained at this level until last year when, at the age of 60, he decided to learn how to use computers.

He signed up for free IT and literacy Skills for Life courses at the Central Sussex College in Crawley.

As far as he is concerned, he is learning again from scratch.