Dylan's interest in the paranormal began when he was about 7 or 8 years old. He can still vividly remember a very personal experience from that time. This sighting, although now perhaps explainable by rational means gained through experience and understanding that comes with a combination age and study, nevertheless left him intrigued.
This experience was soon to be followed by watching a certain film a short time later - Ghostbusters was released in 1984 and was a comedic and cultural phenomenon. It became the film that defined his childhood. Of course, at that age he naturally wanted to be a Ghostbuster, but it also prompted him to ask the question, "Do people see ghosts?"
He began by asking his parents and grandparents, and discovered that there were some shared accounts. From this moment he was fascinated. He needed to know more, and set about on a journey of discovery.
Dylan began to read books, because back then they were the only way of gathering the information you required. Without the obvious modern sources of the internet or a glut of television programs dedicated to ghost hunting to view, he read book after book that he could find.
His first book was "The Usbourne Book of Ghosts". This was quickly followed by getting his hands on a copy of "Haunted Wales" by Peter Underwood and "Ghosts of Gwent" by Alan Roderick. He literally read them again and again. In fact, he states that he wore out the first copies of the latter books and had to replace them when they fell apart. The Usborne Book of Ghosts has just about survived to this day!
As each birthday and Christmas passed, his ghostly library would get a little bigger. In Year 7, he even organised a class assembly on ghosts and also began to try and start a small investigative team of interested friends. He corresponded with Andrew Mackenzie at the SPR and was flattered when he received a reply. His box of ghost hunting equipment was filled with as much as he could lay my hands on from Peter Underwood's "The Ghost Hunters Guide" and he would go to places nearby, such as Caldicot Castle, who would let him investigate for free.
This fascination continued throughout his teenage years and he hoped to pursue a post-graduate course in Parapsychology after he completed a degree in Psychology, which he started in 1993. Like many things in life, things did not work out as he had planned. At that time, he fell into the world of radio broadcasting by a stroke of luck, and this became another love of his life. Circumstances changed over the next two years, with radio being an absolute blast and he ended up withdrawing from university and working in commericial radio. However, he decided that he needed a stable career as broadcasting was quite fickle.
He followed his other intended career option, joining Gwent Police as a Constable in 1995. He spent over 17 years serving the community and specialised in educational work and crime prevention. The core work of policing and the investigative skills of interviewing and evidence gathering were to prove instrumental in applying that skillset to paranormal research. During that time, in 2003 he helped found an investigative group called South Wales Paranormal Research, joined ASSAP and was the proud recipient of the Michael Bentine Memorial Shield for the 35,000 word report on the investigation of Llancaiach Fawr Manor. However, it was around that time that television programs began to alter the landscape of anomalous case research and Dylan gradually became to realise that it was becoming increasingly difficult to balance the commitments of investigative work, family and career. Ghost hunting also seemed to be becoming fashionable for the wrong reasons.
With some reluctance he decided to step away from the scene, preferring to maintain an armchair interest in what was taking place. Upon reflection, Dylan realises that this was the right move. He was not comfortable with the sudden saturation of media coverage of ghost-hunting. Instead, he quietly continued collecting accounts, and extending his library and immersing himself in the other passions of community radio and broadcasting.
In 2009, life changed dramatically with a major shift in personal circumstances. This eventually led to a retirement from the police service in 2012 on the grounds of permanent disability. Using this as an oportunity, Dylan started his own business and returned to university, enrolling on a BA (Hons) Media Production degree. This in turn, led him to return to the realm of investigative paranormal research thanks to a media project and a meeting with Steve Parsons from Para.Science. He considers himself fortunate to have met Steve and was honoured to be invited to become part of the Para.Science team where he can use his skillset to best effect.
In 2020, Dylan has started his PhD at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen. His project will be research the Media Portrayal of Paranormal Phenomena and Research, and its Influence on Investigators of Ghosts, Hauntings and Related Phenomena.