Smuggling

Chris McCooey was born in Tunbridge Wells in 1949 and was educated at The Skinners’ School. He spent three years at University College, Oxford – his thesis was titled "Socio-Geographical Aspects of Illicit Trading in Kent in the 18th Century", in other words, smuggling. He then spent ten years teaching in Japan. He studied at the Graduate School of Journalism, University of California, and Berkeley before returning to the UK with his Japanese wife, Kumiko, and their two children, Matthew and Emi, one of whom is now an actor and film director, the other a solicitor. Home is just outside Tunbridge Wells, overlooking a lake and a wood. Chris contributes regularly to the weekend sections of the national papers like The Times, FT, Mail and Express on food, travel and country matters as well as other papers and magazines. He also writes and publishes local books on Kent and Sussex.