Geoffrey David West is a freelance journalist and author who, since 1989, has specialized in writing articles about the refurbishment of older houses for magazines and newspapers, including Period House & Its Garden, Period Living, Practical Householder, The Times and The Sunday Times. A keen DIY builder, Geoffrey has, amongst other things, built extensions to various houses, renewed floors and walls suffering from dry rot, and taught himself plumbing, carpentry, bricklaying and other building skills.