MARTIN Heath is the co-founder of the Basingstoke Energy Co-operative and the Hampshire Renewable Energy Co-operative and is also a member of the Basingstoke Transition Network.

The father-of-four was born in West London and moved to Basingstoke in 1970 when he was 12, attending Cranbourne School and Queen Mary’s College.

He studied physics and economics at Keele University, Staffordshire, and started his career at British Telecom before joining accountancy company, KPMG.

The grandfather-of-four became a partner at the company and also served as a board member on its global telecommunications business before he retired and began to take a keen interest in global warming.

After completing a Masters degree at the University of Surrey in 2010 Martin has been heavily involved in installing renewable energy systems with the Basingstoke Energy Cooperative and large scale community owned energy systems with Hampshire Renewable Energy Cooperative, including a project to install nearly 500 solar panels on the roof of BCoT.

1. Who was your childhood hero and why? I am not sure I did heroes when I was young. But there were, and there still are, lots of people I admired. One in particular was Basil D’Oliveira, a great cricketer who stood up for his principles.

2. What is your most precious possession and why is it important to you? My health and happiness – so I can continue to play with my grandchildren!

3. What was the first record/CD you bought? They were called LPs in those days. The first one I remember was called Close to the Edge by Yes. It sort of sums up my life since.

4. What is the radio/television show you hate to miss? Test Match Special on the radio, The Today Programme and Gold Rush.

5. What is your favourite film? Life of Brian.

6. What is your pet hate? Probably leaders/politicians who think there are simple answers to complex problems.

7. What are you reading at the moment? I always have a pile of half read books on the go. I’m terrible in that only a few ever get finished. But at the moment the pile includes A History of Money, The Carbon Crunch, The Black Swan, PG Wodehouse, When Venus and Mars Collide to name a few.

8. If you were choosing a last meal, what would it be? It would be a very, very, very long meal!

9. If you could meet anyone from history, who would it be? I’d like to meet some of my ancestors from the 18th and 19th century to ask them what life was really like back then.

10. If you had a time machine where would it take you? To the restaurant at the end of the universe or to 1974 when I was 16 and give myself some advice.

11. If you were stranded on a desert island what luxury would you choose to have with you? I always wished that I could speak a foreign language and play a musical instrument. So that would be a great time to learn. But I’d probably take a PlayStation!

12. What sports team do you support? Chelsea at football, Middlesex at cricket, Wasps at rugby. England at most things.

13 What was your first job? A canteen assistant at the AA when I was 14.

14. If you could take over someone’s job for the day, whose job would you choose? Either the Leader of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council and get a few things done or Michael Holding – and spend the day being a test cricketer. On second thoughts I’ll go for Michael Holding.

15. What worries you the most? How we are walking blindfold into a global warming catastrophe and not doing anything about it.

16. What is your proudest moment? Seeing my children and now grandchildren growing up.

17. What would you like your epitaph to be? “At least I tried”.

18. What’s your guilty pleasure? Chocolate, chocolate and chocolate.

19. What one thing could change society for the better? Make it fairer and more equitable.

20. What three words best describe you? Caring, enthusiastic and chaotic.