After wartime service in the Royal Navy he studied linguistics and music at the University of Leeds; then he was able to acquire some knowledge of the Cornish language from R. Morton Nance and A. S. D. Smith but was disappointed that it was no longer spoken. He started a campaign for the revival of Cornish as a spoken language.
After serving in the Royal Navy during wartime, he studied linguistics and music at the University of Leeds; subsequently, he gained some knowledge of Cornish from R. Morton Nance and A. S. D. Smith but was disheartened that it was no longer spoken. He initiated a campaign to revive Cornish as a spoken language.