In 1995 I was in a very dark place; I’d been suffering from depression for years but had no idea.  I was also in a dead-end and brain numbingly boring job, working for the Royal Mail in Swindon, Wiltshire.  I desperately wanted to break free of my humdrum existence and decided to pursue something completely different and creative.  I had always been a big fan of rock and blues music and like many, played a mean ham-fisted guitar.  My guitars were my pride and joy and I decided I was going to become a full-time student at New College in Swindon on their BTEC ”Popular Music” course.  It was a huge decision; it meant giving up full time employment and struggling by on casual jobs, such as washing pots and bar work; but I decided that I really needed the adventure.  A while before the course was due to start, the college…