Early Years
The son of a dairy farmer, Vickery was born to Cornish parents in Barnstaple, Devon, England and says he is proud to be a Cornishman and an Englishman. Educated at Budehaven School, his interest in sport developed as a youngster, and by age 12 he started playing rugby. By the age of 16 he gained his first National Representative honour, being picked for the England Schools U16s group.
Vickery left school age 16 and worked as a herdsman on his parents' farm. He remains a qualified cattle inseminator.
Vickery has an Oriental tattoo on his left shoulder which roughly translates to "I'll fight you to the death", and a bulldog tattoo on his right.
Read more about this topic: Phil Vickery (rugby Union)
Famous quotes related to early years:
“Even today . . . experts, usually male, tell women how to be mothers and warn them that they should not have children if they have any intention of leaving their side in their early years. . . . Children don’t need parents’ full-time attendance or attention at any stage of their development. Many people will help take care of their needs, depending on who their parents are and how they chose to fulfill their roles.”
—Stella Chess (20th century)
“If there is a price to pay for the privilege of spending the early years of child rearing in the driver’s seat, it is our reluctance, our inability, to tolerate being demoted to the backseat. Spurred by our success in programming our children during the preschool years, we may find it difficult to forgo in later states the level of control that once afforded us so much satisfaction.”
—Melinda M. Marshall (20th century)