Trevor was born in London in 1937 and brought up in Southall. At 20 he began his National Service as a physical training instructor, during which time he swam for the Army and Imperial Services. He then became a professional swimmer, stunt man and entertainer. He went on to start his own aquatic display company using a large, glass sided tank in which he dived from great heights and swam underwater demonstrating equipment which led to performing in a Berlin Circus as an underwater escape artist.

Trevor felt that stunt players and the disabled are kinfolk. In 1985 Trevor invented and developed a range of products for the disabled called Orange Aids. In 1991, after seeing a programme about the spread of AIDS in Africa, he developed the Wind Up Radio. This was featured on Tomorrow’s World and developed by corporate finance expert Christopher Staines and South African entrepreneur Rory Stear who together acquired funding and set up BayGen Power Industries in Cape Town employing disabled workers to manufacture the Freeplay Wind Up Radio.

In June 1996 the Freeplay radio was awarded the BBC Design Award for Best Product and Best Design. Trevor was awarded the Presidential Gold Medal by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and addressed the Conference of Commonwealth Ministers in Botswana for the British Council.

In October 1997 Trevor was awarded the OBE. In May 1998 Trevor went on a tour of African States, lecturing for the British Council. He visited Ethiopia, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malta and Crete. Following this the British Council then arranged a tour of Australia, Cyprus, Slovenia and India, Jerusalem and Bahrain and at the end of June he walked 100km across the Namib Desert for the Mines Advisory Group whilst demonstrating his latest invention, the Electric Shoes.

Trevor Baylis Autobiography