Born in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, Bolam originally studied furniture design at High Wycombe School of Art, and a strong family commitment to the values and beliefs of William Morris and the Arts and Crafts Movement was installed in him from an early age. He taught at Anglia Ruskin University for many years and was Head of School from 1970 to 1983. He exhibited widely, both in the UK and abroad.
