I was born at around 6 am on the 10th of July 1956 at Hexham, near Newcastle upon Tyne, in the north-east of England.
After spending the first two years of my life in that part of the world (mostly in Gateshead, near where my paternal grandparents lived), and with a few months in Israel in between, my family then moved up to London. I spent the rest of my childhood living in the West Hampstead area of London.
Upon reaching the age of 18, I moved with my family to Harpenden, in Hertfordshire, where I have lived since.
Single, and probably too uncompromising to ever be anything else.
Very loyal; easy going and even tempered, but obstinate and tenacious; a perfectionist who doesn't believe in perfection, and is thus always striving to achieve what he knows to be unachievable; a believer in function over form, whilst recognising that the rest of the world often places form above function; I have an opinion on everything, but always enjoy listening to the diverse opinions of others; I believe in treating others as I would be treated.
My mother has worked in the computer industry since I was about 10 years old, and I would read all the computer manuals she would bring home. When I left college, computing was the thing I was most familiar with, so it seemed natural to follow in her footsteps.
Computing - both my profession and my pleasure; travel; reading - almost anything non-fiction, but predominantly: computing, history, and science and technology; photography; walking; cooking - for someone living alone this is not so much a hobby as one of life's necessities, but also a creative art form (like painting with flavours).
I am a member of Mensa.
Mostly Classical music (from Elizabethan court music, through Baroque, to Romantic); traditional folk music (from any European tradition); Country and Western music; some modern popular music (particularly ballads and other fairly melodic music).
I am not fluent in any foreign language, but do have a smattering of the following:
I can carry on a limited conversation in Hungarian.
I can shop or ask directions, but would not be able to converse in German.