Personal Details

For some reason, people feel more comfortable if they know what a person looks like. So to gratify that wish, without giving any clue what I look like , here's an old passport photograph on the left.

This was taken in about 1988 in Dhahran; I even used to look like it. The picture on the right is one taken in the Amersham office last summer ('95).

The Story So Far...

Teenage Kicks

The  Mainframe Adventure

I sometimes think about writing a book about the mainframe software industry. We start in a beach bar in Monte Carlo, with me being offered a job at more than twice my current salary; and proceed via an earthquake in Tokyo to a hotel in Cyprus, where a senior director sodomises a polystyrene reindeer. The rest of it will be more interesting.

Family

I came back from working in Saudi Arabia when it was confirmed that my son Andrew had Cystic Fibrosis. That was a relief, because at last we had some kind of explanation for all of his illnesses. Every day we see some aspect of the illness affecting him, but know that there is little we can do. Well-meaning relatives kept sending us newspaper cuttings about gene therapy, which will one day cure CF. But it seems a long way off.

My wife Elizabeth works in our company (P & L Systems), but she still does some PC training. She is the author of two books from MacMillan: 'dBase III and III+: a trouble shooting guide' and 'Understanding SQL'.

Our other two sons are David and Christopher. Both are very bright and healthy.

Computers

We have a diverse collection of small computers: ZX81, Jupiter Ace, BBC B, Atari 800XL, Epson PX-8, Compaq original, Toshiba T1000, Acorn Archimedes, Psion Organiser II, Psion S3a, Sharp 6220, Atari 1040ST, Sharp IQ8200, Nixdorf Targon (SVR2 system), Apple Newton, Apple Mac Performa 400, Compaq Aero, a 386 clone running Open Desktop with Development System, and a General Magic (Sony) hand-held. Not to mention several PCs and NeXTs. We have a NeXT Dimension cube with optical and floppy; if you haven't seen one, you have no idea what you are missing!

I also wrote a column on PDAs for PC Pro for several years.

And Interests

Other interests are subject to change according to whim, and include horse riding, diving and science fiction (most of the time).

P & L Systems

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