A little of my story.

A little about me

I’m based in Newcastle upon Tyne, in the North East of England. My interests range from physics, philosophy and computing to military history and geopolitics. I enjoy exploring how things work, questioning ideas and understanding how the past shapes the world today. Travel and photography give me other ways to explore that curiosity, while reading and writing help me reflect on what I discover.

My work spans software development, Microsoft 365, the Power Platform and data analytics, alongside a growing interest in AI and automation. I enjoy finding practical ways to connect ideas, information and tools, whether that means building an application, improving a workflow or experimenting with a different approach.

Why I’m sharing my story

I’m a little introverted and have never been one to draw attention to myself, so putting myself at the centre of a website hasn’t come entirely naturally. But sharing a little of my life is also a way to reach out—to find congenial souls, exchange stories and perhaps encourage someone else to travel, try something unfamiliar or follow an interest. In that sense, this website is something of a social experiment: putting a little of myself out into the world and seeing what connections come back.

Physics, philosophy and computing

I studied Applied Physics and Microelectronics at Northumbria University. I later gained an honours degree in Information Technology in Education at Sunderland University. As a research student, I worked in the Space Science Division at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory near Oxford. Physics and philosophy remain two of my strongest interests. I’m particularly fascinated by time and space, quantum mechanics and the theory of relativity: subjects that challenge how we understand the universe and the laws that govern it. I’m something of an armchair philosopher: I enjoy reading, reflecting and exploring questions about reality, knowledge and how we understand the world. My working life has moved towards computing and education, but that fascination with physics and philosophical ideas has stayed with me.

A first journey around Europe

My first trip was interrailing around Europe in 1991. I travelled through France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Austria, visiting different cities and seeing a good part of Europe before reaching Corfu in Greece.

The journey eventually came to an unexpected end in Corfu, where a diving accident left me with a serious back injury. After a couple of months in hospital, I was flown home rather than returning by train as planned. I was still recovering from the injury and needed further time to recuperate once I was back home.

Bike rides and a tall ship

I planned to join an expedition to Chile and took part in a Raleigh International Bike Ride to raise funds for it. That was a six-week tour around the United Kingdom. I returned the following year, in 1993, for a ten-week bike ride around the UK, whose route also included France. I did not take part in the French leg, as I spent part of that period participating in a work camp in the Middle East.

I also helped sail the tall ship TS Astrid from London to Newcastle for the start of the Tall Ships Race. Years later, in July 2013, Astrid ran aground off the Irish coast and sank. Everyone aboard was rescued, but although she was salvaged, the cost of restoration proved too high and she was subsequently scrapped.

Work camps and cultural exchange

Reading From Beirut to Jerusalem by Dr Ang Swee Chai and Pity the Nation by journalist and author Robert Fisk helped spark my interest in visiting Lebanon. Dr Ang’s account of working as a surgeon among Palestinian refugees, including her experiences during the Sabra and Shatila massacres, and Fisk’s reporting made me want to learn more about the country and the lives of people there.

Some of my experiences abroad came through work camps. I took part in camps in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Lebanon, including working with Lebanese youth in the Beqaa Valley and with UNICEF in Tripoli. The work camps offered an opportunity for cultural exchange: spending time with local people, learning about their lives and gaining a better understanding of the struggles and challenges their communities were facing.

While I was in Beirut, I heard that Robert Fisk was living there and sought him out. He invited me in for a beer and a chat. He was about to leave for the Balkans, so the visit was brief, but I had the chance to meet a writer whose work had helped inspire my journey.

From Beirut, I travelled through Jordan, Israel and Egypt. This became my Beirut-to-Cairo journey, following several months spent in Beirut.

I also took part in a cultural exchange programme through the American Institute for Foreign Study, spending time as a camp counsellor at Camp Blue Ridge in the United States. After the camp, I travelled extensively across the United States, from Key West in Florida to California, including San Francisco, with many places and experiences along the way. Taking part in camp life through a cultural exchange, followed by independent travel, gave me two different ways of experiencing the country.

My first teaching experience

My first teaching experience was at Gateshead College, before I moved to Proximity London. While studying for my degree in Information Technology in Education, I taught adults in evening classes, covering web design and Visual Basic. It brought my interest in computing together with helping other people develop practical skills. Many years later, I returned to Gateshead College for another period of teaching.

I also spent time teaching IT as a lecturer at Newcastle College, extending my teaching experience to another college in the North East.

Finding my way into web development

An early chapter in my web development career took me to Proximity London, a digital marketing agency, where I developed web applications for major clients.

Projects for clients such as the Financial Times, Emirates and Volkswagen brought my interest in computing into the setting of a creative agency.

London to Sydney overland

After a couple of years at Proximity London, I was made redundant in the aftermath of the dot-com bubble bursting. With many people facing redundancy at the time, I decided to take a year out to travel. That year eventually stretched to almost two.

My reading included Danziger’s Travels by Nick Danziger, an account of his overland journey through Asia, including time spent with the mujahideen in Afghanistan during the Soviet occupation. I also read The Wrong Way Home by Peter Moore, whose account of travelling from London to Sydney without flying was particularly relevant to the journey I would make myself.

In 2003–2004, I travelled from London to Sydney overland, following parts of the old Silk Road. The journey took me through twenty-six countries by local transport, including trains, buses and ferries. Getting there was a substantial part of the experience, which is perhaps an understatement when the destination is Australia.

What draws me to travel is the chance to encounter different landscapes, cultures and ways of life. I enjoy the adventure and the need to adapt, but also the people and the unexpected encounters. A route gives a journey some shape; the experiences along it are what give me something to remember and share.

Beyond the overland journey, my travels have taken me to many places across Europe, Asia and the United States, with journeys including India, Bali in Indonesia and Egypt in North Africa. I’m bringing the stories and photographs from these different journeys together on my blog.

Volunteering abroad and at home

Alongside the cultural exchanges in Lebanon, I spent time working on a kibbutz in Israel. Volunteering and sharing practical skills have also been part of other journeys, and of life closer to home.

During my London-to-Sydney overland journey, I also spent time in Dharamsala in India, teaching IT skills to Tibetan refugees. It was an opportunity to share practical knowledge while spending time within a community along the route.

Closer to home, I continue to support charities with IT, putting my technical skills to use on projects where they can help. Volunteering has given me different ways to contribute, whether through teaching or practical technical support.

Photography and videography

Event photography is a particular interest. I enjoy taking my camera to World War II re-enactments and steam rallies, as well as events such as York Viking Festival, Notting Hill Carnival and Whitby Goth Weekend. Air shows, including Duxford and the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT), offer another kind of subject. I enjoy capturing the people and atmosphere that give each event its character.

I have also been involved in a couple of music video productions as a behind-the-scenes photographer, including one for Sunderland Film Festival. Photographing the production process gives me another way to explore the people and activity behind a finished piece of work.

I also enjoy landscapes, portraits and macro photography. Walking often brings the camera along, whether on Northumberland’s coast, in the Lake District or around historic places.

Health and fitness

Cycling, walking, hiking and the gym give me a change of focus from time at a screen. Gym sessions give me time for strength training.

History, books and ideas

My interest in geopolitics grew out of my early travels in the Middle East. Spending time there made me want to understand the conflicts affecting the region and the circumstances people were living through. I began reading about the wars, their background and the events behind what I was seeing and hearing.

Travelling also drew me further into history. Visiting places such as Persepolis in Iran, Petra in Jordan and Angkor Wat in Cambodia gave me a reason to explore the civilisations, people and events associated with them. A place could begin as a stop on a journey and become the starting point for a much longer interest.

Military history connects with that curiosity about how events, strategy and technology shape the world. I also collect militaria, which gives me a tangible connection with the past. My interest in military action figures brings research, kitbashing and photography together.

My reading ranges from history and geopolitics to physics, philosophy and science fiction. Blogging gives me somewhere to reflect and share what I discover.

Things I still want to explore

AI and automation

AI is an area I’m investing a lot of time in, both for my career and through practical experimentation. I want to keep developing my use of AI-assisted tools and automation, exploring how they can help me build applications, connect processes and make everyday work more useful.

Electronics projects

I would also like to spend more time on electronics, developing practical projects with Raspberry Pi and Arduino. It is an opportunity to revisit an existing interest and explore the possibilities of bringing hardware and software together.

Exploring music further

I have experimented with music in the past, learning some keyboard and using an Atari 1040 STE with MIDI sequencing software. It is something I have only explored a little, and I would like to make more time for it. Taking part in a music video production as a behind-the-scenes photographer renewed my interest, and I have since bought FL Studio and Ableton as tools to investigate music production.

A conversation to continue

There are more stories to add and plenty I still want to explore. For now, I hope this gives you a sense of who I am and what interests me. If you recognise a shared interest or have an experience of your own to share, I’d be glad to hear from you. Finding congenial souls is part of what brought me here.