My hobbies and interests:

Computers:       

Perhaps no surprise here! I enjoy taking PCs to pieces and updating / installing / replacing parts etc. I have just completed building my new computer as the old one was just too slow!  I am now thinking of building a high end server for my home network.

I have 5 Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) exams  in Windows NT 4.0 but unfortunately am not intending to update as there are currently very few job vacancies in IT. 

        Reading (especially Science Fiction).

I am very into reading and my favourite authors are: 

Terry Pratchett - favourite: Reaper Man.

Gordon R Dickson - favourite: The Dragon Knight series.

H G Wells - favourite: The Time Machine.

Jules Verne - Favourite: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.

John Wyndham - Favourite: Day of the Triffids and the Village of the Damned.

George Orwell - Favourite: Animal Farm and 1984.

Charles Dickens - favourite: A Christmas Carol.

Arthur Conan Doyle - favourite: The Sherlock Holmes series.

and a whole lot more including history such as:

Dr Robert D Ballard - the Discovery of the Titanic.

Don Lynch and Ken Marshall - Titanic - an Illustrated History.

There are just too many to mention.

Photography:       

Since an early age I have been interested in photography, and it has been exceptionally exciting to see the computer photo manipulation packages that are now available for the PC.

Whereas I used to have to use chemicals and a lot of time,  I can now scan my photo, edit it and print it using an inkjet printer in a short time and to a very good quality. How I wish that this facility was available when I was photographing front of house photos for amateur dramatic societies. If only digital cameras were around at that time!

     Video Editing:

I have recently started doing video editing from my analogue camcorder to video tape using the PC, so the analogue signal has to be digitised first, edited and then recorded down to video tape. 

The surprising thing is just how much disk space is required to do this. If you look at the video page and have the patience to wait for the clip to load you will see that this few seconds clip is 1MB in size and takes forever to download. I am now looking into other file formats, but to keep the size down the sound will have to be removed.

I recorded a weekend convention of the AKFT (Argerial Confederation of Free Traders - an adult fantasy club based very loosely off of Star Trek). The resulting video lasts over three and a half hours and used up 30GB - yes 30! Gigabytes of hard disk. I have now deleted this off my hard disk, WOW Space again!

Since this was written in 2000 I now have a very nice Sony digital video camera and I am actively involved in producing small projects (Pets, neighbours pets etc.) and I may take up wedding video production.

 Science Fiction Movies / TV shows:     

No surprise here either: Star Trek (all series including the cartoon version), Dr Who, Planet of the apes, most of the 50's 'B' movies and the better ones such as 'The day the earth stood still' and The Invasion of the Body Snatchers (the original not the remake).

        Amateur Dramatics:

For many years I was involved in amateur dramatics, having been involved with the Utopian Operatic Society, BADA (Burnt Ash Drama Association), Lewisham Operatic Society, Bromley Operatic Society, Bromley Little Theatre, Eltham Little Theatre (the Bob Hope Theatre as it is now called), Harrogate Amateur Dramatic Society, as well as some companies whose names I cannot recall. I also was involved with the Bromley Mummers (folk plays usually performed in Public Houses at Christmas time)

I have performed on stage, worked backstage doing sound and lighting engineering, done stage management and I have performed front of house duties as well. I have also been a musical director and played both electric bass guitar and acoustic guitars both on and off stage. I played a melodeon (a button accordion) when I was with the Bromley Mummers.

I had to give it all up when work commitments and health problems caused it all to be too much, but I still hope to go back to it one day. 

Music:       

A wide range here, ranging from classical, classical jazz, rock and roll, heavy metal, popular, folk music, etc. However I cannot stand reggae and rap at any price.

        Last but not least:

CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale). While I have not been able to support my local branch just lately I am still interested in the preservation of real ale and I am now a life member of CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale). 

Good beer, wine and food play an important part in my life. My favourite beers are Adnams Broadside and Hall & Woodhouse's Badgers Best Bitter.