As a teenager…
I mostly used my time playing computer games, but also be collected obscure roleplaying games (e.g. Bushido, Traveller and Call of Cthulhu), painted miniatures and read a lot of science fiction from the library. I was such a nerd that I volunteered to be a prefect in sixth form, which mainly just meant I had a shiny blue badge to wear. I never got any good at it, but I actually practiced ninjutsu for years.
After School…
I went directly to Lancaster University to study Physics. This ended up being a terrible option for me and I dropped out in my second year. At 28, I did a computer networking course at Lancaster and Morecambe College, which ultimately lead me to go back into higher education to study Software Engineering at the University of Central Lancaster. I got so much more out of the experience, being older and more motivated.
And Now…
I’m doing a variety of voluntary and paid community work, including being a director at Lancaster Community Makerspace and Bayshare – A library of things network. After running sessions for two heritage festivals, toymaking and board game design, I persuaded E2M to start up a brand new Makers’ Club in 2025. In 2016, I founded a Code Club at Lancaster Central Library and some of my old students actually went into computing and/or came back to teach alongside at Code Club and E2M! In addition, I design and make items, like frame looms and board game accessories, to sell as Slithy Tove Design. Having a lot of little jobs, many of which I “made up” myself, suits me so much more than being employed normally!
