About the Webmaster, his Jobs, his Education, his Family, History, Mathematics, ... and his favourite Videos and CD tracks.

I have an interest in computer games, gardening, history and geo-politics and have written several free computer games for various platforms.

• My Favourite Books with pictures of Covers - mainly Science Fiction, Fantasy / Adventure, History, Mathematics, and Physics. There's a list of them at the top of the page. I'm sure you'll find some of them of interest once you've read the synopsis.

• My Jobs mainly in the Electronics Industry, Agency and Fruit Picking (to start with).

• My Early Life In Shetland and in an RAF Family.

• My Studies Prep. School v. Comprehensive, Technical College, Polytechnic v. University. A number of interesting antidotes about my experiences through the 'halls of academe' plus some interesting stuff on how technology has advanced. Not exactly 'Tom Brown's School Day's'; 'Billy Bunter'; 'Goodbye Mr. Chips'; 'Porterhouse Blue' which stared David Jason as a Cambridge College Porter; or one of my favourite films 'the Guinea Pig' in which a very young Richard Attenborough wins a scholarship to a top public school, after coming from a working class background. But I think you will find it of some interest.
  Knowledge is not equivalent to Wisdom.

  Prep. School

  Comprehensive School

  Technical College

  Polytechnic

  University

  Al-Aqba

  
  
• Articles from the now defunct British Amateur Electronics Club, which may be of some interest:
  • The proposed BAEC Computer with Core Memory and Teleprinter.
  • [JUN99] 25 Years since the first Microcomputer - the Altair.
  • Plus: Commodore PET Corner - about one of the first Microcomputers that was produced.
  • Free Doctor Who Games, and quotes from Genesis of the Daleks.

• I trained as an Electronic and Robotic Engineer and Computer Scientist for a total of 7 years higher education. I know about a dozen computer languages, including Pascal which another Ledgard who I contacted once in Toledo, Ohio was on the development and standards committee. He was also interested in Left-handedness of which I am one - we are said to be more intelligent but less articulate due to the Right-hemisphere of the brain dominating, it actually crosses over and drives the left-hand. This hemisphere deals with Science, Mathematics, and stuff like that, while the other one deals with Language and Emotion. Women actually get to use both hemisphere's when talking, where as mean only use one.
  
• A lot of people learn a lot of useless stuff at University that they never use and then wait around on the dole for a year or more. I knew one person at the Job Centre who had a Degree in Electronics and had been unemployed for 7 years! Not wanting to take any old job. Of course some courses are more useful than others, I have noticed there is a reduction in Arts courses now students have to pay £3,000/year tuition fees.
  
• I am probably over educated like a lot of people in this country and probably would have been a lot better off getting a middle skilled job and pursuing learning in my own time for my own interest. Like the two useful night classes that I did in 1997-98: 'Introduction to the Internet' and 'Writing Web Pages' at Technical College.
  
• I have been on a wonder drug called Seroxat since 1999 that has greatly increased my Self-confidence, steadied my nerves and made me more articulate. It also lifts your mood. It is commonly available from your Doctor and prescribed to a lot more people than you might think. I would recommend it to anyone suffering from shyness. Prior to this I found it difficult to hold down a job as I got very nervous in some sorts of environment like factories and wasn't articulate enough to do professional work which requires a lot of inter-personnel communication. I think Bill Gates of Microsoft might be on it too or something similar, as he seems to be taking a lot more interviews and makes a lot more public appearances than he used to.

• Check out Setting up your own Internet Site for a short note on how to set-up your own internet site. Be aware that most topic's 'environmental niches' are now occupied so you might be writing about stuff that's already on the web. Not the case with my site, for some reason there is very little about Colonization on the Web, much much more about it's big brother Civilization II which you can write historical scenarios for. There's not much about Railway Tycoon either. You also need to get listed on search engines and link to popular sites if you want any visitors.

• The Last of the Mohicans (£2) from Charity Shop. Set in 1757. During the on going 7 Years War between France and Great Britain in the Wilderness of Upstate New York. Both with Indian Allies (Huron, Ottawa, and Mohican), and Colonial Militia. Fighting for control of the Continent, and the lucrative Fur Trade.
• Doctor Who: Genesis of the Darleks (£8.50). See Doctor Who. With Tom Baker, Darlek being derived from an encyclopaedia: DAR & LEK.
• Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy 1 (£5.95). See My Favourite Books.
• Dr. Strangelove (£2.01) or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb. With Peter Sellers staring in three lead roles. Incidentally he was born above the Chinese Takeaway, Next to my Local in Portmouth with does a very nice Sunday Dinner. The Plot: An Unhinged US Airforce Commander orders a nuclear strike on the Communist Soviet Union with B-52 Bombers. To get them with a first strike before they get us. The US President and his War Room have to try and recall them while warning the Soviet Premier to shoot them down before they reach their targets, or a Doomsday Machine will be triggered. Classic Line: 'No fighting in the War Room!'.
• The Life of Brian (borrowed from a friend), a comedy take on the life of Christ by the Monty Python team. 'He's not the Messiah'. Popular Front for Liberation of Judea: 'What did the Roman's ever do for us? Except build Roads, Sanitation, Wine...'. At the Crucifixion they sign 'Always look on the bright side of Life'.
• Ben Hur (£3.20). By MGM won 11 Academy Awards. About a Wealthy Jew played by Charlton Heston who falls out with his Roman Childhood Friend who has been made Tribune, and is sent to the Gallies ('Row and Live!'). He saves the Consul from drowning in a sea battle and is rewarded with a pardon and by becoming his adopted Son (a common Roman practice). He goes back to Judea to find his Mother and Sister who were also punished, and meets an Arab Horse Trainer and becomes his Charioteer eventually racing his old Tribune 'Friend' in the great Circus Maximus, Rome. This scene took 3 months to shoot, and is very exiting with many stunts, one that cost someone their life. He then returns to Judea and finds his family to be leapers. Jesus makes several appearances, giving Ben Hur water to save his life, preaching to a crowd, and healing Ben Hur's Mother and Sister while being taken for Crucifixion.
• The Ten Commandments (£3.40). About Moses also played by Charlton Heston sending the Ten Plaques down on Egypt to free the Jewish slaves, receiving the Ten Commandments from God, and their forty year wondering in the desert to find the 'promised land'.

• Blowing in the Wind and The Times they are a changing from the Best of Bob Dylan
• There's no Limit by 2 Unlimited - Techno
• We Are and Cuz I Can by Ana Johnson from Spiderman 2
• Joshua Fit The Battle and Swing Down Sweet Chariot by Elvis Presley from Gospel Favourites
• Jesus Christ Superstar by Andrew Lloyd Webber
• Achy Breaky Heart by Billy Ray Cyrus
• American Pie by Don McLean - a tribute to the short life of Buddy Holly - 'Can Music Save your Mortal Soul?'
• Eye of the Tiger by Survivor from the Rocky films
• Video Killed the Radio Star by the Buggles - a rather old and objure one
• Waiting for a Star to Fall by Cabin Crew
• Keep On Lovin' You by REO Speedwagon
• When you go will you send back a Letter from America? by the Proclaimers
• Israelite by Desmond Dekker
• Burning in your Heart Waltzing Matilda by the Ladysmith Black Mambazo featuring China Black
• The Downeaster "Alexa" by Billy Joel - Billy Joel Lyrics
• Rocket Man by Elton John
• California Dreamin' by the Seekers
• Gold Bye Yellow Brick Road by Elton John
• War of the Worlds with David Essex (the Artilleryman), Richard Burton (the Journalist) and the bloke from Thin Lizzy (as the Parson - 'the Boys are back in Town'). 'Bows and Arrows against the Lightning'. H.G. Wells was a committed socialist and prophet a Science predicting 'Total War': Air and Tank Warfare and the Atomic Bomb. He wrote 'The Time Machine' and the 'Invisible Man' and predicted a Moon landing in one of his books.
• Hero by Enrique Iglesias
• Stan by Eminem
• Radio Ga Ga and Under Pressure by Queen
• Survivor by Destiny's Child
• Best of Rolf Harris Walzing Matilda - accorded to Rolf a Matilda is an old blanket that an Australian hobo used to carry round his meager possessions, his only 'companion'. It kind of reminds me of my Travels with my rather over loaded Backpack (tip: just take what you really need) when I was off travelling to far flung corners of the globe. Never happier, except perhaps when hacking or solving a complex mathematical problem. It suited me then, I don't know if it would suit me now though. Star light hotel, where ever I lay my hat is my home.

Tintin was the name some of the Students called me at University for reasons that I shall not go into.