10 Things You Might Not Know About Me

[Intoelectrics]

For off-road I a Honda Transalp and a BMW HP2. No MotoX (too old ), I do mostly desert riding locally in the Karoo or mountain trails in the Cederberg mountains.

Brill! that's something I've always fancied doing
I have a Honda 450 CRF moto x bike and a GasGas 300 pro factory replica trials bike.

 

[Squid]

So here's a few bits about me

1. At 16 wanted to be either a machine tool service engineer like my Uncle, a spark or a software engineer (this is when merely owning a computer made you a complete nerd)
2. I used to play the Violin, now just dabble with synths (not as much as I would like) and would like to learn to play the guitar, drums and piano
3. Used to engage in amateur dramatics, preferred role was stage manager so I could attempt to cremate people and scenery with pyrotechnics
4. I like playing geek games like TIS-100, Shenzhen I/O and Silicon Zeroes, but I also like playing Diablo III, World of Warcraft and Grand Theft Auto 5
5. I did have a legitimate frag count of over 55,000 on Quake III Arena
6. I once competed for a place in an early e-sports team playing Painkiller, got my --- whooped by a guy who went on to win because I got bad lag on my 56k modem (he was on an early broadband connection) and I'd only been playing the game for a matter of days
7. My greatest software engineering achievements include reverse engineering a network security appliance to make it do things even the suppliers tech support department said were impossible, being one of the first people to successfully interface to a particular system in a language other than Perl and the crowning achievement, single handedly putting together the software for a browser based space strategy game (the intention was to make money, but in the end it didn't. My housemate designed it, I coded it and my brother produced the artwork for it)
8. My preferred tipple is real ale
9. Back on the musical theme, I did once have a song I wrote the music for recorded properly in a studio
10. I know how to weld (arc and MIG)

Bonus fact... I've designed and programmed quite a few custom digital controllers based around the PIC microcontrollers

Synth's a nerd eh this is you isn't it,

I have a Korg Microkorg sold my Korg MS2000 last year.

Nessa who can sing.........

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[Darkwood]

1) - Yorkshire born and bred
2) - other than this career path I was an Usher at showcase cinema's to pull some extra cash in in my apprentice days, I didn't take the job seriously and all the perks etc like free film passes made it enjoyable.
3) - I am learning guitar, self taught using youtube, its slow moving but I am getting there.
4) - In my teens I was swimming about 3miles a week at the local pool, once I hit 18 I swapped this out for dancing, I was regularly taking people to the big nightclubs to teach them how to dance and be more confident to do so.
5) I have an eclectic taste in music and can listen to anything from classical, opera all the way to heavy metal and indie.
6) I went through a punk/rock/goth phase and this is reflected in a pic I posted in 'what member look like thread...my ex is also a goth
7) I have nearly died twice through misadventure as a kid, I nearly suffocated in an old coal storage yard as I was sinking in a soup of coal dust/water acting like quick sand, my mates were also falling foul of the same, our screams were fortunately heard as I was up to my chin by then. The other occasion was my mate went under the ice in the local damn, I went under trying to save him, if it wasn't for a 3rd friend grabbing me as I had hold of the other lad then we were both certainly doomed, my body went into shock with the cold and I couldn't move as I went under.
8) Lost one of my best mates in a car crash when I was in my early twenties, it made me look at life totally different and probably shaped my character there after to who I am now, I was not involved in the crash myself.
9) I have only been in trouble with the law once as a young teen, I was bound over £50 for 1yr initially under the explosives act but it was reduced to breach of the peace because of my age (I was building my own fireworks by dismantling existing one and rearranging them, unfortunately the power and noise from my new fireworks was too much for the neighbours as they didn't take to it too kindly), I also nearly lost my hand when an airbomb pellet when off with static charge so a big lesson was learnt - I moved onto computer games after that.
10) I suffered a gambling addiction most of my younger days to bandits I no longer am and I cured my own problem but it has cost me a few relationships over those years although not because of the money as many would expect, I didn't do too bad out of it, it was just I pushed away the people around me to feed my addiction.

 

[The Ghost]

Brought up as catholic, and navy discipline Father was in the Royal Navy.

Spent some of my youth going off the rails, say no more. Made good though!

Started playing guitar, and have since built my own spanish guitar, would love to do this full time making instruments. Proper face matched norwegian spruce german rosette 1mm thick routed into front soundhole etc. It is really nice. Have a few guitars especially an old Roca (spanish luthier) circa 1860 and fabulous sound. Repaired it from pretty smashed up state. Love that one.

Chosen to do electrics by class mate John Donovan, in Shorinji Kempo class. He said you look like you're lazing (actually a bit more coarse than that) about get and do some work for me. Never looked back and it's where my electrical career began in east London latterly Scotland and Bristol to this day.

Trained acupuncturist. Reiki Master. Astrologer taught on free scholarship when this school read my chart! I can read palms etc.

Studied Law degree. LL. B. Hons. The diet of ashes as it is known.

Started up trust R. W. Bailey Memorial trust turnover .75 M at its height helping people from a mental health background, still going but bumping along the bottom as it were. Still have a farm in south bristol teaching horticulture through cannington college. Been going since 1989.

Studied and taught master classes in martial arts since 17 (45 yrs.) Shorinji Kempo, based on Uechi Ryu, Tai Ji, Aikido and so on also Iaido, fast draw sword.

Have seven children, 19 grandchildren (soon to be 21, twins on the way) 4 great-grandchildren, Four grandkids live with us. Done my bit for England. Married thirty-five years no slip ups!

I have read the bible cover to cover, must say I did not understand some of it but got some startling revelations reading it. A fantastic historical document with many incredible stories was my impression of it among other things. I recommend the book of Job for anyone interested.

Looking at the the fact that I have less time in front of me than behind me is quite sobering. Taking stock and wondering where it will all end.

 

[Darkwood]

Ruddy hell Vort' seven kids and 21 grandkids bet xmas is why you work the rest of the year lol.

 

[Squid]

Brought up as catholic, and navy discipline Father was in the Royal Navy.

Spent some of my youth going off the rails, say no more. Made good though!

Started playing guitar, and have since built my own spanish guitar, would love to do this full time making instruments. Proper face matched norwegian spruce german rosette 1mm thick routed into front soundhole etc. It is really nice. Have a few guitars especially an old Roca (spanish luthier) circa 1860 and fabulous sound. Repaired it from pretty smashed up state. Love that one.

Chosen to do electrics by class mate John Donovan, in Shorinji Kempo class. He said you look like you're lazing (actually a bit more coarse than that) about get and do some work for me. Never looked back and it's where my electrical career began in east London latterly Scotland and Bristol to this day.

Trained acupuncturist. Reiki Master. Astrologer taught on free scholarship when this school read my chart! I can read palms etc.

Studied Law degree. LL. B. Hons. The diet of ashes as it is known.

Started up trust R. W. Bailey Memorial trust turnover .75 M at its height helping people from a mental health background, still going but bumping along the bottom as it were. Still have a farm in south bristol teaching horticulture through cannington college. Been going since 1989.

Studied and taught master classes in martial arts since 17 (45 yrs.) Shorinji Kempo, based on Uechi Ryu, Tai Ji, Aikido and so on also Iaido, fast draw sword.

Have seven children, 19 grandchildren (soon to be 21, twins on the way) 4 great-grandchildren, Four grandkids live with us. Done my bit for England. Married thirty-five years no slip ups!

I have read the bible cover to cover, must say I did not understand some of it but got some startling revelations reading it. A fantastic historical document with many incredible stories was my impression of it among other things. I recommend the book of Job for anyone interested.

Looking at the the fact that I have less time in front of me than behind me is quite sobering. Taking stock and wondering where it will all end.

Thats an interesting read.

 

[Squid]

Just to ad my downfall in life was always pretty woman, bars and clubs and my nickname is Diable or the Wolf for my sins.

 

[The Ghost]

The way things are in our house I do not actually need to work I just do it because I love working and doing electrics and some of the challenges it throws up. I must say nowadays people are saying things like "take it steady old timer" and "are you ok with that old man" ok they don't say the old bit but that is what they mean. I feel fine though so far anyroad.

 

[Pete999]

Dont forget to add your probably the most respected member here either

Difficult post to respond to without blowing my own Trumpet, are you saying I'm like this bloke? but it is nice of you to think of me in this way

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[SparkyChick]

Synth's a nerd eh this is you isn't it,

I have a Korg Microkorg sold my Korg MS2000 last year.

Nessa who can sing.........

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I'd like to be able to sing like Alison Moyet and write songs like Vince Clarke

I've not got that much kit, mainly Roland (Alpha Juno 2, D110, XV-5080) and a Yamaha MU-1000, plus a collection of software emulations (mainly the Arturia V-Collection)