Railton Mobil Special

could do, I was then very seriously keen!!


Q6. When did you get your interests in Science & Technology?

A.
It was in the 3rd & 4th years at Grammar School(1951-53). I had already got maths prizes, having got language and art prizes earlier, - so general science & physics thrust their way into my 'way of life'.

Q7. When did you get your interest in Politics?

A.
At University in 1958-59, my dissatisfaction with all political parties was very evident.
By the time of the 1959 General Election, I had already read Jo Grimond's book, "The Liberal Future", and the candidates' manifestos. Jo's book was as if I'd written it myself. I was very impressed. I also met several colleagues at work who were Liberals - so the 'initiation' was complete. By the time of the next elections, I was active in the movement.

Q8. When did you get your interest in writing?

A.
Not until I was in the RAF, in 1955.


Q9. What about your Music interests?

A.
In my very early years, even up to the early 50's I was (curious, it seems now!) into CLASSICAL music and 'music from the SHOWS' - that was inherited from my parents (my father with his fine voice, on request at social gatherings, would sing songs from many shows that he and my mother had visited).
In the fifties, I found a deep interest in TRADITIONAL JAZZ and attended many shows with my wife for a number of years.
When I first heard Jim Reeves sing, probably in the early 60's, I was immediately attracted to his style of 'COUNTRY'. I joined in, with friends in Malvern around 1976, to form our first Country Music Club - and have belonged to many others since.

Later, in the 'Eighties' , I got involved with, and attended, many residential COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVALS. In my development of this web-site, I am starting and expanding on, the multitude of activities at such wonderful musical events. They were a dominating aspect of my life in that decade - spilling over into other activities.

Q10. When did you become a Humanist?

A.
During my RAF times, when the 'default religion', to put on room labels, was C of E (Even for non-believers!!) Well no. I was only an Aetheist then, but the Humanism developped when I joined the Worcestershire Humanist Group - as it was called then in the 60s and 70s. I also wrote under the name 'Freethinker' in a weekly publication.

Q11. What computers have you had at home?

A.
I have had my own SEVEN GENERATIONS of machines:-

(i)[Still Working] The ROWTRON games machine with Plug-in Cartridges (1981)

(ii) The 48K Spectrum (about 1983 - now physically dead) - with a spare one bought during the following year.

(iii) After the death of the final one of these 48K Spectrums in April 99, the need for a replacement for accepting the vast array of Software for this machine was satisfied by a local purchase of a SPECTRUM 128K +2 [Still Working] (several updates by Sir Clive and Alan Sugar ensured compatability still!!)

(iv) An IBM Compatible 486 (about 1993) with two clock-speeds (8MHz & 33 MHz) and 128MBytes C Disk.




A picture at my faithful 486 before the addition of a Pentium to my 'stables'!!
The sole reason for the 486's continuance in the last few years was its AUTOROUTE facility. However, as from mid-2005, with the purchase of an 'AARoute-Planner' for the Pentium2, this 486 computer is being decommissioned!

(v) Joined 486 to internet (Mid-1996 as per answer to Q2!)

(vi) Upgraded the 486 to include an extra hard-disk of 830MBytes and a faster clock (100MHz) (About 1997)

(vii) Installed a 400MHz Pentium2 with 13GBytes hard disk and a lot more. This was done over a 30 day period from 6th May '99 onwards. The WebSite's production was also transferred at this time.



Q12. What computers have you had at work?

A.
I worked with MANY GENERATIONS of machines:-

1. First computers were ANALOGUE : 1962 (Missile technology)
2. First digital machines: RREAC : 1962 (Radar technology)
       (This was my first excursion into high-level languages, here ALGOL60)
3. Many programmes to analyse and design & assess Radar improvements continued
	for years. Still the RREAC 'mainframe'.
4. Transference to Air Traffic Control (design) analyses. Various British mainframe and
	smaller computers : 1967
	(this was my cue to move into the CORAL 66 language
5. Our main 'mainframe' was the British ICL 1907F later - with the newer language:
	ALGOL68 (Plus the GEORGE 3 operating system)
6. Then a number of machines (American) were used in various studies:
	PDP9
	PDP11
	PDP 15
	PDP10 (the massive DEC10!)
	Individual VAX machines, then Vax Clusters
	Internally netted machines (VAX, PDP, GEC + everyone else!)
7. Later there was the transference to the ADA language (after delving into Pascale,
	Jovial and others)

	

A summary of them is as follows (in time-order of 'start of relationship'):-

Year met    Time 'very close'

1959		27 years
1976		 3 years
1985		 3 years
1985		10 years
1988		 1 year
1990		 3 years
1991		 1 year
1992		 2 years
1997		 1 year

In addition to these relationships there have also been 18 ladies with whom I've been
'good friends' (only that), stretching from 1955 - 1998.



Q15. I see that you've probably used several cameras over the years. Can you 
give us an idea of which cameras they were?



A. 
 Yes! More than that, I have tabulated them all in the  CAMERAS file!




Q16. I see that you've been in the RAF! Would you care to give us a summary of your time there?



A. OK folks ! Here's that summary!

	My time in the AirForce was during my time for NATIONAL SERVICE.
	The start was delayed for a few months for 'educational reasons' and 
	was from March 1955 until February 1957. It went like this:-

	 Feb55 for two months: Induction and 'square-bashing' at Hednesford!
	 April55-Jan56: On a Radar Fitter's course at Yatesbury..
	 Feb56-Feb57 : Teaching RADAR at YATESBURY
		(inc few weeks at Spitalgate on 'Instructors Course')