BJintheUK

Just about 75 years old (born 1950). Have led a rather disjointed life. Started from the wrong side of the blanket, and have suffered from dislexia and being left handed all my life. It caused me to hate school and I left at 15 to work in motor engineering as a machinist/fitter.

At age 23 I worked at BAC in Filton, to make parts for Concorde, but when that was cancelled I moved to Canterbury in Kent (1974). There I worked in engineering for a year while I applied for a place as a mature student at the University of Kent.

Got given a place and spent the next four years (minus one year out) learning historical things and finally graduated in 1979 with a BA in History.

Moved to London and worked in local government for 6 months before leaving to become self-employed, riding a motorbike around London and the South East as a despatch rider/courier (1980).

Met my wife, and then bought a flat in Barnet, North London (1983). Lived there for 4 years while our first 2 children were born. Then moved across to Borehamwood where we bought a 3 bed semi (1987). After being in the semi for 6 years our third child was born (1993) and he still lives with us here in the semi. In total we've been here for 38 years and counting.

Three years after moving to Borehamwood I had to stop riding bikes due to prostate problems (1990), so retrained to become a computer programmer and spent almost 30 years working both self-employed and as an employee in IT.

Retired 7.5 years ago (2018) and now spend a lot of time either playing with my microlight aeroplanes or writing bad poetry.