Thank you for your interest. With this information I've gone into much more detail than will probably interest most people. Hopefully some of you may be interested in the detail of some of the information. In any case, it was fun doing it !
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Qualifications Summary:
- Professional
- CEng Chartered Engineer(Prof. Engineer)
- MIET (UK – Institution of Engineering and Technology)
- Member IEEE (US – Institution of Electrical and Electronic Engineers)
- Member UFFC (Ultra-sonics and Frequency Control Society – IEEE)
- Educational
- BEng (BSEE) Majoring in Electrical and Electronic Engineering
in reverse order……………………….
My learning experience at Bradford began before I even got through the front gate. I had managed to navigate my way to the “halls of Residence” where I would stay for the first semester, so naturally I asked the guard at the gate to direct me to my room. What happened next was a new experience for me. The man opened his mouth and made plenty of sound, which was apparently formed into word, but none of which could I understand!
Of course, this was the North of England, a mere 200 miles north of my home town London, but a world apart in dialect – wow! So I politely asked the guard to repeat the instructions, with exactly the same result, to which I nodded, thanked him, and went on my way, aware that I would need to find an alternative solution to this particular problem. Was this what prompted my interest in learning different languages later in life?
Together with studying Electrical and Electronic Engineering, I was able to pursue another passion in my life – sailing. I had spent many hours during my time in London at a sailing club that used the lake near my home. This had given me enough of a start to join the University Sailing Club, which partnered with a local (over the Yorkshire moors) sailing club in Foulridge, just across the county border in Lancashire, called Burwain Sailing Club. By some quirk of chance, I seemed to be quite adept at team racing in the Firefly class dinghies the University used, and ended up as team captain for several years, walking in the footsteps of my dear friend Pete Richards (with whom I’ve sadly since lost touch). 
Sailing on Foulridge Reservoir
Having somehow survived my first three years, I took a seat on the University Students Executive Committee in my final year, as Chairman of the Athletic Society. In this lofty position I was able to contribute to the overall governance of the student body – what fun!
In any case, after 4 very full years, I managed to graduate and move on to the next phase of my life.
Somehow I did well enough at Warwick Boys to get to play with the clever kids at the Grammar School. This was really where my formal education kicked into gear. I actually started to participate in some serious stuff, in particular I learnt to play the school organ and was tasked with leading the school in song for one morning assembly per week – we used to “love” Jerusalem!
The school was steeped in tradition, and it definitely rubbed off. I became a “prefect” for some reason that was never really clear to me, but I did get the perk of being able to use the prefect “lounge” whenever I had spare time which was fun. Although I didn’t appreciate it at the time, the real advantage was that I got to study for Advance Level Examinations, and subsequently a “free ride” through University.
At this point in my life, things started to get interesting! My journey to school now included either a bus ride (by public bus) or a train ride. It seemed to be very exciting at first, but it didn’t take long for the novelty to wear off.
The concept of homework was introduced, another hassle I had not been prepared for – which is somewhat surprising considering that my father was himself a deputy principal – oh by the way, at the very school that I was attending!
Now I had to walk a couple of miles (or so it seemed) to get to school. I didn’t really mind, it just seemed normal. In fact, I use to get there early so I could play soccer with the other kids in the playground before school started (using a tennis ball of course).
The challenge came when I had to endure the “London Fog” or smog actually. I was told to cover my nose with a handkerchief which was just as well because by the time I got to school, there was invariably a round black mark where I had been inhaling. Actually negotiating the route was none too easy either – visibility was often such that if I outstretched my arm I could no longer see my hand!
I know my brother hated this school, the headmaster Mr. Glascow for some reason had taken a dislike to him, and was always giving him the “cane”, a source of major frustration (not to mention the pain) for him and my parents.
I remember my mother telling me when I left for school in the morning “Look Left, Look Right, Look Left again” EVERY morning when I left the house to walk the half a mile to my first school – I used to look forward to the free milk !
In the afternoon I had to stop at my friend’s house (Andy Roberts) on the way home until my mum called in to get me on her way home from work.
Not quite how I remember it, but pretty close!
