I have been working on amateur movies since 1993, and previously wrote cartoon stories and
some very feeble computer games. I currently work for National Grid, the gas/electricity company that's always got something 'in the pipeline'!
I was Area Co-ordinator for the West Midlands region of the UK MX-5
Owners Club for nearly four years. My first MX-5 was an original 1.6 with speakers in
the headrests. It also had a grille on the front that (on close inspection) said Mat
instead of the more-usual Miata. After six joyful years it went to a new owner. My second MX-5 is a Mk2 in Racing Blue Mica, a bit more subtle but no less gorgeous!
1. Cressida!
2. Pub quizzes - it's not the losing, it's the taking part that counts. Plus the silly team names.
3. The Nintendo DS. Well done Nintendo for breaking demographics that were hitherto untouched in gaming.
4. Music - all time favourites are Depeche Mode, Dubstar, Electronic, Enigma, Jamiroquai, Jean Michel Jarre, Kraftwerk, Madness, Madonna, New Order, The Orb, Pet Shop Boys, Queen, Recoil, Republica, The Shamen, Stellar, Sunscreem, T’Pau, Yello and ZZ Top. Recently into Air and Goldfrapp.
5. Out and about - in recent years I have become a wildlife enthusiast, joining the RSPB and also a member of The National Trust. Year by year I am transforming my garden into an eventual wildlife haven.
6. Driving - and not just around race circuits.
7. Cult tv - Recently watching Heroes, Lost, 24 and the new Battlestar Galactica - future classics? Well done to the BBC - who from 2005 started making great dramas again. Not only did Doctor Who return, but we also got Bleak House, Rome and Life On Mars. In 2006 we also got Torchwood - style over substance or gripping drama in its infancy? Some previous great programmes are... Angel (moody), Babylon 5 (epic), Blake's 7 (wobbly), Buffy (fangtastic), Doctor Who (classic), Lexx (twisted), The Prisoner (enigmatic), Red Dwarf (amusing), Star Cops (underrated) and Ultraviolet (superb). Note that none of these are docu-soaps about holiday resorts. For something a bit more down-to-earth 'I Claudius' (everyone should see this at least once), 'House of Cards', 'Poldark' and 'Auf Wiedersehen Pet' are unmissable.
8. Skiing - why is it that all ski resorts seem to have restaurants near the top? Is it because after a meal you are heavier and therefore get down faster? So far I have skied in Austria, Canada and France (and England if you count the Snow Dome!).
9. My cat! Now with its own web page.
10. Comedy - cult hits like 'Peep Show', 'Spaced', 'Black Books' and 'Phoenix Nights'. Also anything with Tony Hancock or Laurel & Hardy gets a big thumbs up, plus classics like Blackadder, Father Ted, The Simpsons, The Office, Fawlty Towers and the League Of Gentlemen. Not forgetting the Carry On team, Chris Morris and Alan Partridge!
11. The James Whale Radio Show - On Talk Sport 1053/1089am 10pm-1am Sunday to Thursday. Brilliant, often offensive but never dull. Find out what the nation is REALLY thinking. In 2007 James published his excellent autobiography. This is an essential purchase!
12. The Far Side - Gary Larson's strange cartoons. You'll never look at a cow in quite the same way again.
13. Half-Life - the sequel was well worth the excruciating wait. Get yourself a copy of The Orange Box - featuring several great games including Portal - one of the most original games in years.
14. Tony Hancock - comic genius, competently supported by the scripting talent of Ray Galton and Alan Simpson. Carry On fans will find plenty to appreciate in the early works of Sid James, Kenneth Williams and Hatti Jaques - who feature in many episodes.
15. The ZX Spectrum and its archive of classic games. Years wasted playing the likes of Elite, Sabre Wulf, Laser Squad, Dun Darach, Starstrike, Chaos etc etc... I suppose I should mention Horace Goes Skiing.
16. The Asterix books - ageless and very funny with lots of details to spot in the background with each read.
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