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I come from good Scotish stock, my father's family being, Peddie, which is a sept of the MacDuff Clan. My Grandmother's family was, Watson, which is a sept of the Buchanans. I rather like the Buchanan tartan and so I have 'adopted' it. Whether it has adopted me I don't know! However, I am quite involved in researching my Peddie roots.
Born in 1948, I just missed the excitement of D-day, first time around, but caught up with it on the 50th anniversary. My Parents met in the aftermath of war - my father was in hospital having damaged his knee in a football match with the newly liberated Lisseaux villagers. No-one knows what the score was, but the result was me; 3 years later in London. When I was 7, they decided that they had little in common and the home match was abandoned and became an away fixture. | 
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The Beatles arriving in America at Kennedy Airport
| I was too young to enjoy the 50's and the birth of Rock 'n' Roll, but got stuck into the 60's with enthusiasm. Contrary to accepted wisdom, I was there and can remember it! My interest in music was born out of the folk protest era of such as Peter, Paul and Mary, and Joan Baez. This inspired me to learn the guitar from a friend. I figured that if he could do it, how hard could it be? I didn't tell him that though. I continued to hunt out good music and embraced all things Beatlish. Music has remained an abiding interest and has broadened into classical as well as encompassing, Rock and Jazz. |
The 60's were also a spiritual time. While the Beatles were pursuing Eastern Mysticism, I became a Christian at a Billy Graham meeting at Earls Court in '66. This experience has profoundly moulded my life since. Having moved to Westcliff-on-Sea in Essex (35 miles east of London) when I was nine, it became inevitable that I took to water, although not quite like a duck, at the long gone open air sea water pool in nearby Leigh-on-Sea. I also went to secondary school in Leigh. Swimming led to sailing and I built my own 10 foot Mirror Dinghy (sail number 910)in my bedroom when I was about 14. This fortunately had double doors to allow an eventual exit and launch. It was later, much later, that I was able to take sailing qualifications when we moved to the Isle of Wight aged 37! Leigh is one of our favourite places and full of memories, not least because Jan lived there and so it is where we did a lot of our courting! We especially love the fishing village area of Old Leigh. Educated to HNC (Elec) standard at Southend Tech College in 1970, when technology meant a Slide Rule and set of Log Tables. The first pocket calculator didn't appear until 1972 (The Sinclair Cambridge) and cost a small fortune. I was of the generation for whom computers were a complete mystery, despite working in the avionics and domestic electronics industries for a number of years. Another complete mystery of that time were women. This did not prevent me getting married in '72 to Jan, and we celebrated 25 years of very happy married life in 1997. In '84 we had a son, Joel, who is heading up to be a six footer. We love 'im! |
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As a family we moved, in '85, to the Isle of Wight (off England's south coast) to work at the Medina Valley Centre.
I loved the place, especially the chance to do more sailing and some instructing. When our contract came to an end we felt it right to move on, although it was a terrific wrench to leave. We certainly enjoyed our time there and return for holidays whenever we can. |
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So in '88, we upped sticks and moved to Wirral in the North-West to work for a counselling charity. Wirral is the small peninsula across the River Mersey from Liverpool and we currently live in the town of Birkenhead - a typical inner city sort of place with high unemployment, crime and associated social problems. Since moving, I have had three jobs and matching redundancies but am currently working see below. |
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Back to computers. When Joel was born it was obvious that, 'chips with everything', would be the kind of world in which he was going to live. So, having grown tired of watching kids in various stores' computer departments do amazing things with Sinclair ZX's and Spectrums (remember them?), we took the plunge and bought a second hand BBC-B in '84. I learned some Basic programming, and word processing. This trusty old machine, with about the same memory as a modern pocket calculator, was, until 1996, our home computer! We now own a Pentium P120. That's what I call an up-grade! Speaking of which, we are probably in need of another upgrade soon! I started working with CP/M Apricots around the same time as we bought the 'Beeb', and over the years progressed ever upwards via Amstrad 1512's, 286's and Apple Mac's, broadly teaching myself the machines and software as required. Along the way I tangled with MS-DOS and Windows, word processing, spreadsheets and databases in an office context. Adopting a Carpe Diem approach, I have been updating my qualifications ever since. While going through the hoops of, 'job seeking', I learnt HTML. As a result I have put together this web sight. Also, The Curious Web Site. one for the Muscians Christian Fellowship and during 97-98 I put together 2 short term sites for Merseyside Evangelical Alliance Trust, Merseyside March for Jesus '98. More recently I did the Merseyside March for Jesus 2000, and one called, Wirral-Music which I have passed to someone else to run. |
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At the end of 1999 our family left the church fellowship where we had been meeting for the last 11½ years, and we say a bit more about that on our church page. While there I was involved in home group leadership with my wife, Jan, and the church worship band both as a worship leader and as a backing musician.
If you are interested in things musical, do have a look at my |
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My musical interests have recently expanded via the music of the Celtic Band, IONA to penny whistles and in particular low whistles. If this is interesting to you look at: I've made a Low-D Whistle following the above instructions and it came out 'right grand'! | 
That's me with the head scarf. (sorry the pic's a tad fuzzy). |
One of my other dubious 'talents' is writing poetry and if you'd like to read some examples please click the link. Another interest is the culture and persecution of the Native American people (or, North American Indians, as they were incorrectly previously known, and are, if you listen to some sources, being known as again, er ....). One of the best books on the subject that I've come across is, "The Art of Howard Terpning", with text by Elmer Kelton and published by Bantam Books (ISBN 0-553-08113-8). Terpning's art brings an astonishing sense of life and movement, and coupled with Kelton's text is a rich historic and cultural resource.Perhaps this interest has something to do with the link between the Scottish Clan clearences, the Glencoe massacre and Native Americans in the N.W. of the USA. The Book, "Glencoe and the Indians" by James Hunter (ISBN 1-84018-001-3) makes fascinating reading as it traces the links between the McDonalds and the Nez Perce Indians of Montana. |
| It is worth visiting the Morales Art Gallery web-site, which offers a selection of Terpning's prints. | 
(Displayed with the kind permission of the Morales Art Gallery) |
| For anyone interested in Christianity and Native Americans, visit the CHIEF web-sit. CHIEF stands for: Christian Hope Indian Eskimo Fellowship. |
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There is some nice Native American Art at
The Uqqurmiut Centre for Arts & Crafts and at The Native American Art Exhibit and good links at Native Americans Links |
| Both Jan and Joel have their own places, so do visit there as well. I know that they'd appreciate it. |
| I am currently working for, Connect Internet Solutions, which until 31st July 2002 was part of Liverpool University, in a project called, Connect Learning Centres. This involves me managing four centres as Area Manager for the Wirral. This quite nicely combines my original plans of being involved with computers and adult learning, management and working near to home. I have been doing this since July 1998. |
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I hope this was interesting to read, and gives an insight into the person who is me. If you'd like to read my CURRICULUM VITAE please do. And if you would like to contact me, please feel free: 
Thanks! |
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