I am a relative newcomer having started work at the University on 5^th December as Systems Officer (although more commonly referred to as the ‘IT Guru’), having previously worked as a System Manager for a Finance System within the NHS in North Devon. My role here is as the Expert Users within Estates for SAP and to develop the IT systems for the benefit of the Department.

My career started by applying for IT work within the Banking Industry, I was persuaded to undertake a period working in the Branch Network in Tavistock, to understand the workings of the banking System, prior to transferring into the IT Section.  This never materialised, I stayed in the branch network and worked my way up through the system to Branch Manager and in the process got moved to North Devon. I left at the time it started to become a sales orientated Financial Service rather than the old style Bank, to become a Management Accountant for North Devon Health Authority. This role involved looking after the General Ledger and my first task was to organise the accounting aspects of the formation of Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust and run the ledger for two organisations. This role change significantly when the Trust decided to purchase its own fully integrated Finance & Procurement System. All the advice was to have a project team of 6 people for 6 months to get this up and running, being the NHS it was decided to use 2 people for 3 months, needless to say it didn’t quite go to plan. Once this system was in place I inherited the role as System Manager.

I am married to Penny, who some of you will have met at the Estates Charity Summer Bash and the rest will probably get to see her when she starts to work for the University later this month. We have one son, Mark, who is about to go to University, although not here at Leicester. He wants to go into Diagnostics Radiography and has chosen the University of Portsmouth, which is about the same distance from here as it was from North Devon, is he trying to tell us something, or are we telling him something?

I have been involved with the Scout Movement since I started grammar school and joined the school Scout Group. I stayed as an Instructor, and then became a Scout Leader when a local group were desperate for a leader. Unfortunately I was moved to North Devon and the Scout grapevine meant within 3 hours of being there I was asked to be an Assistant Leader with a local group. I did manage to escape for a few years, through a combination of work, change of leaders at the group and moving house. But being the Scout Movement you can never truly escape and I was tracked down. This time the offer was a leader of group or District Treasurer, I took the latter. At the moment I have managed to escape again, but for how long? (John you can keep quiet!).

I also have an interest in most forms of Motor sport(Sorry Emma, I know its not green), especially F1, from the days of Jim Clark, Graham Hill, Jack Brabham, Bruce McLaren to name a few and my favourite from the era Jochen Rindt, through to the current teams & drivers. These you will also see me watching The Doctor(Valentino Rossi) in MotoGP, I never knew you could stay on a bike at those speeds with the amount of slithering and sliding he does. I have also been known to the venture to the odd Karting circuit, not that good but its good fun.

Cars(Emma, sorry again!). I have been known to keep one on the odd occasion, but my average is just over 2years per vehicle. I buy them with the intention of keeping them for a few years and then get bored, having said that I have been known to change for the same Make & Model. Modern vehicles aren’t quite so good, they have to visit garages when things go wrong, gone are the days when you could do a lot of the work yourself, I have been known to do complete engine and gearbox rebuilds. However the new longlife servicing is great, I can change cars without incurring any maintenance costs. My son has now got involved, unbeknown to us, whilst we were at the Summer Bash he was buying himself a 1960 Mini to restore. He stashed it in his Grandads garage and we found out a week later.

I also have the liking for the odd pint of English Beer and have been known to visit Masham once or twice. For those who don’t know this is a small village with two major breweries residing in it. It also has the advantage of being in the Yorkshire Dales for the odd walk or two.

Why Leicester, mainly work, but there are other advantages, closer to Racing Circuits, closer to Masham, closer to parts of the family (The Aveyards originate from Leeds) and much closer to Theatres, Sports Stadiums, Show Venues etc. and away from the Groccles and ‘City Surfers’ clogging up the roads with their campers and caravans(Sorry John!).