About Me
Way back in October 1973, something special happened in a maternity ward in West Sussex. I was born. And I was getting an awful lot of attention. Comments ranged from "Aaaah!" and "Aaaw!" to "Aaaagh!" and "It's pink and horrible!".
Ever since then, I've been trying to regain that level of attention, but without the unsolicited criticism.
Anyway, here I am and this is my web site. The domain name was originally purchased by my girlfriend, Julia, as a Christmas present in 2001, so it'd just be plain rude not to use it.
The first incarnation of this site was set up pretty quickly, just two weeks before we set off travelling for some months. I'd set up a diary application which I could log into and update the world on what we were up to. Unfortunately, I believe the database corrupted after about six months and I was reduced to using email like all the other travellers. The whole idea of this has now been superceded by blogging. I was doing it first folks!
This is the second build of the site. I have started from scratch and am gradually rebuilding the original travel galleries whilst adding new galleries, including the warning signs gallery.
I've been considering the future plans for this site over the last few months. My biggest problem is that it is entirely coded by myself, which explains some of the design style and also means that making changes can be quite a headache. As I see it, my other option is to use a Wordpress (or similar) hosting solution. This would allow me to add heaps of functionality in a short period of time, but I have a general feeling that I would lose some control. My other dilemma is language - I'm still using Classic ASP. My experience is in ASP.Net, but I suspect PHP would be a better option; either way I'd have a load of page redirects to sort out. Hmmm....
In recent years, I've thoroughly enjoyed taking photographs - especially when they turn out really well. However, I've never really taken the time to study the technical or artistic side of photography. When I have made an effort, I soon become frustrated with the limitations of whatever point 'n' shoot camera I've been using. I know it's still possible to take good photos with these cameras, but I always felt left behind when following online tutorials. So, I have finally given in to my temptations and purchased my first digital SLR, a Nikon D5000, so I can really get my hands dirty! My intention is to post some of my photographic achievements, from my travels and otherwise, to this site.