I was born and raised in south Lincolnshire in the days when the area was known as the County of Holland – so I like to confuse people by saying that I was born in Holland. Well, it makes me look interesting for a few seconds anyway ! I’m very inquisitive and love to know how things work, and probably took most of my toys apart as a child to see how they were made. I’m quite good at putting together self-assembly furniture as a result. Professionally, I’m a computer software ‘quality analyst’ and tester for a renowned British based company that has the proud boast of being able to say that about one in ten people in the UK are paid using our software. I’ve always been interested in how people lived before the Industrial Revolution. I love old buildings and was even more impressed by the Weald & Downland open-air museum’s buildings than the magnificent remains at nearby Fishbourne Palace. I consider myself more spiritual than religious, and am constantly intrigued how major religions seem to pinch the best bits from the ones they replace. I am fascinated with the “Celtic” period of Britain and also how Christianity has managed to purloin religious ideas from the Celts and the other early Northern European religions. I would however like to learn more about early English Christianity. My favourite place is probably Castle Acre Priory in Norfolk, a place I have visited many times over the past thirty-odd years. It always exudes an eerie calm.
Special Interest Areas
Pre-Christian religion, medieval architecture