I grew up in the picturesque village of Govilon (near Abergavenny) before moving west for four years to complete a Masters degree in Computer Science at Swansea University. In that time, I studied a wide variety of subjects from software engineering, to computer hardware and the theory of programming languages. I also spent a year working on industry projects, human-computer interaction, search engines and business management.
At the same time I worked as a freelance web developer, producing sites for a range of companies, organisations and educational establishments such as Hereford Sixth Form College and Govilon Heritage. I also worked part time as a developer for VSI-Thinking, a new media company based in Cardiff Bay. While there, I was involved in developing and maintaining websites for companies such as Thomas Cook, Neilson and the Welsh Sports Association.
Outside of work and my studies, I was heavily involved in the development of a website for the Swansea Student Union’s newspaper – The Waterfront. Through this I was involved in online reporting, editing, and responsible for the 2008 sabbatical elections coverage (including real-time blogging, interviews and photography).
Since completing my degree, I have moved back to Monmouthshire and have become a full time developer for VSI, continuing my work with their existing clients and producing sites for new partners such as The Celtic Manor Resort in Newport.
As a committee member of the Govilon Heritage Group, I’ve been involved in promoting the history of my village through developing information boards, historical trails and guided walks which run every few months.
When I’m not in front of a screen (which as you might gather, is very rare) I like to socialise. I enjoy clubbing and have a thing for dance music. My partner Charlie (pictured on the right) has even been known to drag me ballroom dancing, but that’s another story. Charlie and I can regularly be found visiting various homebuilding shows looking for ideas for our (hypothetical) eco-home.
I love travelling and have visited many different places, including Belgium, France, Greece, Egypt, Israel and Turkey. Time permitting, I hope to get the chance to visit Japan sometime over the next few years – the combination of technology and sushi sounds ideal! Despite this, I’m proud to be Welsh, even if hardly anyone English can pronounce my name.
From the blog