I was born in Mufulira, Zambia (Northern Rhodesia, at the time) on the 19th of August 1958 (you work out how old I am!). Michael, my dad, was an English pipe smoker and Hatty, my mom, was a dizzy blond American. Clare, my sister, was born next year.
We moved to Toronto, Canada in 1960. Then I got a brother, David, and a sister, Sarah, in that order. We all became Canadian in 67.
1970 we moved back to the now independent Zambia. I was heart broken as I had fallen in love with a girl at school. Sally Endress where are YOU? I was 12. I stayed in Africa until I was 16. I learnt to like beer and get a sun tan.
I was then packed off to a Rudolf Steiner school - Michael Hall in Forest Row, England. See the FAQ for more information on Steiner education. My two years there were the best years of my life. Lots of great friendly people that gave me room to develop into MANHOOD! They where heady carefree days. 75 and 76 were great summers in England.
I then went to the University of Kent at Canterbury and got a degree in Computers and Cybernetics, less exciting than it sounds. Next stop was Bristol where Carolyn, my university girl friend, and I went to find excitement. Bristol is a medium sized city in West England where I spent the next 15 years. It is a great place and I have lots of close friends there. I will go back one day!
Carolyn and I went our separate ways because she needed to have children and I had come to the conclusion that I was not going to have any offspring, EVER! A stance I still believe in today and recommend everyone to consider, for personal and global reasons. Have a look at VHEMT. Whew! Where was I?
Bristol, 1980... I was fresh out of University and looking for work. My computing degree, a 'Passport to fame and fortune' seemed to have flat batteries. My first job in Bristol was dishing out chips and tea in one of the bus depots to drivers and conductors. It was .... interesting. I did make some friends and learnt that there were quite a few graduates on the buses. I rose through the ranks! Tea boy, conductor, driver.
Then I got a job in computing, as an operator earning less and having to wear a suit and tie! I had sold out, but it was computing. I also met Marion Minnis. She and I married 12 years later. We met at someone's leaving do and got on well but we didn't start going out until I left the company some years later. Marion, Mazer to her friends, is from Northern Ireland and has a great love of life. And she puts up with all my foibles, quite an achievement.
On December 5 1994, on the 8th anniversary of the night we hit it off, we decided to 'do something different'. We decided to move to Canada. We left England in September 95 and are now in Vancouver. Unfortunately the "do something different" also included breaking up with Marion. I am working for Marqui, a small but very dynamic company in Vancouver.