My Post-Royal Air Force Journey

I bought a house in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, a year before retiring from the Royal Air Force.

Post-RAF Career Journey

My first job was as a Ticketing and Storerooms Manager at the Owen Owen Department Store in Bath. Unfortunately, my department was later closed due to cost-cutting measures, resulting in redundancy. I declined an offer to manage the White Goods Department, as sales were not my desired path.
Stacker Driver and Storeman: Westinghouse Brake and Signals, Chippenham
- I then worked as a Stacker Driver and Storeman at Westinghouse Brake and Signals, an electronics store in Chippenham.
- After 18 months, they sought volunteers for redundancy. Given my age (40) and recent divorce, I accepted the opportunity for a fresh start.Voluntary Work During Transition
I engaged in various voluntary roles during those three and a half years:
- Committee member and Presenter with Devizes Hospitals Radio.
- Member of the Trowbridge Carnival Committee.
- Member of the Trowbridge Queen’s Silver Jubilee Committee.
- Volunteer with the Wiltshire Probation and After Care Service.
- Member of the John of Gaunt Secondary School Parents and Teachers Association in Trowbridge.
- Press officer for the Wiltshire Social Democratic Party.
- Chairman of the Trowbridge and Westbury Social Democratic Party.

Pursuing Electronics and New Beginnings

To restart my life, I decided to move back to Southport and pursue retraining for a new career.
I applied for a one-year Electronic Technicians Government Training Opportunity Scheme (TOPS) in Southport.
While waiting, I briefly worked as a roofer with my brother’s roofing company.
Eventually, I began my Electronic Technicians course in Aintree, facing a steep learning curve.
During this period, I also indulged my passion for computer gaming, starting with a Sinclair 48K Spectrum Computer and playing “Manic Miner.”

A Career Shift: Kingston upon Thames University

Towards the end of my course, a friend informed me about a job opportunity. Kingston upon Thames University (then a Polytechnic under Wiltshire Council) was hiring locally for an electronics technician.
I was interviewed and accepted the position of Senior Technician, responsible for the three Advanced Electronics Laboratories.
My journey led me from a rented bed-sit in Surbiton, to a rented flat in Teddington, I then bought a Studio Flat in Balham and finally I bought a newly built 2-bedroom flat in Mitcham near Colliers Wood Underground Station.

Discovering My Talent for Electronics

Recognizing my talent for electronics, I enrolled in a night course in Engineering (Electronics) at Kingston upon Thames College.
I performed well in the end-of-year exam, and my boss authorized me to attend day release classes at Kingston College.

Stay tuned for more about my experiences at Kingston University!

Early Career Highlights

Systems Manager at ERA Technology (Electronic Research Association)

Don Pedder Ph.D.(who I worked with at the University, offered me a position as the Systems Manager of a Daisy UNIX system at ERA Technology in Leatherhead.
The role came with a significantly higher salary, which I accepted.
My responsibilities included overseeing the UNIX system and ensuring its smooth operation.

Mathematical Modeling for Circuit Simulation Software
- I was also involved in mathematical modeling for circuit simulation software.
- My task was to ensure that graphical representations of components (such as transistors, capacitors, resistors, and integrated circuits) accurately actually mimicked real-world behavior during circuit simulations.
- Integrated circuits were relatively straightforward to model (with binary outputs of 1 or 0), while analog components required more complex measurements and mathematics.
- For instance, the capacitance in a transistor was measured in Femto Farads (10 to the power of -15 or 0.15 zeros followed by a 1).

Challenges and Career Shifts

Economic Downturn in the UK
- As the UK faced a depression, electronic research projects dwindled, leaving me with little work.
- Although he wasn’t made redundant, my lack of output prompted me to seek other opportunities.
TMS Partnership: Clothing Shops Market Research
- I joined the TMS Partnership as a Systems Manager, responsible for market research mini computer systems.
- Unfortunately, after about 18 months I was l replaced by an outsourcing company.
Computer Systems Engineer at a Medical Database Company
- My next role was as a Computer Systems Engineer at a medical database company located in the Bread Factory in Battersea.
- However, the company underwent a takeover, resulting in redundancies.

Becoming an IT Contractor

Transition to Contract Work
- Struggling to find full-time employment, I became an IT Contractor.
Satellite Company Contract
- My first contract involved standing in for the Technical Manager at a satellite company near Leatherhead.
- The contract lasted three months, paying £11 per hour.
Business Premises Rental Company Contract
- My next contract was with a business premises rental company in Whitechapel.
- I linked all computers into a network before handing over to an outsourcing company that I recommended.
Hackney Council Housing Department Contract
- I worked as an IT Contractor for Hackney Council Housing Department.
- My main task was installing personal computers in council offices (located on Council House Estates) and training staff to use them. sometimes re-installing computers after the original installed computers had been stolen.
Final Contract Back in Leatherhead
- My last contract was back at the satellite company in Leatherhead.
- I stood in for the Technical Manager during the training for his replacement.
- His hourly rate increased over time, reaching £25 per hour for the final contract.

From Contracts to IT Management:

A Journey in Technology

In 1996, my career took an exciting turn as I applied for contracts and attended interviews. Two opportunities stood out:

Farnborough Airfield: The Supercomputer Temptation
- Farnborough Airfield boasted one of only three supercomputers in the UK at the time.
- However, I had already accepted a contract as the replacement computer manager at the Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation for Disabled People (QEF) in Leatherhead.
- Despite Farnborough’s persistent offers (with increasing hourly rates), I remained committed to my word. Integrity mattered more than the allure of supercomputing.
Permanent IT Manager Role at QEF
- The Finance Director at QEF wanted me as a permanent Information Technology Manager.
- I consistently stated that I’d accept the full-time position for a salary of £25,000.
- After a couple of months of negotiations, I settled on an offer of £24,000 per annum.
- My contract expired when I accepted the full time role

As the IT Manager at QEF.QEF: A Diverse Environment

Main Site: Headquarters and College
- The main site included the headquarters and a college where disabled individuals received training in various work skills:
  - Accounting
  - CAD (Computer-Aided Design)
  - Travel Agency Staff
  - Horticulture
  - Office Skills
  - Paint Spraying (cars and other items)
  - and other courses
Two Remote Sites in Leatherhead
- Factory manufacturing poppies (for RBL) and other items
- Living-in center teaching disabled people independent living skills
Other Centers
- Database center (8 miles from Leatherhead) for disabled individuals
- Brain Injury Center in Banstead
- Mobility Center in Carshalton
- Day Care Center in Dartford
- Respite Center in Eastbourne

IT Transformation

1996: The Beginning
- Only 8 computers, no network, email, or internet.
- A far cry from today’s interconnected world.
- I was handed my first mobile phone by the Finance Director and still have the same mobile number now.

!Network Diagram

10 Years Later (2006)
- Over 400 PCs installed.
- 10 file servers in the IT department.
- 5 file servers at remote locations on the wide area network (WAN).
- Cat5e and fiber optic cables linked all parts of the College and HQ.
- My team had grown from one to five members, including myself.