The Life Story of Geoff Pooch

The Life Story of Geoff Pooch

Married, two boys from my wife’s previous marriage. Now living in Birmingham, England.

1959	Born 1st May 1959, Birkenhead, NZ Mother: Gwen (Duffus) Pooch Father: Les Pooch Brother: David Pooch Sister: Wilma Pooch Sister: Maryanne (Pooch) Stewart My family roots are Scottish (Duffus) and Italian (Pucci)	My earliest claim to fame was being pushed in a pushchair over the Auckland harbour bridge on it’s only public open day, a few days before it opened to traffic for the first time. It was great fun living near a large area of bush with lots of large trees to climb, wood pigeons and tui to watch. Birkenhead, Chelsea sugar works - lots of places to explore. We spent our Xmas holidays caravanning, at Oakura, Tologa Bay, Tauranga Bay, Mt Maunganui.
	Birkenhead kindergarten	Earliest memories are of the rows of brightly coloured toilets, and Mrs Sarah Metge from the primary school coming over and giving us ‘smokers’ pink lollies when she talked about what primary school was like.
1964 – 1969	Birkenhead Primary School Mrs Sarah? Metge Primer 6 – Mr Menzies It's a shame so little of the old school is still standing, though the 'murder house' (dental clinic) is still there!	The school was right next to the fire station, I was always excited (easily distracted) to hear the fire siren going, counting how many truck sirens I could here, as an indication of how big a fire it was/could be. There were probably many false alarms to the Chelsea sugar works, which was close by. There were lots of playing fields and bush at the bottom. The 3 levels of fields were dug up & re-contoured in 2 levels, and the top part was sold off to become a supermarket. I recall lots of fundraising efforts to raise money for a new library (which was bulldozed a few years later), including endless bottle drives (oh the stench of stale beer!) and a walk-a-thon around Beachhaven. Found it difficult being the son of a public figure, got lots of teasing about it. I was in a newspaper photo, standing on top of the school administration building, pointing to a fundraising barometer. Best friend at this time was Gray Williamson, who I used to fight with all the time!
	Mrs Goldsman	Spent a lot of time with Daphne, who was like a 2nd mother to me. I really enjoyed spending time with her and Alan, helping her with threading her loom, and filling holes in her walls with my prized tube of pollyfilla.
1970 – 1971	Birkdale Intermediate School 1^st form Mrs Kath Pring 2^nd form Mr Maihi Every Boys Rally, Mr Lyons	Really enjoyed woodwork with Mr Ferner, making a rather nice wooden tray table, and a decidedly ordinary cheese board with mother still has in her cupboard. Our form teacher Mrs Kath Pring was as tough as old nails! Assisted with the lighting for the school play Best friend Alan Goldsman, which whom I joined the youth organization: Every Boys Rally, run from the Baptist Church in Birkenhead. We would go on camps at Paparimu on the Bombay Hills. Started studying electronics with the eccentric Mr Turvey (80 to 90 years old) who taught me about valve radios, hand winding transformers, long wave radio and a dubious petrol generator for powering the house during power cuts (it involved plugging a double male-ended between the generator and a house socket. I was quite taken with his having connected a loud speaker extension for his TV into his kitchen. The King & I with the North Shore Operatic Society, organised by teacher Miss Dickie?. I was one of the boy princes, and my one moment of acting was appearing to be shocked at the white colour of Anna's hands. I had to be covered in brown body paint, that took ages to wash off in the bath! I was part of an alternating cast, which appeared every 2nd night. The performance was at the North Shore Teachers College auditorium. Starred Barbara Keenan?
1972 – 1976	Birkdale College (now called Birkenhead College) A brand new school, with minimal facilities and no playing fields for the first year 3 SC – Keith St Cartmail 4 5 6 SC – Keith St Cartmail 7 BR - Sally Broadhurst Brian Gerrard, Russell Hodge, Mr & Mrs Joss, Mr Pengelly, Mrs Baker (my cooking teacher!), Mrs Betty Cole First jobs: 1) Birkenhead Electric & Highbury Hardware store – 50 cents per hour for packing nails into paper bags 2) Foodtown, packing groceries into paper bags – I was one of the first group of employees at the brand new Chelsea branch, having undergone training at the Glenfield branch. It's the only job I've ever been sacked from! Apparently a shop lifter went through my checkout, and when she was caught, her shopping bag had been incorrectly packed. Mr Groves was the manager, the swine. Was very fond of the orange syrup cake the bakery made. 3) Roberts & Ireland, assisting in the suitcase & football factory during school holidays 4) St Johns Ambulance, for my Uncle Merv, counting thousands of attendance reports to work out how often more than one stretcher was required. Installed an intercom system for them. First programming was learned using PORTRAN, a painful system of using a paper clip to push ‘chads’ out of cardboard punch cards, taking the piles of cards to the bank & picking the printouts (and cards) up two days later, only to discover one tiny spelling mistake had caused the program to have a syntax error	Reportedly, I was the first ever pupil enrolled, the first foundation pupil - received a mention of this on my last day The key reason that I wanted to go to Birkdale was that I had heard they were a new school with an excellent science teacher – Russell Hodge. I did rather like that there wasn't older kids there to bully me, though I still had a fairly hard time with teasing for me a teachers pet (especially Mr Hodge), and shed many tears at the taunts. Spent most of my lunchtimes in the science lab, and setting up things like stage lighting, sound system and a radio station. I though that my career would lead me into electronics (perhaps avionics = aeroplane electronics), but went into computers instead. Lots of good memories from being amongst the first pupils of the school, got on really well with the teachers – we were all on a great big adventure together. Decided to study woodwork and metal work, rather than French and Latin in my 6^th form year. Best friend Donald Wright, who went onto fame as a racing yacht sailor – including racing with Sir Peter Blake and others who called him 'Jaws' for his voracious appetite on board. Good mates with Allan Fursdon, one of the few of my schoolmates who lived on Birkenhead Point, who later came to work in Hamilton, a great musician, chef and employment consultant. Earned pocket money doing a newspaper round, including in the Chelsea sugar works area - which stunk to high heaven due to their pumping waste into a dam near the houses. I remember getting on well with Mr Philips – the local traffic cop who had a penchant for electronics experimenting along with myself. In the 7th form, I ran a student radio station from the 7th form common room, by recording 1ZM each morning onto tape & then playing it back with my own commentary. I thought our new canteen looked like a chapel, so I painted a 'stained glass window' onto the end. Got into trouble by letting off a stink bomb on the bus, had to walk for weeks. And I once got the cane from Mr Pengelly - our technical drawing teacher who was fun but tough. I had been slow to put my pencil down when he called the class to attention, and earned a whack on the backside! North Shore Film society, Noel .... who gave me driving lessons in his old VW. Woodwork, metalwork, cooking, typing Yerffoeg Design - the name I used when I designed a computerised ambulance tracking system for St Johns Ambulance. I won a technical drawing prize for that work. I also studied in 'electives' cooking and typing, and am pleased that I did so. Studied woodwork and metalwork, rather than do french and latin. Went to a programming course at Auckland University, before I moved to Hamilton.

1977 – 1981	Waikato University - B.Sc.(tech). Computer Science, Mathematics Student Village Student Union Duck Preservation Officer Learnt programming in Basic on Digital 11/34, 11/70 computers NZ Computer Society later becoming branch secretary & chairman Did some paid work in the Downstairs Orange coffee shop, making "cooks special" toasted sandwiches and milk shakes.	Spent my first year staying in room 136 of the student village (halls of residence). My brother David had thoroughly recommended starting Uni life in the hall, as a safe & sound & fun introduction. My first time away from home, hopeless at domestic duties. I had wanted to go to a smaller Uni, as the thought of being at a huge campus with ten of thousands of students daunted me. So I chose Waikato University in Hamilton, with it's park like grounds and only 3000 students. Plus it was an excuse to leave home - if I had gone to Auckland Uni, I would inevitably have still been living at home & it was time to break free! Best friends: Richard Armstrong & Tony Edhouse who were in the adjoining rooms of the student village. It was my first time away from home, and mother. I was hopeless at such domestic things as washing clothes, though I did make a mean cheese grilled sandwich (with mixed herbs) on the tiny griller I bought. We would more often go across Knighton Road to Quincey's burger bar. Meals were served in Oranga, the large round campus cafe, as the village didn't have it's own kitchens or dining room at that stage. Wrote my first newsletter "Waikato Unibus" for the computer science department. Since then I've written many more newsletters, no doubt following on from my fathers life in publishing & printing. Went to Canterbury University for a conference, no-one from Waikato was there to represent womans' issues so I volunteered, only to be barred from the sessions. This was the early days of feminism at Waikato Uni! Best friend in the later few years of Uni: Stephen Cooke, who was at Uni doing his 2^nd degree. Went flatting with him for my 2^nd & 3^rd years there (first at tiny concrete flat at Tralee Place then a new 3 bedroom apartment in Snead Place). While in his flat, met my first girlfriend Aalene Middlemiss, when I was 20. Became involved in student politics, took over the Waikato Students Union research officer role when Stephen Cooke left the position. Introduced him to his future wide Nicky. Moved into a house on the Waikato riverbank (Grey Street) with Mike Maulder. This house had sheep living underneath it, gave me a heck of a fright on the first night when I didn't know what was causing the grunting noises coming from under the floor boards! On the opposite side of the river was the Waikato Brewery, so we had the smell of hops wafting over the river which made you always feel hungry. Aalene found me a scrawny baby wild kitten in the woodpile under the house, who we called Tiger and he was my loving companion for the next 19 years. Bought my first car for $1800 – an old Fiat 850 sports coupe (2 door, rear 850cc engine), which had been a rental for Hertz many years prior. This car wasn't very reliable, and it broke down twice when I was away on business trips, causing great inconvenience. Moved to Lake Crescent, flatted for a short time with Richard Armstrong, and Aalene. Later, Aalene's sister Jan came to stay after coming out of hospital for a knee operation. Visited old Mr Turvey in Birkenhead one day, and discovered that his workshop above the garage had burnt down the day before. It was quite heartbreaking to see it. I picked up a sad souvenir – a ‘radio valve’ which had shrunk due to the heat and the vacuum inside. Film Society (A30) and campus movies (L1), Fred Johnathon.
	Radio Contact	Very quickly became interested in the running of the student radio station, Radio Nyllewell (named by reverse spelling the name of the founding Vice-Chancellor of Waikato University, Sir Don Llewellyn). In 1977 the station wasn't able to get on-air, as the old valve powered World War II transmitter bought from Valentines army surplus store was a real problem. In 1977 I did a guest session on Radio B - the station of Auckland University. Was heart broken when my cassette tape of that broadcast was wiped by Jan's cockatiel's singing. After a year, we managed to get on-air and renamed the station Radio Contact – we were looking for a name starting with the letter C to match the call-sign of ZL-1XC which we had been allocated, and I didn't like Richard Armstrongs suggestion of Radio Carrot. The broadcast was on the AM frequency, and only for a few weeks each year. We lived in fear of the radio inspectors who were likely to close us down due to poor signal quality (harmonics causing interference with other radio services). We produced a great station ID jingle, set to the sounds of Pink Floyds 'echoes' "Drifting though the ether, there is a new sound, a new low in community broadcasting standards, from the bowels of Oranga, this is Radio Contact, a service of the Waikato Students Union, a member of the confederation of student radio stations". The jingle machine was a home-made contraption, by Steve Cooke, of two car cassette players with a clever motor control. Cassette tapes were butchered, in order to reduce their length to just 30 seconds. David Kinzett, Stephen Cooke, Ken Kilpin, Nicky Houston, Geoff Tribble, Peter Collier, 'Speedy' Wong. Our aerial was deemed a hazard for low flying ducks.
	Telethon	In 1977 I volunteered to work on Telethon for 1 week (during University vacation). This was a great experience, being the assistant to the producer Max Cryer – who has been a best friend ever since (and best man at our wedding). Worked at several more Telethons over the years, and proudly have a photo of my pulling camera cables with a big grin on my face! I was a 'cable puller', talent co-ordinator, courier, VIP receptionist and all sorts of other things.
	Holiday jobs at Defence Scientific Establishment, Digital Equipment, Edward Hammond	Really interesting working for the top secret research laboratory for the army, airforce and navy. This was located in a series of interconnected old buildings at the back of the Devonport Naval Base. Would catch a bus to town, then get a 'liberty; boat across the harbour, and walk through the tunnel to the DSE building. It would be freezing cold in the computer room, but we would turn the computers on and it would soon warm up! The corridors would often be full of the sounds of whales singing, as underwater acoustics was a major part of the work done. Most of the programming was done on paper tape, with the story told of the only copy of their huge paper tape being sucked into the air conditioning system of their research ship Tui while out at sea. While working at DSE, I saw the Rainbow Warrior in the dry dock of Devonport Naval Base - with a hole blown in the side by French terrorists, bastards - they killed an innocent person. For a while I 'hung around' Digital Equipment, trying to score knowledge and software to help me torment my mentors at Waikato University. Got to know Edward really well. Eventually, he offered me a job in my holidays to write some software for the RSTS operating system on DEC PDP 11/70 computers. Played a lot with the 'adventure' game, including finding that the entire system crashed when I typed 'go down' at one point in the game when I was standing next to a tunnel entrance. And spent time at Moehau, the Coromandel Peninsular home of my sister Wilma. This was founded in the commune style, and it was a really nice experience being there in the early years. Every day I would help with things like churning the milk to make butter! Yes, I did 'inhale'. At Moehau, there are many wonderful buildings, made with the quirky style of the owners. On the side of the hill is the Aerial Railway recording studio, venue for many great parties.
1981 – 1983	CBL Waikato (now known as Datacom) Programmer/Analyst Software development Documentation Programming in BASIC on Digital Equipment PDP11/70 computer, using the USER-11 database system Trainer of new staff, Management of 11/70 computer systems	Started part time for Lee Wheeler and Murray Ward, accepted their offer for me to work fulltime. David Kinzett (Radio Contact) came to work with me. Moved to Nixon Street (until 1989), into the flat which CBL workmate Lorraine Jones had passed on to me. Really lovely, sun filled place. Had an impressive liqueur cabinet, at one stage hosting over 30 bottles. It was here that I started by fetish for telephones, having 7 at one stage. Spent many happy years there. Went on a couple of massage training courses with old Margaret Nesbit, who ran the Ashavan clinic on ???? Road. Even bought a proper massage table, but sold it a few years later when I was particularly broke. Bought a succession of new cars, Mazda 323 ltd edition, Fiat Uno 70s, Holden Barina gti. It was for the latter than Francie bought a personalised licence plate FEISTY, to reflect what I thought of her. Took this plate off in later years as it no longer seemed appropriate. I still own the plate, and one day will sell it, or put it on a sport car! My first overseas trip - to Sydney with Richard Armstrong & Tony Edhouse, over the Christmas and New Year. Fantastic feeling to be on the waterfront with 400,000 people, peacefully watching the fireworks. When to see The Merry Widow? at the Sydney Opera House. Fantastic (and expensive) meal at the Wentworth Hotel. Drove to Canberra, and got pulled over for speeding. The traffic officer had a gun on his belt. I've only ever had one speeding ticket in my life, in 1981 at Meremere.
	Waikato Polytechnic Part time tutor assistant	Evening course, teaching programming in BASIC on Data General computers
	Remarkable Software – Writing software in BASIC for Epson HX20 computer systems	while working for CBL, formed a business with two other CBL workers (Bruce Ferguson and Noel Ferguson). We initially called this Remarkable Software, later renaming it Waikato Computer Services.
	Waikato Computer Services Own business with Bruce Ferguson Software development PC sales consultancy 4 staff Tom Underwood Chris van der Wal Lorraine Jones Peter Ware Kerry Dunwell Judith Robertson Leigh Harpur and a few more good people whose name I've forgotten for the moment...	Operated out of a Mr Jogia's renovated old house at 227 Collingwood Street, employing several staff at it’s peak. The house had been home to a group of punk rockers, with a doll hanging from a noose in the lounge! I planned the redecoration in soft pinks & blues, and had the art deco semi-circular windows retains (landlord wanted to remove them). Did well for a few years with AJQS software we had developed for costing of aluminium windows. Developed a range of accounting software called NEON, as I thought it was quite 'flash'. A few year later, I achieved my goal of 'animating' the 'neon sign' on the computer screen. Some businesses are still using NEON. After 'the crash of 87' I downsized the business and operated from the renovated downstairs of the building for a while. The room had been a garage, and was then the computer room for the Woolrest/Hallmark 11/34 computer system. Had many good clients, including Hallmark, Woolrest, Hamilton Hire, Frankton Aluminium, Dallon Corporation, Ministry of Works, Collingwood Bureau, Findlay Brothers, Mooloo Products and many more.
1983 – 1987	Hallmark International, Woolrest International Systems Manager Accepted the offer of a long term part-time contract by Dr Graham Craig, who was finance director. Met Sytze de Boer, and taught him how to program in dBASE II on an Osborne portable computer, writing a receipting system for the Bahai faith. Good friends with Michelle Mathews, James Lau, Li Swan Lim, Debbie Raphson, Vicky Smith, Sytze & Gayl de Boer and many more	It was great to work with a team of highly entrepreneurial marketing risk takers, who took their bed underlay product from a small loss to a huge profit making venture. They took huge commercial risks which sometimes bombed, but usually succeeded spectacularly. Had our work Xmas parties at Vilagrads vineyard, in the early days of their now famous parties. All the food and entertainment was provided by Pieter & Nelda Nooyen, wonderful days Trip to Australia to see Cats, just a three day trip on my own, on an American Express charter flight. I had just recovered from a health scare - discovering that I am massively allergic to penicillin. My whole body came out in a hives like rash when given a big dose for a throat infection. Spectacular! The cats trip was great, including a cocktail party with the cast after and a backstage tour the next day.
	Laserbeam Creations Own business Formed this new business to provide direct marketing printing for Woolrest & other businesses. Bought one of the first laser printers in Hamilton and started the first desk top publishing business in Hamilton using the first Apple Macintosh computers. This was quite an ironical career move, as I had vowed not to follow my father in his footsteps into publishing!	Initially started Laserbeam with three silent investors in the premises of Waikato Computer Services, later had a portable building added to the rear of 227 Collingwood Street. Met Frances (Francie) Robinson, who moved in with her pet dog and pet rats. Together we built a house in 1989 – having bought a showhome from friend Mark Boysentrepka’s firm Lionheart Homes. The house was displayed at the Waikato home show along with real lions in a cage. The house was carried by truck through the streets of Hamilton very early one morning, having had it’s roof removed and reduced in height to fit under power likes. The site was on Splitt Avenue, on the edge of a very pretty gully.
1990	Closed Waikato Computer Services and left Laserbeam Creations. Went to work with old friend Sytze de Boer at Top Rack Systems, which changed it's name to KISS Systems "Keep It Simple Software"	Went flatting with Luanne Williamson, in Weka Street, Frankton. Moved to Bruce Ferguson’s house in Beattie Street, with a swimming pool & spa (which I never used!) The garage was stacked high with the remains on my closed down business and all my other belongings.
1991 – 1993	NZ Association of Credit Unions Systems Support & Training Officer Supported & provided training for their banking software FACTS which ran on Ultimate computers and DataBasic	While at NZACU I met my future wife Christine Priestley. We managed to keep our relationship quiet for several months, laughing when her team & my team met for ‘cross fertilisation meetings’. Lived for a year in burglary prone 219 Dey Street underneath high voltage power lines, then moved to a wonderful house in 9 Olympia Place, Hamilton with a swimming pool, overlooking a bush filled gully. Enjoyed living in a cul-de-sac with just 8 other houses. Had wonderful neighbours, the Schons, the Conroys, the Hughes's Have been lucky, won a weekend at the 5 star Regent Hotel in Auckland, with tickets (& limo transport) to the closing night of Les Miserables at the Aotea Centre - for doing some shopping at David's Emporium in Hood Street.
1993 – 1994	Coopers & Lybrand Information Systems Specialist Due diligence studies Accounting system selection Software development IS consultancy	Left NZACU for a better paid job at C&L, but fell sick during my initial 2 week training course. Woke up one morning to find that my right arm was blue. Was admitted to hospital and diagnosed as having an axillary vein thrombosis (paget von schrotter syndrome). The blood flow had stopped in my arm, due to the vein being squashed in my chest between my top rib and collarbone, causing a massive blood clot. Underwent some fascinating medical procedures to diagnose (dye contrast xray) and try to remedy (venoplasty) - I was able to watch the whole thing being done. Spent 12 days in hospital, the first few in the high dependency unit when they were treating it with a nasty chemical called Streptokynase which is designed to occlude (melt) the clot - a very painful process. This didn’t work, so they tried expanding the vein by inserting a $6000 balloon catheter, but that didn’t work either. In the end, my body ‘replumbed’ itself, with other blood vessels expanding to carry the blood that was blocked by the clot. After a few months of warfarin “rat poison” I now take disprin every 2nd day to keep the blood thin and don’t suffer any long term effects.
1990 – 2003	Hill Laboratories Software development Desk top publishing Website Intranet PABX management	Having started working for Roger Hill every Tuesday evening, his business growth needed someone full-time to implement his IS systems at a new division which he was about to purchase from Yates – Analytical Services Laboratory. Initially started as Systems Manager and adapted my role to encompass many other roles including special projects manager and communications manager. Developed and managed the house style. I became a keen social photographer, and was called the Hill Laboratories Papparazzi, as I would take photos of their social functions (many of which I helped organise). Wrote the staff newsletter "Friday Flier", produced the company intranet, and website. Wrote newsletters and other marketing materials. More luck, won a trip for two to Sydney from Hewlett Packard - I don't even remember entering the competition!
1994	26^th February 2004 married Christine Priestley Favourite places in the Waikato: Raglan Beach, Te Aroha Hot Pools, Hammond Bush	Held our wedding in the gardens of our Olympia Place home, on a very hot summers day, 26th Feb 1994, with Aidan & Jevon and groomsmen, Jane Hudson as best woman and Max Cryer as best man. Wedding dinner at our favourite Left Bank Café, and honeymoon in Rarotonga @ Manuia Beach Resort.
1999 – 2002	Waikato Polytechnic	Teaching the night school course "Introduction to programming, with Microsoft Visual Basic" - really enjoyed this teaching, pupils didn't want to go at the end of the 2 hours!
	San Francisco, UK, Los Angeles	Decided it was time for me to have my first big trip, so we had a 5 week trip to the UK via San Francisco on the way there and Los Angeles on the way back. Stayed with Jane in SFO and met up with Lee Steitz. Finally got to meet the rest of Chris’s family in the UK. Suffered quite a culture shock, living in a tiny house on a council estate in working class south Birmingham. Went up to Scotland to see Duffus Castle, and met my sister Wilma there. Spent a day in London and saw 'Starlight Express'. Caught up with old friend Alan Goldsman.
1997 – 1999	Waikato University – Post Graduate Diploma in Management Systems, including business process reengineering	Started regretting having never completed my University degree, went back to finish it & they offered me entry into the post graduate diploma – in recognition of my career experience. Did a few papers until work became too busy with Y2K preparation.
1999 – 2002	Hamilton HEIRS group www.heirs.org.nz	Became very involved in the local environment, as co-organiser with Tegan McIntyre of the HEIRS group (Hamilton Environmental Improvement in the Riverlea Suburb) including writing their newsletter “The Riverlea Rag” and their website www.heirs.org.nz Planted hundreds if not thousands of native plants in the gully and alongside the boardwalk. Dug steps (without a resource consent) from the gully to the boardwalk. Was interviewed on Prime TV when we were unhappy with the extent of drainage works in the gully radically altering the peaceful stream atmosphere.
	Life Start	run by Clive & ?????? Lawrence, taught me meditation, Richard introduced us to it. Chris & I later went on a Life Together course for couples.
	Opoutere, site of the mass whale stranding in 2004.	Discovered a new favourite holiday spot, on the Coromandel Peninsular. An almost deserted long sandy beach (although we keep on hearing that lots of nudists use the beach - we've never seen any!). Had several great holidays there, with friends and family.
2003	Moved to the UK 1st trip via San Francisco and the "Annual General Picnic" Returned to NZ via Bangkok 2nd trip via New York	Chris was born in Birmingham, 1950. When she was 16 her boyfriend was offered a transfer from Cadburys Birmingham to Dunedin. They decided that it was a chance of a lifetime & emigrated. They had to marry before they went on their £20 pound 7 week voyage in single sex dormitory cabins on the ship The Southern Cross. In 1987 she came over to the UK when her Mum was dying of cancer – but wasn’t there when she died. So when her Dad became very unwell with lung disease in 2003, we decided that we would come to the UK for a few years, to spend time with him and the family, and to stay as long as it takes… When we first arrived, we lived in Chris’s Dad’s house in the council estate “Druids Heath” of South Birmingham. Soon we found our own place in Olton – on the South East side of Birmingham, part of the Solihull area. This is definitely one of the nicer parts of the city, which also has a very good train service to the central city, just 12 minutes walk down “Kineton Green Road”, a 10 minute train journey, and 8 minutes walk to my office.
2003 –	Shoosmiths solicitors Business Systems Specialist IS trainer Helpdesk IS support New projects Manage pilots Documentation	After giving myself a few months to acclimatise to being in a new place, I started looking for work in the IT area. Accepted a job with Shoosmiths, a large legal firm with offices in 6 cities (though not London). My role is quite varied, and doing no software development at all. For the first year. every Thursday I worked in their Northampton office, on the helpdesk – which is partly for my skill development, partly for them to learn from me, and partly to free up resource for them to undertake project work. The offices of Shoosmiths are on the 7^th floor of a brand new architecturally beautiful building on Colmore Row in the central Birmingham business district.
2003 –	Birmingham	When I first came to Birmingham 8 years ago, I suffered from massive culture shock, and I really disliked the place. But this time, I am really enjoying being here. The key differences are that the city has undergone massive redevelopment in that 8 years (including the best shopping centre in Europe ‘BullRing’), I had a few months to explore the city at my own pace, and we’re living in a really nice part of the town (some might say the Remuera of Birmingham). It is a city with fantastic history, and beautiful architecture. More canals than Venice, more trees than Paris, an ancient city with history going back to Saxon times. Ozzie Osbourne was born here, as was Julie Walters. And Joseph Priestley discovered oxygen here, so we’ve got to be grateful!
????	Return to NZ	It is our plan to return to NZ in a few years time, to be near Geoff’s aging parents & our long awaited grandchildren. Unfortunately, Geoff's Dad Les died in 2005 - before we returned.
	The future	Hope to live on a rural block, with chickens, dogs and a horse...