Profile

I’m an industrial chemist living in a small town just south of Cambridge with a view over the town to the fields beyond. It gives me the chance to dream I’m back home on the farm and is a place I can potter, wonder, walk and daydream. A little bit stuck in the 90’s – 1990s, 1890s, 1790s, 1590s, 1090s, 590s, pretty much any 90s. I used to do Traditional English Martial Arts, coming 4th in the East of England championship, until I discovered the joys of idleness and developed an interest in other arts instead – purely consuming of course, I can’t hold a note or draw a straight line.

My work is in measurement development – looking at what it is about our products and processes that needs to be measured, but isn’t, or is measured but not well enough, to make the greatest amount of product of the highest quality with the least waste.

I also help colleagues with more unusual types of measurements and in working out what the results of those measurements mean to them and their work.

I wake up around 7am and, after the usual things, walk to work. I spent too long driving too and from work or studies around Edinburgh so love being able to walk to work, experiencing the changing weather and seasons and getting my mind ready for the day ahead. I’ll start around 8.30am by preparing the plan for the day. Then I’ll open my instant messages and scrap the plan and prepare The Plan for the day. Then I’ll open my e-mails and scrap The Plan and write Definitely The Plan for the day, which I’ll then forget about or ignore. I’ll work in either the lab or the office (I like to mix the two, I’m far t0o restless and easily bored)  on a mixture of solving the problems of and supporting colleagues in our factories around the world; measuring and analysing experimental results for my own and other’s projects; helping out with training; looking after the labs and the people given to me to care for them; or maybe doing some the training for myself.  Lunch is with colleagues in our staff canteen – the food is basic, but hot, plentiful and free and it’s a great way of getting to know your colleagues better. Then back to the lab and office until 5pm, when I’ll walk home, setting my mind at ease and relaxing in preparation for the evening. The evening is spent preparing and eating supper then relaxing with books, TV or the computer until a bit later than is good me, then off to bed.