Hi, I'm Ray.

I was born an "Essex Boy" towards the end of the Second World War. I left school at 16 with 4 feeble 'O' Levels but, even though I failed my favourite subject, Chemistry, I managed to get a job as a laboratory assistant. I worked in the photographic emulsion research labs at Ilford Limited in Brentwood, Essex for 8 years where I developed (no pun intended) an interest in photography. I started further education in ONC Chemistry, continued with HNC and finally with a Diploma in Analytical Chemistry, picking up 3 'A' Levels on the way. I moved on to Roussel-Uclaf in Stratford E15, now Hoechst, and then to Ozalid in Loughton, Essex, which is now part of the Océ Corporation. Then eventually I moved to Boehringer Ingelheim in Germany where I stayed for over 20 years. It was here that my main focus turned from Chemistry to EDP. By 1981 I had left the lab and the test tubes behind and spent my time installing and managing various scientific information systems before joining the Corporate Information Systems department as a consultant for Quality Control Systems.

While living in Germany I met and married Alison. We returned to the UK at the end of 1993 to run the Maypool Park Hotel at Galmpton in Devon.

After selling the Hotel in 1997 I returned for a brief spell with my former employers Boehringer Ingelheim at their UK Offices in Bracknell. There I worked as a Business Applications Analyst (BAA) for the production department. This meant living away from home during the week. This not being an ideal way to run a marriage I was very pleased to be able to move to Plymouth as a BAA for JBA Software Products, now Geac Software Solutions. Well after 2 years at Geac they decided to close the Plymouth office. I was made redundant. After 6 months of looking for a job (3 of which I was working at Safeway plc as a beers/wines/spirits advisor) I found a position as business analyst with IMS Maxims. Well I was made redundant again in March 2003 and, apart from the year I took off to renovate our new house, I have been working as a barman and delivering fresh free range farm eggs door-to-door. Now after 3 1/2 years I have got a job as a chemistry technician at Plymouth College of Further Education.

I am interested in Web Page Design. I have now produced a few sites, mostly for fun, but some of a more serious intent. Take a look at http://www.conference-org.co.uk or http://www.gourmetbirds.co.uk or www.millstones.co.uk . If you would like to get a Web presence now then get in touch with me via www.randata.co.uk.

Apart from photography and playing racquet sports (sadly no longer a viable option due to lack of fitness and excess weight) my main interests had always been fishing, bird watching and listening to Jazz. Our time in Germany and our close proximity to France, Switzerland, Spain and Italy introduced us to the delights of good food and drink. I have never followed most of my interests with the passion that a hobby normally engenders but a passion for fine food and wine is something I hope I will never lose. I enjoy walks with our dog at the weekend and the golf lessons we have recently started might eventually lead to an improvement in the fitness department. It remains to be seen.