A little about meaway from the keyboard.

My wife and I regularly enjoy both Salsa and Modern Jive. Dancing provides a great balance of learning, exercise, music and meeting new people.

One of our most memorable experiences was travelling to Cuba to learn Salsa. Experiencing the music, culture and local teaching styles first-hand gave us a much deeper appreciation of the dance.

Dancing also reinforces qualities that are valuable in professional life, including communication, trust, adaptability and working together towards a shared outcome.

My wife wanted to know which birds were visiting our garden, including those that we could hear but did not always manage to see.

That question led me to build a BirdNET-Go monitoring system using Linux, Docker, a USB condenser microphone, machine learning, Prometheus and Grafana.

The project combines an interest in wildlife with practical engineering and gives us a new way to notice and enjoy the birds around our home.

I enjoy sea fishing whenever I have the opportunity, particularly while travelling or spending time near the coast.

Fishing rewards patience, preparation and observation. Tides, weather, location and equipment all influence the approach, and conditions can change quickly.

Whether fishing from the shore, a harbour wall or a boat, I enjoy the challenge and the opportunity to relax outdoors as much as the catch itself.

I have always enjoyed retro gaming and appreciate the creativity behind classic games, computers and consoles.

It is fascinating to see what developers achieved with limited processing power, memory and storage, often through clever programming and efficient use of resources.

Revisiting classic titles is relaxing, but it also provides an interesting reminder of how computing has developed over the years.

My wife and I enjoy travelling, particularly visiting Spain and exploring coastal towns, local communities and different landscapes.

One of the most memorable trips was spending four weeks in the rainforest of Costa Rica. It was a completely different environment from everyday life and gave me the chance to experience the wildlife, climate and landscape at close range.

Our visit to Cuba was especially memorable because it combined travel, music, culture and our shared interest in Salsa.

Travel gives me the opportunity to step away from everyday routines, recharge and return with a fresh perspective.

Technology changes constantly, so I dedicate time outside work to developing new skills through practical projects.

My Engineering Lab allows me to experiment with Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, cloud platforms, monitoring, security and automation.

Whether I am learning a new technology, practising a dance step or investigating wildlife in the garden, I enjoy understanding how things work and continually improving.