Rob Davis Home Page

Our home is in Telford, Shropshire. We've moved to Telford in summer 1999 after years of living in Leicester - a dreadful place - we don't miss it at all. I'm the ICT Manager for a local manufacturing company. My wife Sandy works for Wolverhampton University. You are welcome to email me.

HOWEVER due the avalanche of spam, your email MUST include the word in either the subject line or the body of the email. This will pass through the spam filter. If you correspond regularly, I'll add you to my whitelist, and the pass-through word won't be necessary.

I have an MSc in Information Technology; Sandy has recently gained an MBA to add to her Certificate in Archaeology (with Merit) to her BSc and is now adding a Law Degree to this portfolio.  We we have three daughters, Kylie who has a BSc (Hons) in Physical Geography at Lancaster University, and who after returning from a backpack tour of Australia, then completed an MSc in Geographical Information Systems, at Leeds University. She is now working for Bradford Council as a GIS specialist.

Tracey has a daughter Charlotte and son Alexander, after completing a BA in Deaf Studies at Wolverhampton University. Becky makes up the trio, with her daughter Josie and son Kane.

We have three cats; Chuzzle, a tabby; Pickle, a tortoiseshell-and-white; and DJ, a black cat with white bits which make him look as if he is wearing a dinner jacket, hence the name.

Telford and West Midlands weather. BBC News

Links to my own other pages, and sites of interest

My CX500 and Motorcycling pages, including comprehensive DiY help pages on CX500, GL500 and 650 servicing.

RAF Bomber Command 1939-45 I have been researching various aspects of wartime bombing operations and have extensive data files regarding Bomber Command aircraft losses. I also review some recent book purchases and Lectures on this subject and explain how to research and find ex aircrew.

The Dams Raid. This is not an exhaustive history, but does explain the pertinent details of the famous raid on the Mohne and Eder Dams, 16/17-May-43.

The Great Escape On the night on March 24/25th 1944, 76 Air Force officers escaped from Stalag Luft 3 at Sagan, Silesia. 50 were murdered by the SS and Gestapo. This is a highly detailed account of what happened, and afterwards compares the real events and people with those of the celebrated 1963 film. This site is surprisingly popular, which shows how much of a revival of interest there has been in WW2 subjects.

Military Ranks Table. This compares all World War 2 period military ranks across various services and nationalities.

Ypres and the Somme No-one who has not visited the battlefields of the First World War can appreciate the terrible slaughter which took place in the Ypres Salient and the Somme. Where to go, where to stay, what to see.

Prague : Scenes at the Church of St Cyril and Methodius, where the Czechs who assassinated Reinhard Heydrich n 1942 made their last stand.

To help in the fight again spam, click here.

I've lost touch with ...

John Spencer. John and I spent years riding motorcycles together in the early 1980s. At the time, he had a white Suzuki X7 registration XJF84S and his father was well known for ownership of a Vincent Black Shadow.  A very fine rider and a good friend, we both moved house at about the same time and lost touch in the mid 1980s. I wonder if his helmet still tastes of dead sheep? He would be in his late 40s now, and at the time I last saw him, was seriously attached to Karen Stilgoe; but she has since married, and settled well away from the Midlands. At the time, she worked for the East Midlands Electricity Board, and her bike was a Honda CB200 Benly. John and I rescued this and other bikes from a garage fire shortly before Christmas 1981; I managed to collect some nasty burns at the time. Both John and Karen were at my wedding to my first wife Fiona in June 1981. Every time I was given an address for John he seemed to have moved out shortly before. He was the only person I actually saw do something impossible. Where are you, John? Let's ride together again. Other riding buddies of that era were Mick and Lorraine Taylor, Paul Folwell and Andy Maggott. Keith Hart was my mentor with Star Rider (the National Motorcycle Training Scheme), but despite many good times together, he has not returned contact.

Kate Razdoburdina, St Petersburg, Russia. Kate stayed with us in summer 1994 as shortly after her return to Russia, started at St Petersburg University. A year later her email address went dead and letters were not answered. Her father was a lecturer at the University and her mother was a tourist guide. She was a very determined person and spoke excellent English.

Steve Thorne / Stephen Thorne. A chum from Waitrose, Evington in the 1973/4 era, Steve moved to North London and then Croydon as his mum (Margaret?) was a solicitor with Croydon Council. They lived in super grand style at Coombe Wood House. This magnificent building had previously been a Childrens' Home and is now the French Restaurant called Chateau Napoleon. I stayed with them for some months whilst unsuccessfully job hunting in the famous hot summer of 1976, and we rattled around in this huge building where we virtually had an entire floor each. Steve had a sister Jennifer, and was briefly married to a Chinese girl. He worked as a nurse at Croydon Mayday hospital and was very much into martial arts. Last time I saw him was 1981 when I just missed him as he had paid me an unannounced visit at my flat in Leicester, and I saw him as I passed by on the bus, being unable to attract his attention.. After that we both moved house, and lost contact. Did you ever fulfil your dream to get on motorcycles, Steve?

What happened to my old school chums Richard Durrant, Pete Woodward (whose father was on the front of the Mastermind box), Philip Deakin, Jennifer Watkins, Mark Weakley, Amanda-Jane Buckland-Large, and so on?  Currannchiebum  … If Richard Durrant reads this, I finally found out who Idley Dan and Susannah the Bollicle Man are!

Any of the vehicles I have owned, or which have featured prominently in my life:-

Austin 1100 FBC300C, Honda CB125s KAY216L, Mini Clubman Estate BRY6K, Honda CD175 RJF944M, Honda CB250G5 PBC910M (this is still taxed!), Vauxhall Chevette MRY665P, Honda CB400T TRY407S, Honda CG125s TWS555T, Honda CB250N GJF939V, Honda CB400T UUT235S, Honda CX500A FET800V, Ford Fiesta ADG374T, Honda VT500 A858FFP, Austin Maestro B243CFL, Fiat Tipo G210URO, Ford Fiesta C698LDM, Ford Fiesta G808DAC, Honda CX500A LUD297W, Honda CX500 Turbo B748MRK. Dear old Renault 19D L648NRF went for scrap in late 2006.

Recommendations for Good Service

Holiday Time

After spending some time on vacation in Northumberland I can recommend the following:-

Belford, Northumberland

Belford is a good jumping-off spot for Alnwick, Berwick-Upon-Tweed, and such lovely places as Bamburgh with its quite stunning floodlit castle. Here, astonishing and spotlessly clean beaches are the best I have ever seen and are almost completely empty, not only from other visitors, but also from anyone trying to sell or rent you anything. At low tide you can walk for five or six miles along these magnificent beaches and never see another human being. The water comes straight from the North Pole in terms of temperature but we are not ones for anything but paddling. If you like the high life with discos, pubs, and such noisy past-times, avoid Northumberland. For kiss-me-quick entertainment travel a few miles south down the coast to Seahouses. The chip shops here are excellent.

Head instead for Warkworth, Etal, Dunstanburgh and Norham Castles, preferably after you've joined English Heritage. Etal particularly has a fine Walkman tour of the ruins. Lindisfarne Priory is worth a visit, and you can't go without trying the celebrated mead; however check the tide tables first on the causeway approach, or you may find yourself marooned on the island until the next low tide.

One Northumberland delicacy not to be missed is the famous Singing Hinnie, available at café in Belford just to the right of the Salmon Pub.  I won't go into details about this dish but can thoroughly recommend it with jam and a large pot of coffee or tea, ideal for either "elevenses" or a mid-afternoon snack.

Kinlochbervie, Sutherland, Scotland

I just had to visit this remote spot on the north-west Scottish coast after working on a production of Brian Friel's play Faith Healer. Kinlochbervie is a tiny but busy fishing port "as far north as you can go in Scotland" and we found a thoroughly excellent Bed and Breakfast B&B at "Braeside", 01971 521325. The establishment was spotlessly clean, the bedroom was warm and comfortable and we recommend this if you are staying in the area. We didn't quite find "where the baby was buried" but we liked the place nevertheless! The B&B is easy to find - just follow the B road into the village and as you see the school buildings in a small valley on the right, "Braeside" is immediately on the left. If you get as far as the petrol pumps on the right, you've gone too far. We paid £27.50 for a twin bedded room, and the breakfast was as good as the accommodation. (September 2005)

MSc Information Technology 1994/5

De Montfort University, Leicester

Congratulations to the following fellow students who passed the 1994/5 MScIT Course:- Rob Alleway, Colin Altuccini, Mardizyah Arshad, James Barrett, Andy Binning, Paul Buckler, Ajit Chall, Gi-Wing Cheung, Chris Clayton, Steve Davenport, Lloney Eyole-Monono, Antoine Gresset, Simon Hawkins, Ed Haynes, Simon Hutchinson, Tim Ingall, Richard Jacklin, Richard King, Steph Lewis, Paul Martin, Ashvin Mistry, Tommy Moore, Imtiyaz Mulla, Kaussar Parveen, Robert Sands, Jane Smith, Nigel Turner and Winnie Wu.

Where Are They Now?

? is anyone interested in a 2008 Reunion? the James Went building and our old 'classroom' on the 15th floor may have been demolished, but we can still meet again!

News, Links and date of last information

Rob Alleway was until 19-7-2001 working at Aldermaston, for a small Computing Software House. Still doing database work in MS-Access but now more involved in web page design. (July 2001)

Mardizyah (Maritha) Arshad returned to Malaysia, married, and is working as an IT teacher.   She emails sporadically. "I'm now at MARA Junior College. Teaching 13 and 16 years old kids. The college is new. Built in a rural area, surrounded by rubber plantations. It's 32 km away from home. I've to go out at 6.50 am every morning- it's still dark. Classes start at 7.40am." (January 2008)

James Barrett - news is welcomed.

Andy Binning was IT Manager for a labels manufacturing company in Barwell, Leicestershire. (July 1997)

Paul Buckler says "After the MScIT course I moved to London and worked for a company called Menhir for 9 months then joined Raft International in 1996 as their first employee. I have seen the company grow from nothing to a plc over the last 8 years. I worked in London for 3 years then went to work in India for 18 months, 6 months in Denmark and 6 months in Texas. I got married in 2001 to Vanessa, who I meet at Leicester University and have two sons named Mack and Elliot. I am currently based in London doing sales and project work which is mainly Credit Risk solutions for energy companies. I keep in regular contact with Simon Hutchinson." (Sept 2003)

Bob Butler spent a while in full time in landscape gardening and then worked for an electronics company in Hinckley. Not having been able to complete the dissertation for his MSc, he received the Postgraduate Diploma. He also worked as an NT site engineer, delivering, installing and configuring computers, and moved to Wolverhampton. He was last heard of working as a network technician at Sandwell College, Birmingham. (August 2001).

Ajit Chall worked for a while in Leicester, but now says "I have moved from the stock broking software stuff, got a bit bored with it. So now I am a consultant working for a large consultancy. I am living in London at the moment. As one person put it 'Living Like a rock star, without the sex drugs and rocking roll'. It was good to read about all the other people on the course and where they have got to." (September 2001). He continues "Nothing much to write about. Still in London on the same project. Got in contact with Jane thanks to your web-site. (<Thanks>). I'll probably be off on to another project somewhere else in the country in a few weeks, I'll write then. Have not found out where. Things are good." In October 2004, he adds : "Unfortunately , I have still not made my million and retired, so I am working as software dogsbody. It's fun, but not as much fun as bumming around on a beach."

He continues "Would you believe it I was to be in London for a month and two years later I am still here. Looking for a new place to live. Thing are pretty good down here. Haven't seen any one in ages." (October 2002)

Gi-Wing Cheung - news is welcomed.

Chris Clayton says "Hi Rob, how’s it going? Thought I’d send you a quick mail to tell you my address has changed. I still regularly look at your site. Been here now for almost 12 years. Still enjoying myself. Kids are now 8 and 6. Bettina is teaching at a vocational school and I’m still working for ECG. Nothing much more to report. Still come to England 3 or 4 times a year, visit my parents and brother in Worcester. I hope you and your family are well. It would be good to see all the guys from the course at some time again. All the best and say hi to anybody I know, Chris" (January 2008)

Steve Davenport - I believe he went to work for Andersen Consulting, but I'm not sure, so news is welcomed.

Rob Davis lectured in various IT and Computing subjects and in March 1999 moved to Telford to work for the University of Wolverhampton with the intention of completing a PhD; however the academic life did not suit. He moved back into industry as IT Manager, firstly in civil engineering, subsequently in manufacturing; now specialising in networking and database development in Access.

Having returned to motorcycling after some years' absence, he now owns three classic Honda CX500s, one of which has just been rebuilt from scratch.

Lloney Eyole-Monono (now known as just Lloney Eyole) says "I left Bristol a while ago and worked in Belgium with Alcatel Bell Space for close to two years and returned to this country whence I pursued an MBA with the University of Leeds Business School .... tough it was, yet I came through and graduated in December last year ... I am back in the world of consulting and it's business as usual ... I enclose a picture of my graduation." (Oct 2003)

Antoine returned to France after finishing the MSc course and started his 2 years' National Service, which would finish in late summer 1997. More news is welcomed.

Simon Hawkins (left) moved to Cramlington in Northumberland where he is now working in the New Media department of a newspaper, designing and developing websites. He is not involved in the design, but writes code in Cold Fusion to create dynamic pages from a database back end.

Ed Haynes works as a civilian IT specialist for the Leicestershire Police Authority (some of the early time was with Chris Clayton).  He and Loretta married on September 9^th 2000, and he acquired a delightful stepdaughter, Marianne. (October 2003). Ed still works for the Police but he an Loretta are now separated (October 2007).

Simon Hutchinson says "Living in South London, working as risk manager for Conoco Uk, basically trading energy derivatives to hedge our physical tanker sales and purchases and also taking on speculative positions.   And you thought Nick Leeson was dangerous !!!!" (Oct 2000). He adds "Well, still living in London, working as a crude Oil trader for Conoco. No marriage and no kids but having fun with the practice." (September 2001)

Tim Ingall worked in Leicester as a senior technical product specialist for Philips business communications part of the Philips electronics group, evaluating new telecommunications management systems and provide technical support to any one in the UK. What he described as a "buck stops here" situation. He and Helen have a daughter Alice, born in September 1996. (April 1999).

I have recently heard that he and his family moved down to the south-east coast, but I don't have any further information (November 2003).

Richard Jacklin ran an Internet consultancy in Leicester for a while but now works for Unipart in Oxford, as intranet manager. (February 1998)

Richard King - news is welcomed.

Steph Lewis is the mother of Ben (1998) and Charlie (2003). (November 2003)

Paul Martin says "Here's a bit about myself if you could maybe add to your next site update. The main news at the moment is that I get married to Barbara in September so I'm starting to get nervous about that one. She's from Chicago so there's all the joys of planning for an overseas wedding to experience! From there I'm not sure what we'll end up doing, but I can see us spending at least another couple of years in London.

To be honest my job has been pretty much the same since '95 really - I arrived at BNP Paribas through a software house but now contract directly. The job was ideal - working in London for the New York desk and tons of trips out there armed with a company credit card, but sadly 9/11 put an end to all that. I've now switched a similar role on the Tokyo desk where it's pretty quiet as the project reaches 'maturity', though the upside is that I find time to organise a wedding & 5-a-side footie matches within the bank !

Anyway, I'm glad I found your website & look forward to reading your updates in the future." (June 2005)

Ashvin Mistry has also moved back to Leicester after working in Bracknell, and is working in Birmingham. (September 2001)

Tommy Moore - news is welcomed.

Imy Mulla says "I am still a Technical Architect for National Car Rental. My responsibilities are much broader now. Myself and my team are responsible for all Application Architecture, investigating emerging technology and providing technical consultancy on all projects. Safeera and I celebrated the arrival of little baby Aaliyah on March 22nd 2001. She is now six months old, keeping us very busy and growing fast! We also moved into a new home earlier this year. Starting a family and moving house at the same time is probably not the brightest thing I have ever done!" (September 2001)

Kaussar Bashir (formerly Parveen) went to London and studied for a PGCE which she passed. She then returned to Leicester and studied at Nottingham University for a PhD, which was cut short by a serious road traffic accident. Kaussar then disappeared for several years, but I was able to contact her in late 2002. Since then, however, she has not kept in touch.

Robert Sands - Since completing the course he's worked for two software houses in the Reading / Berkshire area as a VB analyst programmer, and is currently working for Drake Insurance in Brighton using SQL Server/VB. (Dec 1999)

 Jane Smith says "I'm at Network Rail, and have been now for the last 2 and half years. I'm a Project Manager managing IT projects. No updates as to my private life. Still looking for the 'one'. I bought a flat about a year and a half ago, a 3 bedroom in Hampstead Garden Suburb, an area located between Hampstead, Golders Greeen and Finchley. I love it. Hope everyone is alive, well and happy." (Feb 2003)

Winnie worked for Eurodollar (later, National Car Rental) for a while but then returned to Hong Kong (at a time when most people were leaving there!). (June 1997)

News of the rest of you is very welcome - I will keep this page updated, and add email links, if news is passed to me.

Robert Gibson did not pass the course. Gary Duncanson, having only passed the course by deceit and skulduggery, does not deserve to be included in the congratulations.

Thank you for visiting.