This page is about me, Mark Alexander. Here I detail some history and a few personal details.

I was born in Swindon, Wiltshire in 1959.

Primary School : St Michaels , Hereford

Secondary School : Lady Hawkins Grammar, Kington, Herefordshire.

College : Hereford Technical College

A tale from my teenage years - A day in the woods: Link

The tale of our 1974 family holiday : Link

It was at college that I got my hands on a computer for the first time. The first program I wrote was input on paper tape circa 1976. I had an aptitude for computers and was always "top of the class".

1976 : I took a summer job working for H P Bulmer, Cider Makers, folding cardboard boxes and inspecting bottles on the factory line.

1977 : I am now a bookies runner laying off large cash bets with major chains. I became involved in a succesful bookmaker scam. I also did some contract work for Bagnalls painters and decorators. Joined a punk rock band as a keyboard player.

I was involved in big money rigged card games.

1978 : I worked for Hertel UK Limited as an estimator at Hereford office before training in Middlesbrough and going on-site at Shell Carrington in Manchester. I was responsible for thermal insulation contracts negotiating with Shell quantity surveyors on a daily basis. I could see the repetitive nature of estimates would benefit from computer technology. In 1981 I approached the management and asked them to fund a computer project to automate the estimation process. They couldn't see the benefit and would not fund the project I was sure would bring huge benefits to them. I left them for this reason.

1981 Among other "Del boy" activities I was a dealer in CB Radio equipment offering supply, fit and repair services.

1982 I worked for the Hereford Health Authority on a contract for one year to help rebuild their record department after structural failure of the racks holding the x-rays. As part of a team I was involved in re-indexing the entire system and converting archive records to microfilm format.

1983 I experimented with buying and selling vehicles at various auctions around the country. I started my own computer business writing Games, Utilities and Music for many major software houses. See Spectrum Page

1984 I Moved to London and married. Shortly after arriving in London I applied for a payroll position with Tunnel Refineries. I had gained payroll experience while working with Hertel UK in Middlesbrough.

By 1986 I had "computerised" the payroll systems by myself and was invited to join the computer department. Rapid promotions followed and by 1990 I was Technical Manager responsible for purchase management of Personal Computers and system security, programming standards and project management of the IBM AS400 Mini Computers. In 1990 internal company politics and a management reshufffle were not to my liking and I left to go contracting.

1990 - I was contract programming for shipping industry clients like Anglo European Agencies and CMA.

1992 - I formed my own Computer Auction company and ran this for 4 years until the premises was bought by a new owner who objected to the auction business. Unable to find suitable premises the company shut down in 1996.

1997 - I became an independent computer consultant supplying the entire IT Department function to a wide and varied range of clients

2001 - I worked as chief consultant and design engineer on a number of software projects for a company I have an interest in.

2002 - Retired. Ill health prevents me meeting the commitments of a busy work schedule. From this point I still manage a few select client accounts but nothing like the scale of previous work.