I was born in 1957, live in an unstately home in Teddington in SW London with my girlfriend of the last twelve years, Alice, sometimes known as the Puzzling Object. She has no interest in puzzles at all, but I am working on it!
As well as enjoying puzzles, I also love trying to find the perfect pint of beer, being a member of CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale. I very much like Belgian beer.
I was born in Dartford, Kent, birth place of Rolling Stone Mick Jagger. I attended St. Alban's Primary School in the town, moving to York Road Junior School for one term before moving to Eastcote in NW London in 1964. I attended Newnham County Primary School until 1968, when I started at John Lyon School, Harrow. I host the Over Surtees Club, a point of contact for Old Lyonians.
I am a very eclectic puzzle collector. If I like it I collect it. I do not collect every puzzle I see, but equally, if I like two similar variations of the same puzzle, they both join the collection. I enjoy Sliding Piece Puzzles, Burrs, Interlocking puzzles, Tessellations, Cube assemblies, Disentanglements, and Folding puzzles.
I have less interest in secret opening boxes - once you've opened them, they're not so interesting, and puzzle vessels - a potential waste of good beer! My interest in puzzles goes back to my pre-teen days. I used to have an unhealthy interest in mathematics as a child. I discovered the early books of Martin Gardner and then "Polyominoes" by Solomon Golomb. My earliest puzzle memories include the Tower of Hanoi, putting grains of rice on my inadequately small chess board, small plastic sliding puzzles, and making puzzles out of empty cereal packets.