5 more things...

Following on from the last edible meme, Scottish education tweaker Ewan asks me to name five things you don't know about me. Maybe I should rename that 'five things you don't really want to know about me 'cos they're really not that interesting...' hum ho... here goes...

1. In 1998, and 30 minutes after signing a work contract that would send me to live in Seoul for two years, I met my future wife. We got married three years later in this building in this room. Like Ewan (I think) I wore a kilt and unlike Ewan's missus (I think) noodlegirl wore an ao dai. Oh and I only went to Seoul for four months.

2. At secondary school in Rugby I always, always came 2nd or 3rd in class for English, Art and Physics behind two blokes called Gary Giles and Neil Horsfall. I have no idea what happened to those two, but I think the experience of never coming first damaged me more than coming first damaged them... Humpph...

3. I am a descendant of the 18th century Scottish painter Sir David Wilkie. Some of his more famous paintings hang in the Tate and the National Portrait Gallery. His most well known doodle is The Chelsea Pensioners. The New York Times tells us, "when it was first shown in London (in 1822), 400 people stood in line from early morning onward to be there at opening time. Barriers had to be built to keep them from touching the picture to see how it had been done. Rare was the visitor who did not respond to the panorama of British military history that Wilkie had taken six years to perfect."

4. Continuing the art theme yet further... for a few months after my degree I worked in the art department of Hatchards on the Piccadilly in London. One day a customer gave me his credit card to pay for a few books. The name on the card read, David Bellamy. I joked (very unfunnily) "But you're not THAT David Bellamy, hehe?" Thinking the energetic botanist of every 60's & 70's born Brit's youth was well known enough for him to get my weak, obvious and really, really unfunny gag. However, he replied totally deadpan, "Yes. I am that David Bellamy actually." Unbeknown to me, even though I was working in the art dept, the guy I was serving was the other David Bellamy. He's quite a well known painter and we had his books in stock.

5. To cut a not so long, but dull, story short the fact is that - beyond a few freelance gigs - I am basically out of work. I am talking (talking, talking....) 'projects' with the BBC, The Guardian, Scoopt, British Telecom and a couple of others about ongoing journalism/blog work. If they all come off - great - but, heading into 2007 the reality is I am worryingly short of work. Not so much a case of taking the best offer, as taking the first :)

Passing the pain, I'll tag five folk I know, Robin, Jemima, Martin, Kevin and Rob. Play along, or ignore. Your choice.

Comments

[Ewan McIntosh]

Excellent stuff! And you've tagged three people I was considering tagging myself :-)

[Graham Holliday]

Those three would be... err... Robin, Kevin and err... Jemima? Have youn not met Rob and Martin?

[Ewan McIntosh]

I've not had a change to, no. Maybe the next time we're all in the same city!