Mark

	I was born in Bristol in 1971. My Dad Bevis Stanley worked for Rolls Royce making engine parts for Concorde, Tornados, Vulcans, Harriers and so did my Mum Margaret until she had me. From my bedroom window I could see Filton airfield where Concorde's maiden flight and final landing took place. When I was little I wanted to be an RAF fighter pilot but my hearing and eyesight soon put paid to that idea. I soon gained an interest in computers and my first 'real' computer was the BBC'B' on which I started learning to program. I won the 'James' school prize for Computer Studies' and later graduated from University with a degree in Computer Science. I have since gone on to work as a Software Engineer (computer programmer).
	My Mum passed away in 1987 on the day rhat I was due to take my Chemistry 'O' level having had breast cancer. My Dad died in 1991 when my he first became ill it initially thought to be pneumonia but he was diagnosed with cancer 6 weeks before he died.
	I met Jane in 1994, asked her to marry me in 1995 to which she replied 'Suppose so' and we married in 1997.
	During my spare time (when I have any!!!) I play the guitar (mainly when I'm stressed) I'm not very good (but I am getting better slowly). I have the ability to 'find' the notes to pick out on the guitar which unintentionally frustrates / annoys Jane because she can't do that or maybe it is the fact that I play the same few lines repeatedly while I am trying to work them out...
	I also support Bristol City Football Club. When I lived in Bristol I had a season ticket but now I have to resort to listening to matches via the Internet.
	I adopted the name of Harry Hedgehog for when I am online. The 'real' Harry Hedgehog was a glove puppet that I saw at IKEA, I think that Jane had plans for it to become a school resource but instead I started taking it to work (with a previous company) to add a bit of light relief when there was a lot of stress. Harry Hedgehog became the 'able assistant' trying to fight the case for my workmates, when we were asked to sign new contracts, Harry became our legal representive and somewhere I have a photograph someone took of Harry reading the new contracts. Might sound a bit strange now but basically put, he did make people smile during a very stressful time. Harry became an unoffical lodger of the back seat of our car and strangly enough became a bit of a 'babe magnet' when I used to 'taxi' friends on route to the local night club after a social night at the pub. So Harry has a bit of cult status and when Jane began Epilepsy Support, Harry Hedgehog I was named. My role in Epilepsy Support has become 'chief listener', 'difficult-bit-sorter-outer' and "Mark can you do this...?"
My other interests include REM, as well as being a member of the 'official' fan club, I am part of the 'unoffical' REM fan network, between us we share rare and unreleased REM material. I like Science Fiction which I like watching and reading (rather than wearing false rubber ears!). I also like watching Little Britian and have lots of favourite characters (Jane asked me to list them but the list is rather long... Kenny the hypnotist, Majorie Dawes of 'Fat Fighters', Vicky Pollard 'Yeah but no but yeah...' girl, 'Emily Howard, Lou & Andy, Daffyd Thomas 'I'm the only gay in the village'). I have a growing collection of DVDs to watch but mainly because I rarely get time to watch them!