You really want to know? OK, here goes...

I was born in Basingstoke, UK... But I doubt anyone really cares so lets fast forward a little... My interest in anime sort of crept up on me some time during my time at Barton Peveril college while I was studying double maths, physics and chemistry at A-level (stop shuddering, it's not that bad...).

I didn't have that much to do with anime though until joining CUCAS, Cambridge University Comics and Animation, shortly after starting my degree in mathematics there. Almost immediately I became treasurer for the society and stayed in that position until the next year when the society was passed on to the 'up and coming' new members...

I'm not sure if there was a sudden surge in interest in that first year or if our, rather overloaded, stall at the societies fair payed off, but in that first year the membership jumped from 3 regular members to a little over 40! With the international nature of Cambridge, CUCAS has the potential to be one of the largest anime club in the UK. I wish them all good luck.

This June I graduated from Cambridge University with a 2:1 in mathematics. I had hoped for better but that is still a pretty good achievement.

I then spent the next 3 months working in California with the BUNAC scheme. This scheme allows university students from the UK to work in a variety of countries including the US. It also allows students from those other countries to come to work in the UK. Unfortunately, since I have just graduated, this is the last year I could take advantage of the scheme.

While I was in Califoria I attended Anime Expo '99, an anime convention that rather dwarfs most of the conventions that occur in the UK. One of the guests of honour was Yoko Kanno, composer of many wonderful anime soundtracks (such as "The Vision of Escaflowne", "Macross Plus" and, more recently, "Cowboy Bebop"). I also managed to go to Disneyland, visit Las Vegas (and walk away from the Black Jack table with twice as much as I started with...) and visit the Grand Canyon. A worthwhile trip by anyones standards :)

Anyway, I am now back in the UK and searching for a job as a programmer... in spite of my mathematics background(!).

As it says at the top, this has to be more about me than you would ever want to know, but you did ask!