Hello World

This is to introduce myself before I start spouting.

I became interested in astronomy at an early age, via The Eagle (boys' magazine), which led me to choose "The Spangled Heavens" as a school prize and to watch early broadcasts by Sir Patrick Moore.  Visits to my local library, prompted by general science lessons, saw me acquiring an interest in the structure of the atom.  So I determined to be a nuclear physicist and subsequently achieved the required "A levels".

The early 1960s were a troublesome time, for science projects in the UK, and I was the shy type who did not relish the "brain drain".  What to do?  Some idiot showed me how to program a computer.  So I've had a long, and mostly useful, career in software development and the management thereof.

Meanwhile, I yearned for a telescope, and retained an ambition to, one day, do research in physics.  And, of course, I maintained my interest in physics, by following the TV documentaries.  Reading "A Brief History of Time" was, of course, a must.

Retirement and divorce mean I am now free to do as I choose, so, now I have a telescope. And I have returned to my studies, seeking a degree at the Open University, by way of revision, and, hopefully, to prepare me for research work.

I am particularly (no pun intended) interested in  the fundamental particles and forces.  I have always been amazed that something as huge as the universe could be built from such minutely tiny entities.