About Me

I’m in my early 60s, with British and Belgian nationality, living in the Peak District. I work with businesses whose websites I have designed and now maintain. I’m always open to new clients who may be looking for a reliable partner with a personal touch.

Formal Background

Dictionaries

My formal education is in languages: I have a degree in Russian from the University of Nottingham and I speak fluent French, having spent 26 years living in Brussels. I’m an effective communicator.

Professionally I’ve been a business consultant for more than 30 years, during which time I have advised companies and corporations on the impact of external factors (e.g. political and legislative changes, consumer behaviour) on their business operations. I understand business.

Creative Pursuits

Musical Pursuits

My spare time has always been spent on more creative pursuits: playing, composing and recording music (my instrument is the guitar), visualising and implementing light shows for performing artists, and putting together websites for friends working in artistic fields such as photography and music.

I have an eye and an ear for what looks and sounds good. As I get older, this is the part of my life which I enjoy the most, so I’ve decided to spend more time on creative activities and website design in particular.

A Balanced Offer

Swiss Army Knife

There are plenty of career web designers around but my education, interests and experience give me a balanced set of skills, for example:

  • My language training has taught me the importance of clear communication.
  • I understand business objectives and how websites can help to meet these.
  • I place a high value on correct spelling, grammar and linguistic style.
  • I’m human, accessible and flexible; I answer emails and telephone calls.
  • I’m self-employed, with low overheads, and I’m competitive on price.

Tools of the Trade

The tools of my trade are online website builders such as Squarespace, Wix and, most recently, Hostinger. I also use offline visual editors, e.g. Pinegrow, in situations where the emphasis is on taking an existing website and modifying it without migrating it to a new host.

I have taught myself HTML, CSS and JS over the years and I now find this knowledge a huge advantage in pushing back the boundaries of the online platforms. Their templates can be beautiful but they are also quite rigid if you don’t understand the code which is generated behind the scenes.

Problems Solved

Problems Solved

On a personal level, I’m a problem-solver. If I don’t know the answer to a client’s question, I’ll search the forums and use all other available resources until I find a solution. I usually know where to look.

I built my first website in 2004 (with MS Expression Web, anyone who remembers that). It wasn’t great, but it did what it needed to do. Now I’m older and wiser and the tools for website design have improved beyond recognition. Anyone can build a website – including you and me both.