Andrew Boulton

Name:

Andrew Marcus Julian Boulton

Qualifications:

BSc (Hons) Computer Science (York)
Member of the Institute of Analysts and Programmers

Address:

Sheffield
United Kingdom

Date of Birth:

22nd July, 1969

Marital Status:

Penny.

IAP logo
Member of the Institute of Analysts and Programmers

Me!

 

 

 

I'm a Yorkshireman... ...an Englishman... ...a Briton... ...a European... ...a citizen of the United Nations... ...and a denizen of planet Earth.


 

A Brief History

 

 

 

22nd July 1969

Born in Leeds, during the boring bit in between Apollo 11 landing on the Moon and splashing back down on Earth.

 

1974

Start at Crossgates Primary School.

 

1978

Leave Crossgates Primary and move to Crossgates Middle School.

 

1982

Leave Crossgates Middle and move to John Smeaton Community High School.

 

1986

Diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy.

 

1987

Leave school and go off to the University of York to study Computer Science.

Decide that the girl I've been going out with for the last few years might just be The One. Sadly, she doesn't seem to feel the same way, because she dumps me before I get a chance to tell her. The fact that the guy she dumps me for turns out to be a complete bastard, and six months later they break up so violently that people get hit by the shrapnel, doesn't make me feel any better. Well, not much.

 

1989

Take a year out of University to work for Vickers Defence Systems.

 

Late July 1990

Leave Vickers and go back to University.

 

August 2nd 1990

Iraq invades Kuwait, and Vickers goes into overdrive. I'm sure Saddam Hussein deliberately waited until I'd gone. Bastard.

 

July 1991

I graduate from University, and return to Vickers as a Systems Engineer. My dream job: I get to play with state-of-the-art computers and 65-ton armoured killing machines! By this time, of course, the Gulf War is over and I've missed all the fun. Bugger.

 

1995

Diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

 

1996

Take medical retirement. A shame, because I enjoyed my job.

 

March 8th 1997

While spending a few weeks in York, I meet Penny Williams, who's there on holiday.

"Hmm! Very nice!" I think.

Rather unexpectedly, it turns out she thinks the same thing. She spends the week dropping subtle hints, which I totally fail to notice. By the end of the week she throws subtlety out of the window and asks me the easiest question I've ever been asked:

"So, are you gonna kiss me, or what?"

It's love at first snog!

 

March 25th 1998

Back in York again for a holiday together, I ask Penny the most terrifying question I've ever asked:

"Will you marry me?"

It was worth the fear just to see the look on her face. She was saying something else at the time, and I could actually see her train of thought derailing behind her eyes. She soon got her revenge, though:

"Pardon?"

"You heard me."

"Ask me again."

"Will you marry me?"

"I'll tell you in the morning. G'night!"

And then she made me go through the whole thing all over again the next morning. Evil woman. If, after putting me through all that, her answer hadn't been "Yes", I think I'd have strangled her...

 

July 2001

Finally, after years of hunting, we find somewhere we can live together, and we move to Holywell Court in Sheffield.

 

October 2002

I seem to have accidentally become a professional artist! The boss of Daedalus Computing Ltd asked me to redesign the company logo. He can't have been too disappointed because afterwards he asked me to do their 2003 Christmas card, too.

 

March 29th 2003

The happiest day of my life: Penny and I got married!

 

August 2003

Now I've become a professional writer! QuikLink Interactive, Inc published an article of mine on their Citizens of the Imperium website.

 

January 1st 2004

The unhappiest day of my life: after a long battle with MS, and a short battle with pneumonia, Penny died.

 

January 2005

I spend a week in Huddersfied, and pick up an infection that keeps me in and out of hospital for the rest of the year. Good health is definitely something that only happens to other people.

 

August 2005

My CGI Traveller art is noticed by Marc W Miller, the creator of the game...and he likes it! It's possible some of my work might appear in the next edition.

 

 

 


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