I'm Andrew.

This website vanity project started in Portland, Oregon, in 1999. I needed to figure out HMTL (being a IBM mainframe programmer at the time). Having just moved to the US, and rented a lovely house with Linda, my employment suddenly came to a premature end. With time on my hands I needed a distraction from the fact that I was on an H1B visa and, if I my agent couldnt find me another job quickly, we'd be kicked out of the US.

Originally I thought this site would be good for letting my folks and friends afar know what I was doing, and also giving me an excuse to play with a few web technologies. It was good for a while. The internet was young and Google was but a small start up, and having your own website used to be so cool. Everyone used to be dead impressed. Now it's just a bit naff. In 1999 I could enter 'Andrew Wilson' into any search engine and this website would be the first entry returned.

As a engineer by trade I still find the whole web thing very clever. The guest book, Java, XML and Python test pages come as I test my understanding for work, and depending on my enthusiasm. It's trimmed right down now. I just update the content every now and then using notepad... and sometimes an old version of Dreamweaver.

My guiding Leunig photo.

Updates:

  • I'm now based in Scotland. Real home is probably Australia and maybe sometime I'll go back sometime (Jan 2003 update).
  • Even less idea now (Jul 2015 update).
  • No idea, what with Brexit, Indyref 2 in the wings (Oct 2016 update).
  • Mind you, Australia has a few problems of its own these days (Jun 2019 update).
  • Boris, Covid-19, Brexit, Climate Change, Trump.... take your pick of challenges for 2020 (Mar 2020 update).
  • Boris, Covid-19, Brexit, Climate Change, Trump.... take your pick of challenges for 2021 (Dec 2021 update).

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And that's Linda.

By default this is Linda's website too. Whatever is mine, real or virtual, is also Linda's (and of course it goes without saying that whatever is Linda's is Linda's only).

Linda manages various organisations in and around Edinburgh, in between planning holidays, doing crafts, reading, swimming...

Updates:

  • Linda is still not interested in this website but she has discovered the internet as being useful for finding out the latest for finding news on quality Australian TV series such as 'Neighbors' and 'Water Rats'. (Mar 2002 update).
  • And CSI (Jan 2008 update).
  • And "The Mentallist" (Dec 2010 update).
  • And NCIS (Dec 2011 update). Actually, that's more Andrew, but I use Linda as an excuse.
  • And anything Scandi-noir (July 2015 update).
  • And GOT (Dec 2016 update).
  • And ANY true life crime tv/films and podcasts. Think 'Making of a Murderer' and more (Jun 2019 update).
  • She still doesn't have a smart phone (Mar 2020 update)
  • Linda has just had a go at me for coming home with three Xmas trees. The fact that they were only 50p each, and an absolute bargain, didn't cut ice! (Dec 2021 update)
  • Linda has been busy all afternoon planning her social calender for when I'm in Australia! (Dec 2022 update)