This is me, Geoffrey. I'm the one on the left! I've given up talking about my age, suffice to say I'm fifty-something. I was born and educated in London where I lived for the first forty years of my life. Subsequently, I lived in Hampshire, Cambridgeshire, Portland, Oregon; and just outside Oxford. But life changes, it did for me and now I live close to the South Brittany coast at Pornic which is about forty minutes outside the French city of Nantes.
People tend to define themselves in terms of their work but as I get older this becomes more and more difficult...for me, at least. I do remember the idea of having a single lifetime career but for the past ten years or so I have worked as a freelance management consultant, a label that conceals a whole host of evils! Before I stopped having what my mum might have called a "proper job" I was called "chief executive", "chairman" and "managing director" for over 17 years. The majority of that time I spent running a small group of companies in applications software development, systems integration and consulting, after that I moved to run a consulting firm that specialised in market-led corporate development.
It gets harder and harder to say what it is I actually do. Most of my paid work is within the telecoms and information technology industries and these days, it's often about market-focused strategic planning. So what do I really do? Well, I'm a change, transformation and development specialist, a programme director, a turnaround person, an expert in information technology and telecommunications, a venture capital appraiser, a psychologist, an ex-chairman of a major mental health project, an ex-chief executive of a software company, a general manager, a communications specialist, a facilitator, a strategic planner and a strategic marketing expert…and sometimes a writer…done a bit of broadcasting, some futures consulting. Was that enough? If not, I did spend a while in the United States doing the odd bit of professional photography. I don't have any shortage of pieces of paper to attest to my intellect and skill...I even have one for photography! Most recently, my work has engaged with some of the world's largest mobile phone manufacturers, mainly looking at future strategic directions, product and market planning. My work time is divided between the UK and France...and a few other places in the world.
It gets harder and harder to say what it is I actually do. Most of my paid work is within the telecoms and information technology industries and these days, it's often about market-focused strategic planning. So what do I really do? Well, I'm a change, transformation and development specialist, a programme director, a turnaround person, an expert in information technology and telecommunications, a venture capital appraiser, a psychologist, an ex-chairman of a major mental health project, an ex-chief executive of a software company, a general manager, a communications specialist, a facilitator, a strategic planner and a strategic marketing expert…and sometimes a writer…done a bit of broadcasting, some futures consulting. Was that enough? If not, I did spend a while in the United States doing the odd bit of professional photography. I don't have any shortage of pieces of paper to attest to my intellect and skill...I even have one for photography! Most recently, my work has engaged with some of the world's largest mobile phone manufacturers, mainly looking at future strategic directions, product and market planning. My work time is divided between the UK and France...and a few other places in the world.
So that is the work part. I live here with my French partner, Liz. She's the cheerful looking one on the right. Liz is the principal of a college in Nantes. She works in a tough place in one of the city's roughest neighbourhoods. Liz is an untiring, enthusiastic and passionate person with an inspiring leadership style. She has done a remarkable job of developing the college in very challenging circumstances. She speaks perfect English and has a wonderful sense of humour!
Here's a map of where we live just outside the sea-side town of Pornic:
And here's our house and front garden...
This is the sea-side town of Pornic around the harbour:
List of lists
Interests
I've too many interests to write about them all. I can no longer play sport as a result of ligament injuries sustained playing tennis, but I love being out in the open air and I have a strong (meant to be daily!) exercise regime of cycling and walking in the countryside. I love mountains and the sea.
Interests
I've too many interests to write about them all. I can no longer play sport as a result of ligament injuries sustained playing tennis, but I love being out in the open air and I have a strong (meant to be daily!) exercise regime of cycling and walking in the countryside. I love mountains and the sea.
I enjoy cooking (I’m a pretty mean cook even if a little temperamental!) and healthy eating, good wines (especially French wines), travel – my favourite places at present are France and Italy although I have travelled throughout the western world.
I love all of the arts mostly as a spectator although I love to write as you will soon discover when I have put up all of my blog! I take photographs mainly of people and landscapes. I have had a few bits of writing published, mainly professional material and I gained a distinction from the Royal Photographic Society for a portfolio of portrait photographs a few years back. I sometimes enjoy painting, mainly abstract pictures.
Human psychology, mental health and social wellbeing are probably my strongest social interests.
If laughter and the warmth of positive human interaction could count as hobbies, they would be at the top of my list!
Human psychology, mental health and social wellbeing are probably my strongest social interests.
If laughter and the warmth of positive human interaction could count as hobbies, they would be at the top of my list!
Music
I enjoy all styles of music especially classical. My favourite composers are Mahler, Puccini, Bach, Beethoven, Vivaldi, Verdi, Janacek, Vaughan Williams, Fauré, Poulenc, Pergolesi, Schubert, Handel, Rachmaninov, Einaudi and most other mainstream composers.
I enjoy all styles of music especially classical. My favourite composers are Mahler, Puccini, Bach, Beethoven, Vivaldi, Verdi, Janacek, Vaughan Williams, Fauré, Poulenc, Pergolesi, Schubert, Handel, Rachmaninov, Einaudi and most other mainstream composers.
My taste is rock and pop music is very eclectic. It includes Joni Mitchell, Kaiser Chiefs, Mindy Smith, Shakira, Nelly Furtado, Peter Gabriel, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Paul Weller, David Bowie, Kim Beggs, Radiohead, Pink Floyd, Diana Jones, Jackson Browne, U2, Dixie Chicks, Youssou N’Dour, Annie Lennox, Natalie Imbruglia, Madonna, KT Tunstall, Indigo Girls, Van Morrison and Bob Marley.
I like jazz particularly Ornette Coleman, Thelonius Monk, Miles Davis, MJQ, Stan Getz and Dizzy Gillespie.
I like jazz particularly Ornette Coleman, Thelonius Monk, Miles Davis, MJQ, Stan Getz and Dizzy Gillespie.
Youssou N’Dour
Films
Too many to mention, all genres too!
Here’s a selection of my favourites:
Too many to mention, all genres too!
Here’s a selection of my favourites:
Il Postino, Babette’s Feast, Jean de Florette, Manons des sources, Amelie, Cyrano de Bergerac, The man with two brains, Life of Brian, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Belles of St Trinians, Carry on up the Khyber, most Mel Brooks, African Queen, Casablanca, The Piano, Shine, Kind Hearts and Coronets, Great Expectations (1946 David Lean), Chinatown, The 39 steps, A matter of life and death, Don’t look now, Scrooge (1951 starring Alastair Sim), Assault on Precinct 13, Edge of Darkness, One flew over the cuckoo’s nest, An angel at my table, K-Pax, Cool Hand Luke, Billy Elliot, The Shawshank Redemption, The Great Escape, Vertigo, Rear Window, It’s a wonderful life (Where’s Clarence? I need him now!), The Manchurian Candidate, Brassed off and The Full Monty.
Books
Where do I start?
I have a library of more than 1,500 books all packed in cases waiting to be shipped back from the USA. I’m not sure if I can do books so I’ll just list some authors that stand out in my mind.
I love poetry – Rumi, Brian Patten, Longfellow, Rilke, Lorca, Machado, Yeats, Brian Patten and John Betjeman.
My favourite novelists would probably include Charles Dickens, Orwell, Shakespeare, Anais Nin, John Updike, Steinbeck, Ian McEwan, Thomas Hardy, Wilkie Collins, D H Lawrence, Mark Twain, Roald Dahl’s childrens’ stories especially the BFG, Milan Kundera, Jack London, Kerouac and Dick Francis (Thought I’d throw that last one in as that list was looking a bit highbrow to me! I love a good trashy thriller too.)
There are three great humanistic psychologists whose work is pure inspiration to me. They are Alice Miller, James Hillman and Marie-Louise Von Franz.
Where do I start?
I have a library of more than 1,500 books all packed in cases waiting to be shipped back from the USA. I’m not sure if I can do books so I’ll just list some authors that stand out in my mind.
I love poetry – Rumi, Brian Patten, Longfellow, Rilke, Lorca, Machado, Yeats, Brian Patten and John Betjeman.
My favourite novelists would probably include Charles Dickens, Orwell, Shakespeare, Anais Nin, John Updike, Steinbeck, Ian McEwan, Thomas Hardy, Wilkie Collins, D H Lawrence, Mark Twain, Roald Dahl’s childrens’ stories especially the BFG, Milan Kundera, Jack London, Kerouac and Dick Francis (Thought I’d throw that last one in as that list was looking a bit highbrow to me! I love a good trashy thriller too.)
There are three great humanistic psychologists whose work is pure inspiration to me. They are Alice Miller, James Hillman and Marie-Louise Von Franz.
