David's alternative home page

Hello and welcome to my home page. That's me above relaxing at a friend's house by the sea. Sorry, no rather naff sandals any more. For more pictures of me, click here.

My name is David (no prizes there) and I live in Bromley near London. I moved here recently from Richmond upon Thames, and before that I was in Nottingham and Hull. For pictures of my house, click here.

What am I like?

Well, I'm 43 years old, six foot two (for those of you that live in Europe I reckon that comes to 1 metre 88 centimetres) and clean-shaven with black hair. I'm hairy and am told that I'm of medium build, but I reckon I'm a bit on the flabby side.

I'm a scientist by background and work as a patent attorney for BTG plc, which describes itself as one of the world's leading technology transfer companies. I'm sure you're not interested in that sort of thing, but e-mail if you want to have a look at my CV.

Out!

I'm gay. I am also told I am straight acting, though I don't really care for such descriptions. As far as I am concerned I am 100% gay, and I just try to be myself at all times. If people assume therefore that I am straight, that's their problem, not mine. Okay?

I'm not particularly one for the scene. I like drinking in gay pubs, as I feel I can be myself in these, but I don't know many clubs. I do however like the classier joints such as Flamingo's in Blackpool, and one or two of the sleazier joints too. On the Internet, you may find me posting to the uk-motss mailing list or on IRC, usually as "cello" or occasionally "cellist".

Bromley now boasts its very own gay pub, the Crown and Anchor, 19 Park Road, Bromley, near Bromley North station, which went gay in October 1999. It is of course early days, but it seems pleasant and respectable, if a bit quiet. Rather like me in fact! The bar staff are eager to please and tt is promoting itself as a place for gay men and lesbians to have a quiet drink with their friends. It is open every day with music, a quiz night, and three course lunches on Sundays for £5.50.

Artistic bent

My interests include theatre, especially when there's an opera or musical on but I enjoy straight plays as well. London is of course particularly well equipped with theatres.

My other great passion is classical music. I have an extensive record collection, though tend to participate in rather than go to concerts, as I sing baritone and play the cello. I have sung in the Nottingham Harmonic Society and used to play in the Nottingham Symphony Orchestra and before that the Hull Philharmonic Orchestra. I love the great nineteenth century romantic stuff, especially Wagner, and am particularly excited to be in the BBC Symphony Chorus. We sang La Damnation de Faust by Berlioz in the First Night of the Proms 98. For pictures of that auspicious event, click here.

Outdoor thrills

I enjoy walking in the country, though must confess I prefer it to be based around a pub or tea shop. I've got a book of pub walks, which I'm keen to explore. I do a bit of cycling, although this is often restricted to weekly visits to Marks & Spencer's to buy a few culinary delights. Despite being labelled by the Independent in 1995 as 'London's most boring Borough', Bromley boasts a large shopping mall, containing Marks and Spencer's second largest unit after Marble Arch in London, now with separate menswear shop.

Potential anorak

I enjoy a bit of TV, especially comedy programmes, Star Trek and soap operas.

I'm afraid I'm one of those sad people that can quote Victoria Wood sketches word for word. I think French and Saunders are absolutely fabulous, too. They must surely be the best thing to have come out of the alternative comedy movement of the 1980s. Certainly they're the most enduring. Where are you now, Ben Elton?

Showing my age a little, I do enjoy Monty Python too.

I must confess too to having a soft spot for the classic episodes of Star Trek. I think Star Trek: The Next Generation is pretty hot stuff as well. I'm afraid I haven't warmed to Deep Space 9 - somehow it's not the same knowing that Gene Roddenberry wasn't involved - though I'm gradually getting hooked on Voyager.

Soap operas I like are Brookside, EastEnders and of course Coronation Street. Only the classy ones here, note. My favourite character: the sadly departed Raquel from Coronation Street, superbly portrayed by Sarah Lancashire. Oh, and I also like Grange Hill, Teletubbies and The Simpsons.

Warner Bros.

Another passion of mine is old Warner Bros. movies from the thirties and forties. Whether it be a Busby Berkeley spectacular, a Bette Davis weepie or a classic such as Casablanca, I can't get enough of it. I reckon Max Steiner, who did so many of the scores for those films, is a sadly underrated composer. He really mastered the art of fusing image with music in a way that so few people do these days.

That's all, folks!

Riveting stuff, huh? I hope this gives you all the details about me that you would wish to have.

My friends (and other animals)

If you don't like me, why not have a look at my friends' (including former friends!) and net buddies' home pages instead:

Andrew Jenkins Mike Atkinson Jason Nevitt Ian Stone Austen Redman

Rob Williams Matt Ward Stephen Hartland Bruce Gilson Steve Mitchell

Have a look too at:

my Bookmarks;

my Gay links;

pictures of my Proms début;

more pictures of me;

pictures of my house;

Hugh Young's Lexicon of Polari, an eclectic guide to this once-extensive argot among sailors, itinerants, people in show business and homosexuals; and

some favourite songs and sketches.

E-mail me if you like on .