About Kate

I state on the front page of this site that I am many things to many people. While this sounds quite amusing - it is not far from the truth! I have a wide range of interests which have brought me into contact with a lot of lovely people. I range from technical to geeky to musical to (slightly) sporty, which together provide me with a well-rounded and fulfilling social life.

I play the trombone

I have been playing the trombone since I was eight years old (September 1993) and currently play with local band, Wealden Brass. While I won't be auditioning for the London Philharmonic any time soon, I'm an enthusiastic amateur and take part in concerts in a wide variety of settings each year.

I can write in shorthand

I found that the college I was working at was about to run a shorthand course I could get on to for a reduced fee. I always loved the idea of being able to write in shorthand, and so jumped at the chance. I had to take 10 half-days 'holiday' to participate as the course ran on Thursday mornings - however it was worth every minute as the classes were fun, the people were great, and I can now write in Teeline shorthand at 50 words a minute and have a certificate to show for it.

I follow British Ice Hockey

I have been a fan of the Manchester Phoenix since their first season back in the Elite League after two years in mothballs. Following the team's move from the Elite League to the English Premier League, I identified a need for a "live scores" site for the EPL, based upon the continued existance and popularity of a similar service which covered the Elite league. As the owner of the existing site confirmed that he would not be adding in the facility to cover the EPL any time soon, this (along with a prod from co-founder Anthony Lloyd) drove me to write EPLUpdates, a site which has gone from online JUST in time for the season start, to having a rink's worth of visitors every match night!

I (try to) play inline hockey

Inline hockey is basically ice hockey without the ice. My main problem is that I'm not very good at skating yet, but I have a good go! I play in full-kit including shoulders, something which is worth the hassle due to the extra protection it provides in the event of a big hit. I'm mostly a forward-playing out-skater due to my current inability to skate backwards, however I'd love to take a go in goal!

I'm a Trekkie

I've always loved the idea of space travel, and with that came a love of Star Trek too. Yes - I have a uniform. I run an online Star Trek role-play group based on an Intrepid-class (Voyager style) starship, the U.S.S. Regardless. If you're interested, you can read the current mission progress [here], or join the adventure [here] and see if you like it.

I like to paint

You will never find me claiming to be any good at it, but I enjoy drawing and painting nonetheless. I'm starting to find my own style now (which I'm told is similar to the Fauvist style) and while I find that acrylic on canvas is fast becoming my perferred medium, I dabble in watercolours too. I'm in the process of setting up a sub-site to serve as an 'art gallery' to display some of my work.