About Me
Hi, I'm Al Girling, I live in Ryedale in North Yorkshire. I'm a house husband looking after my two sons Charlie and Will. Alison, missis Al, is a native of North Yorkshire while I'm from Sussex originally.
I also do odd bits of gardening to earn a little cash to support my many hobbies and interests. We have a couple of allotments on which we grow as much food as possible and I keep a few bee hives. We all enjoy messing about in boats, mostly in our seventeen foot canoe which has been paddled on many waters; ranging from small lakes, canals, coastal trips and grade 2-3 rivers while fully laden with camping gear. We also have a sailing dinghy; in which I'm looking forward to getting the boys, hopefully, interested in sailing. Last year my interest in archery was rekindled so I've been shooting again. I've also been known to juggle! :) Another thing that interests me is what is now known as Bushcraft. Popularised by the likes of Ray Mears. I've always called it Woodcraft as that's what my father called it. It fits in nicely with our outdoor activities and is a good way to become closer to the natural world that so many have managed to hide from.
It would probably surprise some that know me now to learn that I avoided computers for years, though many of my friends embraced them and made very successful careers with them. It's how Alison earns a living, though her enthusiasm for them has been waning over the last ten years. As the world changed and they became an integral part of our lives I felt I could hold out no longer. I'd had a brief encounter with a computer controlled evironment system while working at a south coast nursery, but it didn't inspire me to become involved then. However, being introduced to the internet, as a communications device and source of information, changed all that.
My first true PC arrived in 1998 and rapidly grew to a love/hate relationship. I was introduced to Unix in 1999 and Linux shortly after. In 2002 it became possible for me to have sole responsibility for a machine and I became a Linux only user. Hurray! I became very enthusiastic about the OS and spent much time learning all I could. In late 2005 I set about starting a user group and in January 2006 the Ryedale Linux User Group had it's first official meeting. We're not perhaps the most successfull group on the planet, but we are still plodding along!.
Lastly, it seems popular to create lists of your favourite music, films and books etc on these 'about me' pages. Rather than extend this page further, you can see my choices up the top of this page on the right under the heading of daft lists. Make of my character from the contents of t hese lists as you will. Or at least enjoy them!