My father was a farmer, so I had a whole farm to range over as a kid. I learnt to ride a horse and machine milk a cow, but never did learn to shear a sheep.

I went to the University of Adelaide, and completed a B.Sc. in the Faculty of Mathematical Sciences in 1976, after which I went to work as a trainee programmer for the South Australian Fishermens Co-Operative Limited (aka SAFCOL) where I stayed for three years. No jokes about fishy business, please!

Then an opportunity came up to "go overseas" and I headed for the UK "just for a couple of years". After four years in the UK, I had a year in America working for IBM in New Jersey, after which I returned to the UK rather than Australia, as I find the climate preferable, not being a particular fan of very hot weather.

When in my mid thirties, I took up the bassoon, and for the next ten years or so, I participated in as many musical activities as there was time for, and felt that success as an amateur player was measured by how often you  have to say "no" to people. I've now cut my playing back to an occasional Sunday morning "all girl" wind quintet session and a first Tuesday of the month rehearsal orchestra, but other things do come up from time to time.

Photography is my other long term hobby, and I enjoy displaying my work on my website. The standard has improved since I joined the Bromley Camera Club, so it may soon actually be worth looking at it!

Just when I least expected it a couple of years ago, I acquired a boyfriend, Stephen, who has since turned into a long-term partner. That was one of two major life changes to come with the new Century.

The other was that after many years as a contract programmer, I started off the new Century without a job, and eventually took permanent employment. It has become apparent that the skillset which has stood me in good stead through the latter part of the 20th Century just isn't up to the job for the 21st Century, so I'm now in the Open University's postgraduate Computing for Commerce and Industry programme, where I should eventually qualify for an M.Sc if I stick at it for long enough.

I certainly hope to obtain some more up-to-date skills on the programme,and have been very satisfied with the courses I have taken so far.

Website: http://web.ukonline.co.uk/baronmoss/index.html