INTRO PROFILE

[Neil Ward]

THE OLD CROWD – INTRO

***Name:
Neil Ward

***Nicknames/IDs:
Flying Ford Anglia, vado (on LiveJournal)

***Age:
42

***Family:
Two all-singing all-dancing parents, two younger brothers (both 
married, one with two daughters and a cat, the other with a dog 
animagus-cum-daemon).  I'm single, live alone with no humans or 
animals, just the voices. 

***Home

at the top of a hill, Lewisham, London

***Birthday, Place of Birth:
13th May, Wellingborough, England

***Education/Job/Role in Life etc:
BSc Biological Sciences (mainly toxicology/pharmacology).  Worked as 
biochemist for National Poisons Unit for six years before moving to 
work for evil alcohol industry.  Now Director of the alcohol industry 
information service, so evil as well.

***Other things we might want to know about you:
Homosexual transformer, vegetarian (but will eat aeroplane cabin crew 
when pushed), mostly irreligious, quietly socialist, INFJ (occasional 
P), double Taurean Ox with own plough.  Promising talent for dancing 
cut short by school bullying.  

***First contact with Harry Potter:
14th May 2000 – reading paperback of PS, given to me for my birthday 
the day before.

***Favourite Potter things (books, characters, ships, fics, objets 
d'Art, general enthusing):
Bookswise, still have a soft spot for PS, but PoA is the best to 
date.  Harry, McGonagall, Dumbledore, Arthur, Weasley twins, Snape, 
Wood, Trelawney, Crookshanks, Filch (okay
 everybody), the school 
song, The Sorting Hat, Flying Ford, Portkeys, books, Diagon Alley, 
Potions, deaths.  Not keen on House Elves.  Love the snitch Amanda 
and Sheryll made me and the Ford Anglia mug that Babynick found in a 
garden centre.  No particular ship or fic allegiances.  Thought the 
two films so far were mediocre, and hate child actors, but would 
still kill to attend premiere of PoA.

***Extent of Potter obsession:
Mild moving to Moderate.  Until recently, I was a moderator of HP for 
Grownups, but that's the only part of the fandom I've been involved 
with.  Have copies of the British books in paperback, hard back, 
deluxe hardback and CD (US version), and PS in French (not that I 
could read it), plus the schoolbooks.  Have seen first two films a 
few times each and have both on DVD.  Have EA computer games of first 
two books.  Have a small collection of bits and bobs, including one 
Quidditch sweatshirt, HP keyrings, pens, trinkets, beer glass.   

***Other interests/activities:
Indie music (used to run a club night and still DJ now and then), 
sporadic interest in the paranormal, art, tiddling around on the 
internet, comedy in any arena (especially old movie stuff), science 
(yeah, really specific), television (addict for some things). 

***Current/recent reading:
"Hitchhiker's Guide
" (current), "Origin" – Stephen Baxter (a bit 
tedious), "I Capture the Castle" – Dodie Smith (lovely), "The Merlin 
Conspiracy" – Diana Wynne Jones (genius), "Mortal Engines" – Philip 
Reeve (promising)

***Current/recent listening:
Interpol's album "Turn On The Bright Lights", also just bought new 
Radiohead album.  Otherwise, listen mostly to indie, some electronica 
and pop, with a bit of acoustic stuff.

***Current/recent viewing:
Big Brother 4 (TV), Elizabeth I (Maritime Museum), Dr Who reruns on 
UK Gold, Star Trek reruns on Sky, old Laurel & Hardy videos.  Staring 
at a stack of DVDs bought but not yet watched.  Need to go to cinema 
v soon.

Neil