Theo Todman's Personal Page

(Text as at 01/05/2022 18:20:10)

This is currently – and has been since the page was created – a rather random straggle of out-of-date jottings. I’m in the process of updating it.

• This page focuses on my activities. For my family, follow this this link¹.
• I was born in Singapore, of English parents, but returned with them to Doncaster in South Yorkshire when a few months old. We moved to Gloucester when I was 9, which I effectively left when I went to university. Subsequently I’ve lived in London (Hampstead, St. John’s Wood and Croydon – all in short order pre-marriage), then in Romford and – from 1988 – in Billericay, Essex.
• From my earliest days I was deemed to have some artistic skills, but the only evidence in existence is a pen and ink drawing of Gloucester Cathedral² done when I was 15.
• I was educated at the Crypt School Gloucester (1965-1972), and at King's College Cambridge (1973-6), where I substantially wasted my opportunities studying a subject (mathematics) for which I was very ill-suited, but where I thoroughly enjoyed myself rowing, playing bridge and socializing.
• I was briefly a Carthusian monk³ way back in 1978, and was subsequently, until the mid-1990's, an evangelical, fundamentalist, dispensationalist Christian⁴. Now, I aim to be a philosopher.
• At the end of October 2010 I retired from a career in the central IT function at HSBC, having previously spent 10 years (from September 1976) working for Hoskyns, a software house.
• For a long time – until I re-established contact with academia – I was an enthusiast for Hi-Q societies – namely Mensa and ISPE. After a decade away, I re-joined these organisations in April 2011, but lapsed my Mesa membership the following year. I’m still a member of ISPE, but inactive.
• Before I took up formal study of philosophy in 2000, I wrote various items of dubious quality, as an ‘opinionated auto-didact’, which are collected here⁵.
• I used to enjoy a (somewhat irregular) work-out at the gym, but lapsed my membership when we moved to Coxes Farm. Now I have my own deluxe rowing machine and (less deluxe) multi-gym, though I rarely use them. I get my exercise from walking Henry the dog once or twice a day.
• I enjoyed playing chess⁶ and bridge⁷ at school and university. I returned to bridge at the end of 2007 and was enthusiastic for about 10 years, though I now only play socially (though in Clubs and some local competitions). I started playing chess again in September 2018, but am finding it a challenge.
• I learnt to play the oboe at school, but it’s an impossible instrument to play irregularly, so after years of occasional play, I decided to take it fairly seriously and practise most days, though only for 15 minutes, and play fortnightly in an ensemble. I had lessons every couple of weeks from April 2008 to September 2010 and again from September 2018 to March 2020 (making 71 in total) when the Covid lock-down stopped it all. I started to learn the piano in 2008, and had 31 lessons between July 2008 and September 2010, but didn’t persist. See my Music page⁸.
• From October 2000 to June 2004, I studied for a BA in Philosophy at Birkbeck⁹ College, University of London. This was a part-time course involving 2 or 3 evenings a week (together with all the outside study) undertaken while I was still working full time. I seem to be much more fitted to philosophy than mathematics, and graduated with first class honours. I also expended quite a lot of energy running the Birkbeck Philosophy Society¹⁰ for a couple of years, thereby meeting a lot of interesting philosophers.
• I started the Master in Philosophical Studies (MPhil Stud) degree at Birkbeck in October 2005, but intermitted in the following spring after my wife Julie had a nasty car accident that debilitated her for 6 months. She is now fully recovered, and I recommenced formal study for a PhD at Birkbeck in October 2007. My area of research was Personal Identity¹¹. Unfortunately, I found it difficult combining research with my work commitments and other interests, so dropped out. See my Philosophy Page¹² for the current status.
• From late September to end December 2010, I was at Heythrop College London (Defunct) studying for an MA in Philosophy and Religion. The document controlling these activities is here¹³. Unfortunately, I've continued my career as a serial academic drop-out, and dropped out. Basically, I've moved on psychologically from taught to research degrees, and don't like having to write superficial tripe to aggressive timeframes.
• So, the grand plan from now on is to write much more than is strictly required for a PhD under my own steam, and then see if I can get the work critiqued at a University.
• For the latest status report on my various projects, follow this link¹⁴.
• In lieu of completed structures on which to hang my pearls of wisdom, I've created an "Animadversions" notes-database for depositing thoughts pending the creation of the appropriate peg. If I find myself lying awake at night thinking about this or that, the remedy is to leap out of bed and blog it (but not in my official Blog¹⁵). For the Jump Table to the various thoughts, follow this link.
• Finally, I did make a start on an autobiography¹⁶, but this has stalled. You will be able to see this developing (if it ever does) by following the link.
• All my Notes can be accessed via the following the jump-table.