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Eric, who's he?

Born 12th March 1937 in Torquay, third child of father Raymond Howard Foxley. (Northamptonshire heritage, Grammar school geography teacher, laster primary school deputy head) and mother Amy Marion Harvey (Plymouth heritage, Primary school teacher, had to retire when she had children).

Neighbour, on the new arrival: "What sort is it?" "It's another boy" "Oh, what a shame." I was to be called Jane.

Brothers Arthur , Owen .

Lived in Torquay (dad was fired as a geography teacher at Torquay Grammar because he was a pacifist in 1939), Lincoln, Toft, Northorpe, Twickenham 2 addresses, Nottingham.

Archdeacon Cambridge CofE Prinary School, Twickenham (Dad was deputy head).
Thames Valley co-ed Grammar School, Twickenham.
Took A-levels and S-levels 1955 in Pure Maths, Applied Maths, Physics, Chemistry.
Worked at Paint Research Station, Teddington, January - July 1956, plot the speed of sound in films of paint against temperature, use their own-build electron microscope, work on the viscosity of thixotropic paint (not obvious!).

To Nottingham Universiry 1956 to study Mathematics.
Engaged 1959 to Joy. I said "Will you marry me?". Sge said "I'll think about it!"
Married 30 July 1960 to Joy .
Lived in Nottingham at 3 addresses since student days.
Worked at Ericssons Telephones, Beeston, July - September 1958, telephone exchange technology apprenticeship, uniselectors then basics of magnetic drum storage.
Nottingham University mathematics BSc (logic specialism) 1956-59, electronics degree course taken but not examined 1956-58, joint mathematics and electronics PhD 1959-62 to build a computer to solve logic problems, not numbers; assistant tutor, assistant lecturer, lecturer, director of computing 1967-73, lecturer, part-time lecturer 1998-2003. I'm in the process of adding some notes on my time as Director of Computing here .

At the PhD viva in 1962 the external examiner (Prof Smiley from Cambridge) asked a difficult question "What would your computer do if ...?". The chairman saw that I was not sure and quickly said "If I were you I'd have a nervous breakdown. What's the next question?". I've always thanked him for that!
Since 1973, about two months a year work in international development abroad, see here while Joy looked after the family and house. The university was not pleased with my repeated absences.

2012 Bowel cancer, initally diagnosed terminal, hearing the words "cancer" and "terminal" in the same sentence was a ghastly experience, We went and satin the kitchen and didn't know what to do. But then after chemo and radio therapy and then surgery, then a stoma bag for a year, more surgery, all seems OK. All part of the rich tapestry of life with new experiences! Don't drink beer that continues fizzing if you have a stoma bag!
2018 Pneumonia, sepsis, resuscitation at City Hospital, keeping the NHS busy.
2021 Myeloma, bone cancer in the spine vertebra L3, this time it really is terminal, but chemo (experimental jabs daratumumab and bortezomib with dexamethazone) on-going keeps it down so far. Nowadays the words "cancer" and "terminal" in the same sentence don't worry us, we're all terminal. Being terminal just gives you an excuse to enjoy life and appreciate being looked after.

Lots more of Eric's detailed history like an Eric timeline here .
Started pottery in 1973 with Geoff Bocking (lecturer in 3D design at a local teacher training college, and a superb potter), and set up my own pottery here when he left Nottingham in 1985 .
Some of Eric's history written when I retired in 2000 is here .
Some early photos of Eric here .
Eric's more formal CV here if I ever apply for a job!
And I used to keep records of all my exercise, but not so much in my present state .


Icons include Camera to see photo(s). Text file to see a text file and Website.for a website link.

Website at chezfred.org.uk

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Page updated 23-Feb-2024

Comments and corrections on the website welcome by Eric Foxley