The Psychology of Quality and More

Dave's page

This is a general page for personal stuff of David Straker, with notes for friends, family and prospective employers. In other words it's about me the person.

About me

I've been asked before about who I am, so here is a page that summarizes my life. Not worth a book or even a chapter, but I've had a varied career and been lucky in love and with family.

For day to day stuff, you can find a lot about my life, family and random thinking in my general changingminds blog.

Photographs

I am a keen amateur photographer and here is my photo page. I enter club competitions (I've have done well there) and will sell you any photos that you might like.

Stories

Here are about 50 pages with small stories that I and others have written to help think, understand and explain.

My family's sites

My family have started sites, though they are now a bit old.

Inspirational Teaching

This is Inspirational Teaching, a blog by my wife Eleri, who is one of those teachers you remember for life. Her goal is to get her students to love Shakespeare and English Literature for life. Oh, and along the way, they get remarkably good grades.

Heledd's site

This is Heledd's site. Heledd is my daughter, who is brilliant young consultant and artist, has over 650 pages from her Master's degree course in International Management.

Holidays

There's just a few photos online from our holiday 2005 in Rome and Croatia.

Here's blog notes and a few pictures from holiday 2006 -- the first with just my wife, Eleri, and myself for 24 years. Geraint was on a school thing in Africa and Heledd was in Edinburgh, working on her M.Sc.

Spring 2007, Eleri and I went off for a lovely couple of days in Frampton, Dorset. Here's notes and photos.

Half-term May/June 2007, Eleri and I took an internet bargain holiday in the Maldives. Here's the Maldives holiday blog, then the photos (in small, medium and full-size, plus a single page with all medium-sized photos on so you can scan down (but it will take a while to load). Here also is a page of Maldives tips that I wish I knew beforehand.

Summer holidays 2007 spent tootling around Ireland in the Z3 (2000 miles with the roof down!), in a reprise of last year's tour of Europe, staying at B&B's and chilling out. Here's the blog and photos. Here also is tips for touring Ireland.

Half-term October 2007 we stayed in a B&B in Suffolk for a couple of days. Here the blog and photos.

December 2007, I went to Paris for lunch with 'the boys' with who I commute to London each day.

February 2008 we took a half-term break in Florence. Here's the blog and photos.

May 2008, we spent a week in northern Madeira. Here's the blog and photos.

July-August 2008, we did something different for us: an Arctic Cruise.

February 2009 we went to Iceland, staying in the capital Reykjavik. Here's the blog and photos.

May 2009 we went to Schwendau, near Mayrhofen in the Austrian Tyrol. Here's the blog and photos.

August 2009, toured Scotland in Z3, here's the blog and photos.

August 2009, went to Cumbria on the way home to cottage for a week, here's the blog and photos.

October 2009 we did a two-centre half-term break to Dublin and Prague.

April 2010 we had an Easter break to Jersey. Here's the blog and photos.

August 2010 we went on a cruise of the Western Mediterranean. Here's blog and photos.

January 2011 went to Greece with Greek chum. Here's blog and photos.

April 2011 a couple of days in Venice. Here's photos.

April 2011 cruise around Greek islands. Here's photos.

July 2011 cruise up Danube. Here's photos.

February 2012 short break in Lisbon. Here's the photos.

July 2012 North Sea cruise.

Dogs

Our much-loved dogs have been:

• Gwen (rescue retriever): 1981 to 1994
• Bella (retriever): 1989 to 2001
• Poppy (rescue retriever): 2001 to 2006
• Tika (German shepherd, inherited from my father): 2005 to 2007
• Ceri (retriever): 2006
• Beca (retriever): 2007

Here's some photographs of dogs from recent years.

Hobbies

Writing

I started writing in the late 80s and a couple of books are now out of print, so I put them online (C Style and Quality Toolbook). From late 90s on, my major hobby has been developing content websites (see the navigation bar), in particular changingminds.org. I'd like to spend more time on styling, but content is king, as they say, and frankly I prefer the writing these days. After semi-retirement in 2010 I now write pretty much full-time.

Photography

I like travelling and taking pictures, though hesitate to call myself a photographer of any kind. Just an amateur, really. Here's my photos online. I'm trying to improve and go to Yateley Camera Club. My current main camera is a Canon D40, mostly used with 10-22, 24-105 or 100-400 lenses and other bits and pieces. It makes for a heavy package, but part of the fun is the fiddling around with it all and pretending to know what you are doing. I also use a smaller camera, a Lumix LX3 which is a bit more of an enthusiasts compact than a simple snapshot camera. Now also I've got a lighter weight Sony Nex-5 kit.

Other stuff

I studied Tai Chi for 15 years, but job time has prevented me going to lessons or teaching, so I just integrate it into how I move. It makes walking and all sorts of moving an interesting exercise, though having a hobby of 'moving' seems a bit bizarre. One day I'll do a site about it.

After retirement I learned to cook. Just following recipes seems to work. Souffle, roulade, pies and more. Surprised that it's actually fun. Also after retirement started learning piano keyboard again (gave up last time when I was 13). Slow learning here.

I also do DIY in bursts. I prefer woodwork stuff and build bookshelves and so on as needed. I can do electrics no problems. I am not a fan of plumbing, but will do it as needed.