Hello. I’m Ian. I’m a technical architect, occasional writer, reluctant leader, enthusiastic father, Wordle obsessive, and recovering Scrum sceptic.
I’ve been building enterprise software systems for over 25 years — mostly in C# and Java, and frequently thinking about event-driven architecture, domain modelling, and how not to end up on the front page of the Daily Mail.
These days, I’m working on national health infrastructure — designing service layers and messaging patterns that (hopefully) keep ticking over without setting fire to anyone’s patient data. I like diagrams. I like distributed systems. I like it when the tests pass on the first go, but I’ve made peace with the fact they usually don’t.
This blog is where I put the thoughts that won’t fit in Jira tickets. You’ll find:
- Notes on software architecture and dev team dynamics.
- Observations from the coalface of NHS-scale delivery.
- Opinions about books, often literary, sometimes technical.
- Rankings of Wordle scores from my extended family, with statistical overanalysis.
- Reflections on parenting, middle age, and why my dog Sadie is the most emotionally intelligent member of our household.
I live in North Yorkshire with my brilliant wife Jocelyn and three teenagers. We have chatty dinners, strong opinions, and a miniature schnauzer with delusions of grandeur. When I’m not building systems, I’m reading novels, building Lego, or walking through Skipwith Common pretending I’m in a philosophical essay.
I journal daily, which is probably why I blog only occasionally.
I’m not looking to be an influencer. I just want to leave behind some traceable thoughts that might help the next person along — or give them a reason to smile and nod in bitter recognition.
Want to get in touch?
Or just shout into the wind — I’m probably out walking the dog.