My skill acquisition started a long time ago - first job in a boarding kennels @ 9yrs.

Made redundant @ 13yrs so got a job at at a local garage (vehicles/agriculture).

Entered precision engineering @ 17yrs.

Created a tool to manufacture seat belt anchors before my 21st birthday, then quit to travel the world.

Got into wholistic engineering elec/mech/hyd and developed a number of systems before moving into computers.

Created the 1st registration plate recognition system for fuel service stations. It was too effective, and the oil cartel security bods preferred to share the thieving costs (to keep their budgets intact).

Developed a data recovery prog (with the original developer).

Developed a Heavy Duty Gate Control system.

Dumped that life and moved to a small village in France.

Working on broadband transmission amelioration, and trying to develop a first class translation system using google translate systems.