Well  I had the domain name, and I thought that I may as well add something to it rather than you being confronted with a page marker.  So here it is, not much at the moment, and I hope I get some time to be able to develop it fully.

I used to have several websites for 'gentlemen' that I ran, but I have closed those some months ago as the hassle outweighed the pleasure in writing and coding the damn thing (why are people so critical when you offer something for free?!!).

So in summary, and before I go into the trumpet blowing stuff later on, here goes!

Lets start at the beginning then - I'm Brendan Sheehy (with a multitude of names in between), or to Gaelic speakers then I am Breandán Mac an t'Sithigh (pronounced Brawn-darn Muck-city).  I'm 34, and live in West Ham in East London.  I have lived in and around the east end of London for most of my life, aside from a short sojourn on the Isle of Wight - where my mothers side of the family hail from.

I am a civil servant by trade and work for the Department of Health as a Records and Information Services Manager within Information Services.  I was not intending to stay there for very long, and lo and behold I shall be celebrating my tenth anniversary in the DH this August.  My background has always been in IT, and IT in libraries in particular.

So here goes ...

Right at the beginning

Well if you managed to trace me on Friends Reunited you'll find that I went to St Anthony's RC Primary School and St Johns RC Secondary School, both in East London and not too far away from my parents home in Upton Park. I'm not sure if it is still running now, but I won the merit cup for my year in 1983 at St Anthony's, and my parents were as chuffed as anything!

Mostly the times at St Johns were good ones, although my memory may be quite hazy about what I did with those five years (and I am sure that the passage of time would make some of those oh-so-amusing stories less so).  I got some fairly good GCSE passes (we were the first year to take them, and I ended up with three A's, 2 B's, 3 C's and several passes in secretarial subjects), and got a job at French Connection sorting clothing during the summer before starting Sixth Form back at St Johns (it was a consortium arrangement at sixth form with the local Boys catholic school and the local Convent). 

I knew that I was gay for a number of years and had mentioned to my mum on a few occasions that I thought I might be.  I had a promise to myself that I would come out when I hit sixteen years old, and Sixth Form was a good way of doing it.  I first told my friend Joe (who for some reason did not believe me at first!), but when someone mentioned "wouldn't it be easier to just put it on a poster rather than tell people individually" it caught my imagination! This was back in 1988 and when Clause 28 (or now Section 28) was just hitting the headlines, and a Catholic school was a little unsure on how to deal with a pupil who had decided to come out.  There was some flak from some members of the school, but almost everyone was supportive.

St Johns was being run down at that stage prior to closure, and so I became involved in the Action Group to try and save the school - which unfortunately proved to be unsuccessful.  It was around that time that I distanced myself from the Catholic church to a great degree. Sixth Form was great fun - even though in the last year there was only myself and Joe there. During that time I had also served some time as Chair of the Sixth Form Association and was school representative on the Faith Schools Panel.

1988 was also the year that I started as Saturday and Evening Library Assistant at Newham Libraries - although much has changed since I worked there, I had worked at every branch in the borough and by working overtime was involved in the refurbishments of Plashet, Stratford, Plaistow and East Ham libraries. Overtime also offered the change to dress up as a Pirate (as in the Photo Gallery!), as well as becoming involved in the automation project.

The working years

I finished my A Levels and was a little unsure on what to do, but I had applied for a post with Newham Libraries, and was unsuccessful in getting it.  I had also applied to the Kings Fund Centre in Camden as a Library Assistant and started work on the 18th June 1990. They were implementing a new library system at the time, and I was lucky enough to be taken under the wing of Margaret Haines, who really let me fly with ideas on automation.

3rd September 1990, Liz James joined the Kings Fund as a temporary cataloguer, and has been a dear friend ever since. How do I remember the date? Its all in the song "Papa was a rolling stone", catch the first line!

My post changed to that of Library Systems Administrator soon afterwards.  I wrote an article of the Kings Fund experience with automation for Aslib Information. I was a speaker presenting "Automation: Up, Down or Sideways" with Margaret Haines at the Computers in Libraries event at Hatfield in 1992;  became Technical Reports Co-ordinator for the European Unicorn User Group. I presented "Ongoing Budgeting and Planning" at the International Sirsi User Group conference in May 1992, and became Chair of the International Sirsi User Group based in Huntsville, Alabama -  as well as being Special Libraries co-ordinator.  I presented 'Budgeting for Library System Upgrades' at the International Conference, and was asked to stay on as retired President for the following year which I had to decline. I presented "Unicorn at the Kings Fund Centre" at the International Computers in Libraries conference in 1993.

I look back on those times with much pride that I managed to do all that, and hope to be able to rekindle some of the enthusiasm I had back then. I was added to the US version of 'Who's Who' as a result of my activities in the US.

1993 was my 21st birthday and Liz arranged a surprise birthday at her home in Friern Barnet.  It was a shock! and not only because she invited some man I had been chatting to on Compuserve - but I think he was more shocked that I was not the fit, tanned blond man that he thought I was!

I look back on my time at the Fund with fondness, it was certainly a great place to work and the people working there were extremely friendly and enjoyed the social aspects of working together. Liz has promised me some pictures for the site of some of the more embarrassing times (surely it was not me who a) dressed up as a nun for Comic Relief, b) entered the Alternative Miss World competition, c) played Santa at the Christmas party or d) Not only played the part of Julian Clary for a Christmas show, but also appeared as him for a karaoke evening).

Having had a minor part in a few LBC broadcasts in late 1993/early 1994 (the station lost it's franchise soon after - any connection I wonder?).  I met Rob in February 1994, had purchased my flat and we moved in together in May 1994.

Moving on

The Kings Fund was relocating to Cavendish Square in 1995, and I decided to make a move to pastures new.  I got the post of IT Manager for the London Borough of Hounslow - resigning two weeks later after being offered the post of LInC IT Manager for the NHS Executive in Paddington.

LInC was familiar ground, implementing the same library system for a new Information Centre - itself an amalgamation of two disparate libraries and collections.  It was good work - we were the only region to complete the automation of the collection!

In 1997 I was seconded to the Private Office to assist with the NHS Executive secretariat, before applying for a post of Customer Interest Manager (CIM) at the Department of Health.

I never really thought that I stood a chance in getting the job as CIM, and the fact that it took so long between the interview and an offer made me think that I never got the job.  I was posted as CIM for Richmond House, with responsibility for Private Office, Communications Directorate and a few other directorates.  It was quite a challenge, and with the help of a great team we managed to deliver and survive through some pretty tough times.  I will always look back on those times with fondness and an ability to surprise myself on how much I developed personally. Me and the team even covered the Millennium date change night - alas the backups kicked in at midnight, and all the servers were down. The Director hid in my office until we got it under control - a group of what must have been 15 techies sorted the problem out (they were enjoying the night and popped in to use the facilities).

In March 2000 my father was referred into hospital by his chirpopodist. Having suffered from diabetes in later life, they wanted to remove part of an ingrowing toenail on his big toe. Unfortunately after a few days stay, and the day before he was due to come home he suffered a heart attack. He was moved to Intensive Care, and after a few weeks of treatment he died. In so many ways it was such a shock. Mum stayed by his bedside for many hours of each day before he died - but I will not forget the call to say that he would not last the night. Dad died on the 16th April 2000 - the day that a book on his memories of his life was published in Gaelic. It was such a regret that he never got to see the book he had published - but he was buried with his book.

I elected to move on in June 2000 - partly because my health suffered in Winter 1999 - although it took until December 2000 for me to be moved to the main Headquarters building - and also in the new post of Customer Account Manager.

October 2000, myself and Rob decided that we no longer wanted a relationship, and that it was time to move on with our lives.

I have spent some time over the last year trying to find out more about myself - have learnt more about my vocal strengths through vocal training, joined an amateur dramatics group through work (with the real hope that the much delayed production will be actually staged!) and started dance lessons again (I probably didn't mention my ballroom, Latin and Irish dancing - the latter I have 13 medals for; though I had added another 4 in June through the great work of Allyson Cawoods lessons at work). Some major/minor goals have also been there too - giving up smoking was certainly one of them, though that has been a little hit and miss.

Rob moved out on the 1st March 2002, and for the first time in my life I am living on my own - its a bit of a challenge, but one that I am enjoying.  Having met Phil in October 2001 has really changed my outlook on life, and my humble words cannot even begin to describe how I feel about him. I'll leave it to say that I love him very much, and I need him more than I can say - if I have one ambition for the coming years it is to make him happy.  Although I lack class in asking him to marry me by text message, I can't describe how I felt when he said yes.

I turned 30 in 2002, and invited some friends along to celebrate at Stephs Restaurant in Soho, London on the 21stJune.  The pictures are on the site - follow the link on the top left.  It was made doubly special as it was also Phils birthday on the same day.

Myself and Phil had a simple but heartfelt partnership ceremony at City Hall on the 7th December 2002 - despite me suffering from Impetigo (which I unfortunately passed onto Phil, but hopefully none of our guests!), so I had the misfortune of phoning Phil to tell him I had an infectious disease a few days before our big day! We have a website at http://www.philandbrendan.co.uk which has more information, but the photos are also available here on this site.

The new year meant a change in direction and I was lucky enough to secure the post of Senior Information Services Manager with the Department of Health in March 2003.  I'm looking at electronic records management systems within the Department, and it looks to be very interesting. I'm sure I'll be seeing how this job develops over the coming months.

And finally a mention to my good friend Kim, for pointing out that these pages needed a long overdue update!

In May 2003 mum asked me to meet her at the hospital after some tests that she had been having.  Mums health had been patchy over the years owing to a number of conditions. It was at that time that she said that her consultant wanted to see us both. The news was not good - on the 30th May I was told that mum had cancer, it has spread and was untreatable. Mum had a few months to live.

After a week, I agreed to move back home where I could see how she was doing on a daily basis. It also allowed me to spend some more time with mum in the few months that she had left.  I woke on my birthday to find that she had died during the night - a few weeks away from her 65th birthday.

I took the plunge in January 2006 to sign up for a GMFA course on smoking cessation.  Thank you to Tom and Paul for helping me out, and the other course participants and especially my group - Christian and Morgan. Thank you for getting me through those first few dark days.

In April 2006 I put a bid on a house in Hebden Bridge for no better reason than I liked the station, and it's metrosexual attitude.  Hopefully the house will be completed in August 2006, and I will be able to reclaim some of my travelling time.

Not sure if I mentioned that I also started an OU degree in IT and Information Systems, with an option to change the title if I wuss out on the math. So far so good, I'm getting an average of 90 in the assessments, and managed an 80% in the first exam.  There's a long way to go, but my fetish to wear an academic gown is so strong it has to happen. My interest in Genealogy has led me to embark on a one-name-study for Tait/Taite which thanks to the hours I spend on Virgin West Coast means that I have transcribed around 20000 general names and 1800 ONS names.  I may make sad git of the year yet.