Ian Stubbs

Senior Network Engineer

Biography

Published Summer 2008

Can Ian fix it? Yes he can!

Network engineer Ian Stubbs is a hands-on kind of guy. Whether it's building servers or rebuilding houses, Ian likes to get stuck in. Right now he's spending most of his spare time doing up a three-bedroom semi in Pensby, on the Wirral.

Ian has spent most of his 26 years in Wirral (he's from Neston originally), although he did live for a while in Chester, where he also restored a house.

"I don't do up houses to make money or anything like that," says Ian, "it's just that I'd rather buy a run-down house and try and make it perfect. Sometimes, though, I wish I wasn't so fussy: it takes up a lot of my time!"

Ian is happy with the Pensby project. He's gutted and redecorated the property and will also be rewiring it. Now he's waiting for planning permission to come though for an extension that will create a garage and enlarge the kitchen.

He says: "The extension will make a big difference to the house but I'm a bit anxious about it. I do know my limits and I know I'm not much of a builder. Fortunately, I know lots of people who can help: my sister's fiancé is a plasterer, for example. And, of course, things like the wiring have to be checked by a qualified professional afterwards."

As if the house wasn't enough work, Ian is also clearing the garden: removing rubble, digging trenches and replacing fences. He's rotivated the ground, reseeded the lawn and laid out the flowerbeds. Phew! Once his new home is completed, Ian will move in with his girlfriend of two years, Carolyne, who is also from the Wirral.

In the meantime, it's no wonder Ian daydreams about a more peaceful pursuit: sailing his Dads' boat.

Says Ian: "My dad's been sailing for a long time; in fact, he courted my mother by taking her out on a boat trip to the Isle of Man. Now he has a boat in a marina in a quiet bit of Majorca. I'd like to learn to sail it myself but since I only get out to Majorca once or twice a year, I never get the chance to be really proficient."

Sailing it about is OK, apparently. Mooring is the difficult bit.

"It's like parking a car," says Ian. "You have to back it in to the marina, alongside the other boats, but there's a point in the procedure when you effectively have to stop moving, and that leaves you vulnerable to side winds - you can find yourself blown out of position and into other people's boats very easily!"

It's a challenge he intends to overcome, though, just like all the challenges he sets himself.

"I wouldn't call myself a perfectionist but I am always looking for something better," says Ian. "I guess that explains the work I'm prepared to put in to building a home but it also explains my enthusiasm for new technology. I love keeping on top of new developments in IT, finding out how they work, what they can do.

"That's one of the things I like about working for Samarind. At Samarind we're always seeking to understand a wide range of applications, as well as keeping abreast of any innovations. I've really broadened my horizons working here."

Published Summer 2008