There's rather a lot of us here now, so for newcomers it can be rather confusing with all these names but little idea of the people behind them. This thread's to make things easier; a rough guide to those already here: what they do and where they are. We hope it will make it a little easier for you to understand some of the jokes and backchat, not to mention what makes each of us tick. If you decide you're going to be staying, please add your own biog. to the thread.

Thanks,

Ron

I do appreciate that we could appear very cliquey to newcomers, and that could be off-putting.  Nonetheless the anonymity of these boards has allowed me to express things here which I would be very awkward expressing elsewhere.  In some ways I am not typical - I am not a musician - and I am very glad that those of you who are have appreciated some of my contributions.  I have learnt a lot, not only about music but about myself.

I worked for over twenty years in social housing, always on the frontline and never in managerial positions.  My degree in English Literature was from an ancient university.  Twenty years ago I would be concerned people would be embarrassed I was gay.  Now I am more aware that I could put people off by my religion.  Both aspects are very important to me.

Ron Dough is one of the members who arrived at the start of The Radio 3 Boards with the reorganisation of the BBC's site in early 2007, although he missed being here at the very beginning since he was off working elsewhere for a couple of days and returned to find the site already up and running.

His alter ego was born at a very early age on the Isle of Wight, grew up in the Thames Valley and read English at King’s College London before pursuing a career on the stage as an actor and singer which has so far included Rep. and many musicals both on tour and in the West End, as well as a spell with ENO and work with other smaller opera companies and membership of both rock and folk bands, though he now specialises mainly in the arcane art of corporate role-play. He is a spare-time composer and lyricist, and has also been involved with the British HiFi industry since the late 1970s, originally on the retail side but more recently also as a consultant for manufacturers.

He has been collecting music and spoken word on disc and tape for nearly fifty years, and specialises particularly in mid 20th century symphonic composers, although his tastes are considerably wider-ranging. He is now based on the North East coast of Scotland, which permits him free rein to pursue his other passions of photography and hill-walking. Occasionally he turns the latter to charitable use, raising sponsorship for charities by trekking abroad - in the Andes in 2005, and South Africa in 2007.

He is at present one of the elected Moderation Team. 

Turfan Fragment was formerly known as Chafing Dish and is a composer, professor of theory and composition, and occasional pianist and pedant. He is not as bad a pedant as some. Not as good a pianist as most.

The yob by the name of Pace was born two-score years ago. He plays a lot of very strange music on the piano, lectures at another non-ancient university/college of arts, and has a tendency to consider and write about music and culture in a way that is a bit political. He divides his time between very liberal North London, and the one enclave of progressive thought (though mixed with pixies, leylines, and crystals) in the West Country. He likes women, good food, drink, a fag (despite continual efforts to quit which have only led to cutting down so far) and is an obsessive collector of books and (to a lesser extent) CDs. He is known for haiku-like posts and a tendency to avoid argument wherever possible. Occasionally composes, very interested in German music and culture, music theatre, Schumann, Liszt, Brahms, Debussy, Lachenmann, Finnissy, and lots of others.

The educational foundation may be recent, but the heart of the complex is one of the most noted medieval secular buildings in the area.  Plus many of the earliest examples of International Modernist architecture in the country.  (I come from that neck of the woods, but have lived and worked in London for all my adult life.)

My university may have been ancient but my college did not even have collegiate status, and certainly not the architectural distinction of Ian's place.  It was originally founded by a pious Birmingham family to allow nonconformists a place in the said university. 

I'm always interested in what Ian has to say. (edit - at least the opening few paragraphs of his less haiku-like contributions.)

O crumbs, Ian, that means another hour on First Great Western.  O dear.  I have never travelled beyond Plymouth on the train, but it could be scenically very soothing. 

That is if FGW has its act together.  I was an hour late in Paddington on Tuesday because a freight train was stuck outside Westbury and we had to travel down different tracks to avoid it.

For what its worth, Cornwall once upon a time was not as Conservative as Devon.

Based in South Wales.  Came to the BBC3 MBs in 2004 (and very different they were then compared to how they are now)  Have learnt practically all I know about classical music from the MBs and R3 and am now considered quite an expert in Llareggub.

My job is concerned with all aspects of farming and I have been known to wax lyrical about Welsh lamb.  Interests apart from music are writing poetry and prose, cooking, and latterly genealogy.  I’ve made some very good friends on the MB.