About
Jouster. Shield Maker. Software Developer. Scout Leader.
How It Started
I walked into an English Civil War event at West Acre Priory in October 2008. Thought it would be camping and drinking in fancy dress. Within a year I was hand-stitching Saxon kit because nobody made what I needed.
That led to Regia Anglorum, then to Dominic Sewell's yard at Historic Equitation. Classical dressage, mounted combat, jousting. I went from carrying a wooden sword to charging at people with a lance at Hampton Court Palace.
What I Do Now
I joust competitively, make shields under the Acquire The Fire brand, and build software for a living. I've written a book called The Everyday Warrior. I train HEMA longsword and compete in tournaments.
The thread through all of it: learn by doing. I'd rather make mistakes with a real sword than read another theory book.
The Day Job
I'm a platform engineer and software developer. GoLang microservices, Kubernetes, AWS, the usual cloud infrastructure stack. I've worked at Jagex, Nokia, Samsung, RS Components, and Sainsbury's across a career spanning two decades.
I run Ace Web Services Ltd and take on freelance and contract work. I also maintain open source projects - the HEMA training card data, this website, and various tools.
Select photography by @Louise.ClaytonHatch
Outside Work
Father of three, Scout Leader, cold water swimmer. I used to run a modified Land Rover Defender but sold it in 2025. Still camp in winter though. Based in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire.