Lee Friend Homepage
Lee Friend, his career has been in technology, an IT Professional, a BSc Computer Science degree graduate from UEL (University of East London). He lives in London, UK, with his wife Teresa Ling.
My story using technology. I started using technology at an early age by going on visits to the coast and playing arcade games. Also the same time playing on numerous video game handheld systems.
In the 1980's our family got an Atari 2600, my first real computer games machine. Later on I received a Sinclair ZX Spectrum where I learned some BASIC programming, plus I played a lot of video games on it! A few years later, Amstrad took over Sinclair, and so I got a Sinclair ZX Spectrum 128+2.
(a few home computers I admire from yesterday)
In the late 1980's I got a Commodore Amiga 500, followed later in the early 1990's I bought myself my first PC, a second-hand Olivetti 386sx-16mhz. I left school and went to Docklands ITEC to study MS-BASIC and RM-COBOL-85 programming, up until Summer 1992, where I then went to college, and learned PASCAL programming and MS-COBOL.
In 1994, I joined the University of East London (UEL) to study a Computing Degree and further my education. I learned C programming in UNIX and DOS. And I self taught myself HTML and graphics. UEL hosted my first website on their web server.
The early days of home computing, the Internet, and Web, were big factors for me in deciding to work professionally in technology. My first IT job was as a Junior IT Administrator, back in the Summer of 1996, administrating Windows NT, UNIX and Novell servers. My work later lead me to mainly using and supporting Microsoft's software and networks.
(Me with friend Mark H. and singer J. Miller, a music festival, 1995)
After graduation, I worked in IT Support for a few years upto Summer 2000 where I started working as a professional Web/Software Developer. I did that up until 2015, when I then reverted back to IT Support roles.
My early IT job experiences, I was working in various industries such as Investment Banking, Insurance, and Media. Recently, the IT jobs I have worked in have been with non-profits (NFP's).
I still code as a hobby, Python being my favourite programming language right now. You never get rid of that software developer that's built inside of you. Today, I work volunteering sometimes offering my skills for free, plus still work for a living when the opportunities comes up.
Outside of technology, my interests include music, food, travel, walks, wildlife, skiing and watching football.
My wife Teresa Ling and I first met at University in 1995, and later in 1998 we got married in Hackney Town Hall. Teresa is a Business Analyst. She is the best cook I've ever known, that's why I'm 30kg heavier now than when I was back in 1995 :) .
(Teresa and I on holiday in Singapore, 2005)
(Teresa and I, 2023)
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Copyright Lee Friend, 1994-2026, -- Page modified: 20th August 2026.