About Me

But…who or what is Mike Buzzard?

Qualifications

  • M I Mech E (Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers
  • C Eng (Chartered Engineer)
  • HND (Mech) Higher National Diploma in Mechanical Engineering

Professional experience

Jones Cranes Ltd, Letchworth, Hertfordshire: Chief Design Engineer, 1971 – 1977
  • Responsible to the Chief Engineer for all new designs and updates.
  • Led major design projects
  • Liaised with major suppliers from abroad including Finland and Poland.
Ratcliff Tail Lifts Ltd, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire: Chief Design Engineer, 1977 – 1990
  • Responsible for running and managing the Design Department, including prototype manufacture.
  • I set new, extremely high, technological standards for complete new ranges of tail lifts.  I brought out new designs, using the latest robotic production technology, which set new standards of ease of use and safety, world-wide.
  • Represented Ratcliff Tail Lifts on the British Standards Institution (BSI) Tail Lift Sub Committee.  Then I convened a new BSI sub group on Tail Lifts for wheelchairs and brought out a new standard for these.
Ascent Computer Services, Ashwell, Hertfordshire: 1990 to 2003

This was my own computer consultancy business which I ran on my own.

  • I started by going on a course to learn about every aspect of running a business.
  • I had developed a huge amount of experience from previous jobs, running my own business and discussing problems with customers – then solving them.

Community

   Since 1980 I have been:
  • Chair of the Ashwell Village Design Group, producing the “Ashwell Village Design Statement” for Ashwell, Hertfordshire, with support from the Countryside Agency. Ashwell Village Design Statement (PDF)
  • Chair of the Coalition N W Herts, an umbrella group working with people with in N W Hertfordshire who have learning difficulties.  The Coalition influences many Health & Social Services decisions regarding people who have learning difficulties.  The Coalition held a very successful Housing Conference in 1995.
  • The convenor of a planning sub-group that proposed an Employment business to help people with a learning difficulty in N.W.  Hertfordshire.  “Employment Direct” is now very successful in most areas of Hertfordshire.
  • A co-opted member of N.W. Herts Community Health Council, I was particularly interested in all the issues regarding people with a disability.
  • The Chair of EarthWorks whilst it was set up and took on its first employee.  This is a charity, based in St Albans, which gives horticultural and land-based training for people who are unemployed, people with a disability, and others.  It is now a registered company. EarthWorks
  • A member of the Skills of Living (SOL) group in NW Herts, which is involved in organising community activities for people who are unemployed, people with a disability, and others.
  • The (volunteer) editor of “Positive Thoughts”, the newsletter of the North Herts M.E. Support Group.  I also initiated and designed its web site.
  • A volunteer advocate.
  • A member of POhWER: I joined at its inauguration in July 1996.  I became a trustee in 2000 and resigned in 2001. POhWER is an advocacy charity.
  • Since 2015, a committee member of Coed y Bont, a community Woodland scheme.  Amongst other things I did their posters for public events.  I resigned in 2019.
  • Since 2015, a member of Cymdeithas Hanes Tregaron (Tregaron History Society) which does everything in Welsh.  I do their posters.

Interests

  • Ideas for improving things (computer, mechanical, political, economic, etc)
  • Local History
  • I bought a Panasonic NV-GS3B Digital Video Camera in April 2002 and now everything (not really!) has to be videoed.  I now have a Panasonic HC-X900M – an HD video camera with a brilliant colour viewfinder. It records on to its own memory or on to an SD card. Much better than the tapes the old one used.
  • I use Pinnacle Studio for editing my videos into something more presentable.