Package Use:   WordPerfect, Word, Excel, Access, Recorder, DMap, PowerPoint, Corel-Draw, PressWorks, Page-Plus, IE-5, Outlook Express, Dreamweaver, Paint-Shop Pro, plus many others. 

Computing Languages:  Cobol, Basic, Plan, 6502 Assembler, Rapport, Rapier, George III, SCL, Pro-IV, HTML 

Interests:   Entomology, conservation, blues & ragtime guitar, photography. 

Current Profession:  Owner of 'Consult-Eco', a service provider dealing with ecology survey work (specialising in invertebrates), ecological training, the teaching of life sciences to junior and senior school children via entomology; lecturing on entomology to various groups; leading field-trips (children & adults), and developing green organisation web-sites. 

General Summary: 

Entomology & Ecology: 

For the past twenty years I have been developing an expertise in a number of orders of invertebrates and during this time have been heavily involved in conducting informal site surveys for conservation purposes. For the past 6 years I have been Honorary Secretary for the Lancashire & Cheshire Entomological Society and Editor of the society's quarterly Newsletter. This period has also seen involvement with more formalised invertebrate surveying and with the development of lecturing both to school children and to adult societies on invertebrates, their conservation, habitat development, breeding, studying and their relevance to the schools National Curriculum attainment targets. 

Core expertise is offered in training in entomological techniques and in surveying and identification services for lepidoptera (macro & micro-moths & butterflies), symphyta (sawflies), solitary-wasp groups of aculeate hymenoptera, with a lesser expertise in a number of coleoptera (beetles) [particularly Carabidae - Ground Beetles] and diptera (flies) [particularly Tephritidae - Picture-wing Flies and Syrphidae - Hoverflies] families. Ancillary expertise in a number of these other areas, particularly in coleoptera and freshwater invertebrates, can be provided if so required.

Computing expertise in the development of web-sites to promote companies, green organisations, schools and individuals can be readily provided.

Information Technology & Business: 

I have been in the Information Technology industry, within the Employment Department, for the past 23 years and during that time have developed an in depth feel for the changes in the industry. My career has encompassed the technical side including programming in a number of differing languages as well as the development of IT Strategies to lead the Department forward and Quality Management Systems to ensure that the right procedures are put in place and that they evolve with the business changes of the Department. 

My strengths lie in an ability to rapidly identify ways in which problems can be tackled by the application of the current and emerging technologies combined with both the Project Management skills needed to see the tasks through from inception to implementation, as well as an ability to identify and make the best use of the skills and positive involvement of other team members. 

Guitar: 

Twenty four years playing acoustic blues and ragtime finger-picking guitar. Five years as part of a duo playing the same type of music and performing at pubs, outdoor shows, craft fairs and charity functions. Fifteen years running a country-wide guitar players club called the "Tape 'n' Tab Club". Five years undertaking personal guitar tuition to all ages. Five years experience giving finger-picking guitar lessons at Halewood Community Comprehensive School - this course was extended from 10 weeks to a full year on the express request of the students, and it has continued ever since. 

Experience Summary: 

Entomological & Ecological Experience: 

Consult-Eco: - March 1995 - to date 
Owner and developer of a 'new', sole-trader business specialising in three main areas: 

•  - Invertebrate & Ecological Surveying: -
  • Specialising in Lepidoptera, Symphyta, Aculeate Hymenoptera, Carabidae and Syrphidae.
  •  Botanical and Phase-1 habitat surveys can also be undertaken.
•  - Education:
  •   - Talks on Invertebrates & Life Sciences to school children.
    • Follow on resource materials and ties with National Curriculum Attainment Targets provided.
  •   - Lectures to adult organisations; (e.g. Wildlife Groups, Rangers, etc.).
  •   - Moth Trapping Sessions.
  •   - Pond Dipping Sessions.
  •   - Field Trip Leading (children and/or adults).
• Computing:
  • Web-site design and construction to match the needs of the client.
  • Package training to enable users to get the most out of their computing investments.

Cheshire Wildlife Trust: - April & June 1996 
Tuition to Rangers, Conservation Officers, Environmental Agency staff and private individuals in "Invertebrate Capture Techniques" - the course being split over the two periods. 

Schools: - 1995 -  to date 
Various schools in the Merseyside, South Lancashire and Cheshire areas, including St.Oswald's Primary School, Padgate, Warrington, where assistance was provided in setting up and running an Environmental Week. Practical outdoor and classroom sessions for a wide range of junior children from year two to year six inclusive (a short period with year one to introduce them to invertebrates was also provided). Year six is usually introduced to basic taxonomy. Practical sessions included 'Build a Beetle', 'Leaf-litter Sieving', and 'Practical Use of Entomological Equipment for Survey Work' as well as 'Basic Identification' of the animals found. 

Wirral Able Children Association: - 1995 - to date 
Running a class with upto 45 children of junior school ages (Key Stage 1 & 2)  teaching them about invertebrates, their ecology and their place in an ecological system. This included aspects of bio-diversity and ties with Agenda-21. 

WATCH Group: - 1994 -  to date 
I am involved in the running of a WATCH Group at Moore Primary School, Warrington and undertake a high proportion of the teaching, discussion and natural history based activities. 

UnderWings Group: -  1990 -  to date 
The UnderWings, of which I am now the Chairman, was formed by myself and a small committee in 1990 to cater for youngsters with a definite leaning towards entomology. It was the first such group in the country and has now achieved national recognition via partial funding from the Royal Entomological Society. The group is based at Liverpool Museum and has its own calendar of events; both outdoor field trips and indoor lectures, where I am often involved in teaching field craft and identification and curation techniques. 

J.P. Guest (Ecological Services): - 1996 - to date 
Undertaking invertebrate survey sub-contract work for various clients, mainly for pre-planning permission decision making and public enquiry information. Clients have included: Manchester Airport, Cheshire County Council and Somerset Quarries. 

Cheshire Wildlife Trust: - April 1996 
An invertebrate survey of the UK Waste site at Wardle, Nantwich, Cheshire as a subcontract to Cheshire Ecological Services run by the Cheshire Wildlife Trust. 

Halewood Triangle - Knowsley Ranger Service - May 1996 - to date 
A series of public moth-trapping sessions to act as a basis for potential future moth survey work. 

Rixton Clay Pits - March 1996 - 1997 
An ongoing month by month moth survey of the Rixton Clay Pits SSSI site on the outskirts of Warrington. 

Gillespies: - June 1995 - 1997 
On the books, as an invertebrate specialist, with Gillespies of Altrincham so that they can subcontract items of their survey work which require invertebrate expertise and ecological input. 

Risley Moss, Warrington: - June 1995 - October 1995 
A formal moth survey to provide base data for future work to assist management planning on the site. Work in future years depends upon the finding of sponsorship to cover the funding. 

Grappenhall Heys, Warrington: - June 1995 - 1996 
An informal survey of the land previously belonging to the Parr family. This survey was undertaken on behalf of the Warrington Organic Gardening Society who have used the site for the past 50 years. The reason for the survey was to provide information to assist in fighting an executive housing development. 

Paddington Meadows, Warrington: - September 1994 
An invertebrate survey on subcontract for Warrington Borough Council to provide assessment data prior to their consideration concerning purchase of the site for development as a Local Nature Reserve. The reserve was purchased and is currently under development. 

Moore Nature Reserve Management Committee Guidance: - April 1994 - to date 
An ongoing association with the Moore Nature Reserve at Moore, Warrington. This has involved providing input on invertebrate matters where expertise has been lacking within the reserve management members and has resulted in the site becoming a major area of invertebrate conservation in north Cheshire. 

Moore Nature Reserve Data Provision: - March 1990 to date 
The provision of survey data to the Moore Management Committee, Warden and owning body. The data encompassed surveying between 1984 and 1990 and was provided to assist in discussions regarding the value of the site between the owners and the Cheshire Wildlife Trust. Further long-term surveying and recording has been undertaken on a voluntary basis since that date and a report is currently in production. 

Whixall Moss Data Provision: 
Data was provided from voluntary survey and recording at Whixall Moss to the Liverpool Museum during their contract for a survey at Whixall Moss, Shropshire, following the purchase of the moss by English Nature. 

Woolston Eyes: - 1989 
An invertebrate survey of Woolston Eyes with an emphasis on the moths of the area was carried out and a report produced contrasting and highlighting the species found on previous surveys by other recorders; this report was published in the Woolston Eyes Bird Ringers Journal for the year. 

Witton Lime Beds, Northwich: - 1993 - to date 
Voluntary invertebrate survey of the area covered by the Witton Conservation Group in Northwich, Cheshire.  Records provided to assist in the conservation and preservation of the site and its flora and fauna. 

Annual Provision of Records to the Lancashire & Cheshire Entomological Society: 
Records are provided on an annual basis to the Lancashire & Cheshire Entomological Society for publication within their annual journal. 

Annual Data Supply to National & Local Recording Databases: 
Records of various invertebrate groups are provided for National Recording Schemes for entry on national databases on an annual basis. This information is provided to assist in the management and protection of valuable sites but also to provide additional data for the distributional and biological study of the various invertebrates involved. Records are provided to: 

 - National Homoptera Recording Scheme 
 - The Rare British Moth Recording Scheme 
 - The National Neuroptera Recording Scheme 
 - The National Sawfly Recording Scheme 
 - BWARS (The Bees, Wasps & Ants Recording Scheme) 
 - The National Spider Recording Scheme 
 - The National Pseudoscorpion Recording Scheme 
 - The National Opiliones Recording Scheme 
 - The National Isopoda Recording Scheme 
 - The National Myriapod Recording Scheme 
 - The National Cerambycid Recording Scheme 
 - The National Hoverfly Recording Scheme 
 - The National Conopid Recording Scheme 
 - The Ladybird Recording Scheme 
 - Cheshire Butterfly Recording Scheme 
 - Lancashire Butterfly Recording Scheme 
 - Lancashire Red Data Book Scheme 
 - Lancashire Spider Recording Scheme 
 - Cheshire Spider Recording Scheme 
 - The Lancashire & Cheshire Aculeate Hymenoptera Recording Scheme. 

Data Supply to County Recording Databases: 
These include: Cheshire, Lancashire, Cumbria, Devon, Kent, Shropshire, Pembrokeshire, Merionethshire, Cardiganshire, Herefordshire, Gloucestershire, Norfolk, Lincolnshire, Staffordshire, and Hampshire. 

Data Supply for County Moth Publications: 1984-1994 
Large amounts of data were supplied to Adrian Riley for inclusion within his book "A Natural History of the Butterflies and Moths Of Shropshire" published in 1991. Similarly, very large amounts of data were supplied to CI Rutherford for inclusion within his recent volume "Macro-Moths In Cheshire 1961 to 1993" published in 1994. 

Specimen Supply: 1990- to date 
Large numbers of arachnida, opiliones, pseudoscorpionidae, myriapoda, and molluscs have been supplied to augment the Liverpool Museum collections along with smaller numbers of diptera, symphyta, aculeate hymenoptera, parasitic hymenoptera and hemiptera. 

Cheshire Conservation Forum: 1989 - to date 
Involvement with the Cheshire Conservation Forum as a member giving advice and guidance on invertebrate and recording matters. The group is currently chaired by Colin Hayes of English Nature. 

North West Recording Database: - June 1995 - to date 
The provision of a database facility for all North West England and Wales biologists. 
 

Information Technology & Business: 

Web-site Production: - December 1996 to date:
Web-site design and production to match a clients requirements and to promote an clients image (companies, green organisations, schools, and individuals). As examples please see the sites of Cheshire Wildlife Trust, Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, Warrington Nature Conservation Forum and Halton Borough Council's Nature In Halton site.

Desk-top Publishing Tuition: - June 1996 
Picked up tuition in RSA Desktop Publishing Stage II at Halewood Community Comprehensive School when the tutor started another job. This was to enable the students to continue and to take the relevant examination. 

Schools I.T. Set-Up: - 1996 - to date 
Voluntary set-up of primary schools computers and software to enable them to obtain the most in terms of access, functionality, speed of operation and both ease and effectiveness of use from their Information Technology investments. (e.g. Holy Family Primary School, Halewood, Liverpool). 

EDBR Development Manager: - September 1993 - March 1995 
Setting up and developing a  new "Employment Department Business Register" system involving an extremely large database, document management, high throughput document scanning and an integration of most of the Department's statistical business systems. This demanded a high degree of innovation and combined the need for tight deadlines with new technologies and a requirement to employ contract staff. Overall, twenty-three staff were involved on the project. 

Quality Management System Implementation Manager: - January 1993 to September 1993. 
Building procedures and libraries for the Runcorn Information Technology area of Information Systems Branch, leading towards BS-5750 Quality accreditation. This certification was achieved for the whole branch by the end of 1994. 

FES Development Manager:  - July 1989 to January 1993. 
The annual development and enhancement of the Family Expenditure Survey computer system. This internationally, critical and complex system, which involved input from three separate government departments, was produced to agreed time-scales each year. It included large enhancements (e.g. On-line TP amendment of data) as well as many individual small changes. Fourteen staff were employed on the project. 

Market Testing Manager: - January 1989 to July 1989. 
This involved the development of job descriptions for three areas within Computer Operations (i.e. Communications, VME Support, and Capacity Planning) and the placement of these out to external suppliers for tender. It also involved the management of a consultant who worked on one of the aforementioned areas. The on-site teams provided the best and most cost effective solution. 

Assistant Strategy Developer: - March 1987 to December 1988. 
The development of an Information Technology Applications Development Strategy  (ADS) for the Employment Department. A number of other papers were developed during this period (e.g. Present Position Report, Review of Testing Procedures, etc.) as adjuncts and during the early phases of the implementation of parts of the ADS. 

Departmental Staff Records Programming Team Leader: - 1984 to 1987. 
This was the first use by the Department of ICL's TP (Transaction Processing) system and the first use of a relational database (Logica's Rapport). This innovative on-line, screen based system was implemented on time across the country despite the necessity to work with the database suppliers to develop new products to enable the database to work with the TP system. A team of 5 programmers. The system cost just over £1 million. 

Standard Payroll Programming Team Leader: - 1982 to 1983. 
The post involved the setting up of a team to work on the implementation of a Standard Payroll system. It was the first ICL 2900 COBOL and SCL production on the installation. Despite the fact that no 2900 mainframe was available on-site for half of the development period the project was implemented to agreed time-scales. 

Payroll Programming Team Leader: - 1979 to 1982. 
This involved the management of a team of programmers (8) enhancing, developing and controlling change on the Department's payroll system which was written in a combination of PLAN and COBOL During this period I wrote a FileTab generator to enable the users to write their own programs / retrievals. This was seriously looked at by branch managers for its potential marketability. 

Payroll Programmer: - 1976 to 1979. 
Executive Officer (EO) programmer on the Department's payroll system. Experience in COBOL, George-III, PLAN and  FileTab. I wrote the first viable Bankers Automated Clearing Services (BACS) system for the Department. 

Computer Operations Executive Officer: - 1975 to 1976. 
Executive Officer (EO) in Computer Operations. In charge of the Queries Section and also of one of the mainframe computers. Responsibility for 14 staff. 

Computer Operations Clerical Officer: - 1973 to 1975. 
Clerical Officer (CO) in Computer Operations. Experience both as a mainframe computer operator and on a 'Queries Section' which was part help-desk and part trouble shooting. 

Clerical Officer (CO): - 1972 to 1973. 
Clerical Officer on a computer input section; Selective Employment Tax Payments Office at ED Runcorn HQ. 

Research Laboratory Technician: - 1970 to 1972. 
A laboratory technician at Croda Bowman Chemicals, Widnes. Involved in the development of 'Salt & Vinegar' for crisps and also in the development of the synthetic production of lactic acid. 

Analytical Laboratory Technician: - 1969 to 1970. 
A laboratory technician at Croda Bowman Chemicals, Widnes. Involved in Analytical Quality Control of the company's chemical products during their manufacture. 

Medical Laboratory Technician: - 1968 to 1969. 
Microbiological and histological laboratory work at Whiston Hospital, Liverpool. 
 

Music and Guitar Based Work Experience: 

Finger-Picking Guitar Evening Class Teaching: - September 1995 - to date 
Teaching of Finger-picking Country Blues, Ragtime and Folk Guitar to evening class, 'mature' students at Halewood Comprehensive School, Halewood, Liverpool. Includes the development of arrangements and extensive lesson notes for self-motivated follow on work by the students. 

Various Gigs - 'Nobody's Business':  - June 1992 - 1996 
Various pub and event gigs, mainly for charity, playing as part of a duo performing country blues, ragtime, folk, contemporary, and a small amount of self-composed music. The line up is myself on guitar and my partner on vocals, clarinet and flute. As an example, we provided the music at the 'Sailing The Sankey' event for the Halton Rangers at Spike Island in Widnes on 17th September 1995. 

Tape and Tablature Club: - 1980 - to date 
Running, as voluntary work, a society/network for finger-picking guitarists across the country. This involved setting up meetings, organising events, transcribing music, setting up concerts, etc. For players from as far south as London, into Wales, and as far north as Thirsk. 

Finger-Picking Guitar Lessons (Private Tuition): - May 1976 - December 1981 
Private tuition lessons in country blues, ragtime and folk acoustic guitar to adults and children. 
 

Other Work Experience: 

Photography and Darkroom Techniques (Private Tuition): - March 1974 - December 1979 
Private tuition lessons covering photographic techniques. Mainly based around natural history photography, and darkroom techniques (e.g. black & white printing, colour negative printing, cibachrome printing and colour slide development). 
 

TRAINING / EDUCATION HISTORY: 

SJ McWilliam, Consult-Eco, 4 Priory Close, Halton, Runcorn, Cheshire, WA7 2BN - (01928-573697) 

School Education: 1961-1964 Maghull Grammar School, Merseyside. 
                            1963-1968 Wade Deacon Grammar School, Widnes, Cheshire. 

                            8 'O' levels:  Maths, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, English Language, 
                                                English Literature, Commerce, Geography. 

1986-1987 Trinity College Music Theory exams taken at Chester College following piano tuition. Grades 1 to 5 taken - passed with distinctions in all cases. 

Computing Courses: 
George-III for Operators 26/11/73  5 days 
EDS/60 HardDisk Course 31/08/74  2 days 
Direct Access Programming 06/01/75  5 days 
MOP Training  20/02/75  1 day 
IT Shift Leader - Stage 1 17/11/75  5 days 
Introduction to I.T.  04/10/76  5 days 
1900 COBOL Programming 12/10/76 15 days 
Direct Access Programming 01/12/76  5 days 
George-III JD Writing 05/01/77  5 days 
Programming Techniques & Standards   22/02/77  3 days 
FileTab   25/04/77  3 days 
Practical PLAN Programming Conversion from COBOL 26/09/77 10 days 
Programming Concepts, Techniques & Management 26/03/79  9 days 
Structured Design Methodology  25/01/82 10 days 
2900 Conversion  15/03/82  5 days 
VME/B SCL Course  19/07/82  5 days 
2900 COBOL Conversion 19/10/82  9 days 
VME Optimisation for Applications Programmers 05/12/83  5 days 
PROMPT Team Course 01/02/84  2 days 
RAPPORT Course  13/03/84  2 days 
RAPPORT Using RAPIDE 04/04/84  2 days 
RAPPORT Interface  06/04/84  1 day 
VME TP Facilities for Senior Developers  24/05/84  2 days 
RAPIER   13/06/84  1 day 
VME Implementation of TP 23/07/84  5 days 
Advanced Programming Techniques in COBOL 20/01/86  3 days 
S39 Update for Technical Managers   17/06/86  1 day 
Evaluating, Selecting & Using Software Packages  23/06/86  3 days 
Selecting Microcomputer Applications Software 26/06/86  2 days 
ECAFS Special  17/09/86  2 days 
PICK / UNIX Comparison 25/03/87  1 day 
OSI   26/03/87  1 day 
Computing Courses - Cont.: Prototyping Techniques 07/05/87  2 days 
Strategic Information Systems Planning  14/05/87  2 days 
ITSW Special  15/06/87  2 days 
PRO-IV   23/09/87  2 days 
SSADM for Project Leaders 21/10/87  3 days 
SuperCalc-4   12/01/88  2 days 
Testing Workshop  21/08/89  1 day 
Project Management for Information Systems 09/10/89 10 days 
Quality Management  09/02/90  1 day 
Introduction to PMW  13/02/90  1 day 
PMW Workshop - Planning 20/02/90  1 day 
MS-DOS CAT  15/04/90  1 day 
INGRES Overview  15/08/90  1 day 
SSADM-SF   15/02/91  1 day 
HelmsMan   28/02/91  1 day 
MS-DOS   24/06/91  2 days 
Perseus   27/06/91  1 day 
IS Quality   09/09/91  2 days 
StaffWare   21/05/92  1 day 
PRINCE Project Management 30/11/92  5 days 
Representing ISB  01/11/93  1 day 
 

Package Experience: 
English Nature's RECORDER Database 
DMAP for Windows Biological Mapping 
Microsoft Word for Windows Ver.6 & Word-95, & Word Ver.7.0 
Excel-5 & Excel-95 
Access-2 
Lotus Organiser 
Lotus Word-Pro 
Microsoft PowerPoint 
Quicken Ver.4 
PressWorks 
Page Plus3 
WordPerfect Ver.5.1 (DOS) 
CorelDraw Ver.5 
Graphics Workshop for Windows 
FlowCharter 3 
ABC Flowcharter 
ABC Snap Graphics 
Picture Publisher Ver.4.0 
Paint Shop Pro Ver.3.11, Ver.4.14 & Ver.5.0 
Visio Ver.3 
Avery Label Pro (DOS & Windows Versions) 
AutoRoute (Windows & DOS Versions) 
Norton Commander & Utilities Ver. 6 (DOS) 
LapLink Ver.4. (DOS) 
DOS 6.22 
Windows 3.11 & Win-95 

Experience in both the usage and in the installation and maintenance of the above packages is offered.