A new career in a new town

Well, I say "new career" but really it's the same thing: Oracle development. I'm working on some complex data matching routines for a data warehouse. But it is new, because I'm a contractor.

Going freelance has been a big step, as I was with Logica for over seventeen years. Actually, the company I joined was CMG, which through a chain of mergers, acquisitions and re-brandings became CMG Admiral, LogicaCMG, Logica and is now part of CGI. Contracting is something I have been considering for a while years but the actual decision almost took me by surprise. It's two weeks now, and I'm still enjoying it.

The "new town" part of the title is not quite accurate either, as Croydon is a town with a long and venerable history. But it's not a place I had been to before, although I have driven through it. This is not a crack at Croydon, it's just that sort of place; Wikipedia describes it as "a natural transport corridor between London and England's south coast".

Croydon is a bit odd, comprising zones of office blocks, shopping malls, car parks and entertainment complexes delineated by dual carriage ways and fly-overs. For me its chief virtue is a shortish commute. My last engagement for Logica entailed working away from home. After several months of living in a hotel room it's just nice to come back the family every evening.