Me and Kate, in Istanbul
Born in Colchester, Essex, on 16 Janurary 1976, James Davey grew up to be perhaps the most skilled spectroscopist/roof tiler/civil servants that Great Britain has ever produced. Hampered from an early age by the ability to make annoying quips because he thinks it is funny, James nonetheless managed to integrate himself into society, go to school, Sixth Form College and eventually Magdalen College, Oxford University. He might now claim, in moments of depression, that this was not the best route to take through life. I advise you to ignore him and tell him to stop drinking.
While in Oxford he met Kate Levick, who is now his fiancée. They hope to be married in 2008.
A quirk of fate (or rather, an incredible stroke of luck) led him to the University of Exeter where he studied towards a PhD in Chemistry, concentrating on the field of Microwave Spectroscopy under the supervision of Prof. Tony Legon FRS. Then, in the autumn of 2001, he moved to Philadelphia, USA, acting as a PostDoctoral researcher in the field of Infrared Laser Spectroscopy with Prof. Marsha Lester. After a successful, and enjoyable, spell in the States James returned to the UK and worked as UFAM Instrument Scientist on the FAGE experiement at The University of Leeds, measuring the concentration of OH and HO2 radicals in the troposphere.
James is currently employed by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) as a Scientific Officer in a team that, amoung other things, helps to produce the UK Greenhouse Gas Inventory . His work includes analysis of UK and Global GHG emissions trends, managing research contracts and answering any number of scientific and technical questions about things to do with the mitigation of Climate Change. He enjoys this work tremendously, but is beginning to wonder if he should continue refering to himself in the third person.
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Me and Kate, in Istanbul
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James aquired the nickname 'Silk' at Oxford, to avoid confusion with numerous other Jameses. Apart from studying chemistry he spent quite a lot of time drinking in Oxford pubs, listened to a lot of music, got a webpage, had another drink and volunteered for Magdalen College Aid to Bosnia. He also met a rather large number of people, some of whom were later to have jobs, and many of whom were later to form a comedy group called 'Cruel and Unusual Punishment ' (which later became 'Square Pegs').