About Me...

Okay, here's what I'm prepared to tell you...

  • Name: Martin Best - nickname "Smart"
  • Age: More than enough, thank you...
  • Birthplace: Tonbridge, Kent, England
  • Marital Status: Married since December 1992
  • Job: Customer Services Assistant, Tonbridge Library
  • Family: Mum still lives in Tonbridge. She worked as a school secretary then, once the family arrived, as part-time secretary to a local Christian conference centre. Dad, who passed away in June 2004, worked for the local council until he retired. Both were enthusiastic members of both the local Philharmonic Society and the twinning committee that links Tonbridge with Heusenstamm in Germany.
    My brother is a DJ with UCB radio in Stoke-on-Trent. Check him out online doing the drive-time show!
Hobbies & Interests:
  • Music: progressive rock/metal, contemporary/electric jazz and jazz-funk; anything a bit clever, technical and intelligent. Instrumental stuff preferred because most lyrics are garbage and many good bands have been ruined by the inclusion of a dodgy singer, seemingly just for the sake of it.
  • Playing drums: in all the above styles, although I've only ever done rock/indie/covers gigs so far. I hope I'd be good enough to play jazz but I doubt I'll ever be able to afford enough gear for prog rock (although I do have a double-bass drum pedal!).
  • Motoring: I have driven cars for a living as well as pleasure, but the best way to travel is by motorcycle. I'm on my seventh, my favourite being my last bike - a Suzuki GSX-R750 (1987, twin-headlight, slab-sided, pre-Slingshot, fact-fans) - although I wouldn't say no to another CX500 (no sniggering, please...) . Currently I drive a Kawasaki GT550 shaftie.
  • Sci-Fi: Novels, films, non-fiction too. Star Wars, Trek, The Matrix & Red Dwarf. Asimov, Heinlein, Arthur C. Clarke, Iain M. Banks, Harry Harrison. Space stories, really. Well, what do you expect from someone who saw Star Wars the first time round when he was still in shorts?!
  • Cinema: Sci-fi and humour, also effects films (ie. Jurassic Park, Twister, Deep Impact). I've always been interested in special effects. Knowing how something was done (in sound or vision) has never spoiled the enjoyment of a film for me. I also love spotting continuity errors!
  • Sport: swimming; golf; badminton; cricket; tennis; snooker/pool; watching motor racing, particularly the bikes (and of these, especially the Grand Prix World Championship series - thanks to Eurosport's ace bikes commentaator Toby Moody - and the World Superbikes). I'm no great athlete, not that losing a couple of stones wouldn't help...
  • Stand-Up comedy: Much respect to these guys (and gals), especially;


    • Billy Connolly (without question my favourite)
    • Peter Kay
    • Jasper Carrott
    • Frank Skinner
    • Al Murray (the Pub Landlord)
    • Robin Williams
    • Lee Evans
    • Harry Hill
    • Eddie Izzard
    • Victoria Wood
    • Norman Wisdom - honourable mention here; more fall-down than stand-up but still hysterical
Pet Hates & Disinterests:
  • Fashion slavery
  • "Olde worlde" arts & crafts and antiques
  • Soap operas
  • Cigarette smoke and butts, particularly those thrown out of car windows
  • Snobbery
  • Seafood
  • Jewellery
  • Pointless formalities
  • "Jobsworths" (over-zealous minor officials)
  • The ridiculous quasi-American accent British people often sing in (yes you, Brian Conley!)

If there's anything else you want to know then you're just getting nosey.

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