Godless Cornish Git

Crispian Jago

Portrait by: Paul Clarke
Crispian Jago
Science and Music loving cancer riddled godless Cornish Git

Crispian was born in Falmouth, Cornwall in 1966. He is married to Tori and has 2 children, Indie and Peter. As a child himself Crispian moved around Cornwall from Falmouth to Praze-an-Beeble and finally to Tregajorran. The one thing Crispian showed any promise at as a child was as a hooker for Helston School rugby team. He had county trials to play for Cornwall under 16’s but moved to Durham the next week following the unexpected death of his father.

At Durham Crispian completely failed to make it as a bass guitarists in a famous rock and roll band, but after tenaciously fiddling about with a Sinclair ZX81 in his bedroom he turned out to be a reasonably competent computer programmer. After studying Software Engineering at Teesside University Crispian moved to Hampshire and worked as a software developer. He moved from software development into systems integration and test engineering and finally as a software test manager before becoming a freelance IT consultant specialising in strategies and management for the validation and verification of complex and critical IT systems. It is as dull as it sounds.

Crispian is a founding member of the Hampshire Skeptics Society and Winchester Skeptics. Winchester Skeptics' arrange monthly talks from eminent scientists, academics, broadcasters and entertainers and cover a variety of topics from an evidence based perspective. Crispian is also the Orwell Prize long-listed author of the popular blog, The Reason Stick, that uses satire to highlight irrational beliefs.

A few years ago Crispian and his family bought an old listed thatched school house in Wiltshire which they have restored and renovated. It all sounds rather idyllic, and indeed it was until Crispian was diagnosed with cancer on his 49th birthday.

01.

The Skeptic.
Ridicule Bullshit.

I am the co-founder and Vice President of the Hampshire Skeptic Society and Winchester Skeptics in the Pub as well as the author of the award winning blogs: The Reason Stick and Always Look on the Bright Side of Death in which I duly give un-evidenced beliefs the utter lack of respect they deserve.

02.

The Record Collector.
Buy Vinyl.

I have been collecting records since I was 14, and despite a temporary move to CDs in 1990 I am now once again buying more vinyl than my wife tells me I have space to store.


03.

The Gardener.
Delegate to Wife.

I derive great pleasure from sitting in my garden watching my wife and head gardener weeding, pruning planting and digging. Sometimes I even help her.

04.

The IT Architect.
Software Integration and Verification.

I am a senior software test architect specialising in the definition of test strategies, processes, tools and the leadership required to integrate and verify complex IT systems prior to critical deployments.

Vice President
Hampshire Skeptics Society
The Hampshire Skeptics Society is a non-profit organisation for the promotion of science, reason and critical thinking. We run the Winchester Skeptics in the Pub group and Skeptics of the Round Table. Hampshire Skeptics Society
Winchester Skeptics

Winchester Skeptics hosts monthly talks by academics, scientists, broadcasters and various subject matter experts in a wide variety of topics. The common thread of these talks is to approach the subject from an evidenced-based perspective. Each talk is followed by a lively Q&A session where audience members will have the opportunity to put any questions to the guest speaker and further explore the topics in more detail. Anyone is most welcome and talks are usually held at the Discovery Centre in Winchester on the last Thursday of the month.

What is a Skeptic?

In the words of Dr. Steven Novella: "A skeptic is one who prefers beliefs and conclusions that are reliable and valid to ones that are comforting or convenient, and therefore rigorously and openly applies the methods of science and reason to all empirical claims, especially their own. A skeptic provisionally proportions acceptance of any claim to valid logic and a fair and thorough assessment of available evidence, and studies the pitfalls of human reason and the mechanisms of deception so as to avoid being deceived by others or themselves. Skepticism values method over any particular conclusion.''

The Record Collector
The Gardener
The IT Architect
My Day Jobs
  • Lockheed Martin/Leidos Innovations - Integration & Verification Architect (2016 - Present)
  • University of Oxford - Programme Test Manager (2013 - 2016)
  • Cap Gemini - Functional Test Manager (2012 - 2013)
  • London Ambulance Service - Test Manager (2007 - 2012)
  • Cerner - Senior Test Manager (2006 - 2007)
  • EDS/HP - Project Test Manager (2004 - 2006)
  • Airbus - Engineering Test Consultant (2001 - 2004)
  • ImagoQA/Microgen - Senior Test Consultant (2000 - 2004)
  • EDS - Advanced Systems Engineer (1993 - 2000)
  • ICI - Applications Engineer (1991 - 1992)
  • Courtaulds PLC - Computer Programmer (1984 - 1987)
Curriculum Vitae
Awards
Orwell Prize 2011

Long listed for the Orwell 2011 prize in the blogging category for the the satirical blog: "Science, Reason and Critical Thinking".

Ockham Award 2016

Winner of the 2016 Ockham Editor's Choice Award.

Ockham Award 2017

Winner of the 2017 Ockham Award for the best skeptic blog for the blog "Always Look on the Bright Side of Death".