Seen here (with Louise and Alexander) guarding the Tower of London, 2002. 

Background:
I lecture in Biosciences at the University of Roehampton (formerly the Roehampton Institute). Here's a page all about my work.

I am warden of a local nature reserve at North Holmwood Dorking, called the Inholms Lane Clay pit.

This + family life wipes out most of my spare time, but I still manage to keep up training in the martial art of Shorinji Kempo (I passed 2nd Dan - the one above basic black belt - in August 2003).

My previous history is as follows: 

Research scientist with Central Electricity Generating Board / National Power 1985-1992 
PhD in Soil Ecology,  The University of York, 1982-1985 
Zoology, St. Catherine's College, Oxford 1979-1982 
Manchester Grammar School for Boys 1972-1979 (the trauma is fading nicely) 
 
 
 
 
 
 

We have but few family links at present. We have cousin Sarah Bolton, who has her PhD in physics from the USA and describes herself here. 

From the Shaw side of things all I can offer at present is a family tree here, and the story of a distant ancestor who helped found Utah here.  (The first part of Hannah's story mentions her father John Shaw.  His son, her brother, Daniel Shaw was my great great grandfather.) 

********Friends, misc****************************
 

Suzanne Koptur was a close friend in York while I was doing my PhD, teaching me (inter alia) the joys of cribbage and poivre boursin.  She now lectures in Biological Sciences in Florida. 

Mike Crowley is a man of many talents.  He has an etymological site here, but is also a Buddist priest, an email friend, and has an interest in the links between Amanita muscaria and the Soma of the Vedic texts. 

James Merrryweather is even more multitalented! He was a lab technician in York university who went on to get a PhD and become a recognised expert in VA mycorrhizal fungi, is also a recognised expert in ferns, and a versatile musician specialising in medieval instruments with the York Waites. And he's even more of an evangelical atheist than I am!

Lucy Jones (I knew her as Lucy Kepple-Palmer) runs the Myrobalan clinic in Dorchester, offering cures based on tibetan herbalism.

Zac Macaulay is a friend (going way back to holidays with Catherine's grandmother in Swanage) who is now an established photographer who gets paid to win prizes filing underwater in places like the Maldives.  [Have searched in vain for the emotican meaning 'Envy' :=) ]

Toby Hindson is a member of the ancient yew group, studying the growth form of Taxus baccata. Many of these trees are over 1000 years old - you should make the effort to visit a pre-Norman yew one day.

David Green studied as a student with us 2002-2005, and set up this page of nature photos.  Not to be outdone, almost exactly the same can be said of Nick Ball, whose page of nature photos is here.

The Jourdan family live in Provence, have let me sample (soil) from their truffle orchard, and are involved in the annual truffle fair. 
 

I should add a mention of the noteworthy tutors of my academic life.  From Oxford come Henry Bennet-Clark, keen researcher of invertebrate mechanics (inter alia the jump of fleas and the flight of diptera), and Barrie Juniper, who trekked to the dangerous hinterlands of the Russian middle east to find where cultivated apples originated.I must also add Richard Dawkins, who helped shape my understanding of religions.  After Oxford I went to a D. Phil supervised jointly by Michael Usher (who moved on to Scottish Natural Heritage and Edinburgh University, now Emeritus Professor at Stirling) and John Dighton (now at Rutgers University) of the late-lamented ITE Merlewood.