I was a Network Manager for many years. I created the Freeperiod room booking system to solve the problem of room booking for the school I worked. One thing lead to another and now Freeperiod is a business.

The biggest surprise to me when leaving my job as Network Manager was not business related. It was the loss of being part of a school community were I played a very important role. Schools are like little villages and it is quite strange to transition from the village to the office. Noise is replaced by quietness and people are replaced with more time in front of a monitor. I probably had about half a dozen places I could have a sneaky chat and coffee in the school. One of my favourite destinations was the Reprographics room. The Reprographics Technician, Technology Technician and myself would often have morning coffee, lunch and afternoon coffee. Don't get me wrong, we worked very hard, it was the opportunity of good company I enjoyed.

So enjoy the bustle of village life even though the villagers often forget their passwords, lose their files and sometimes bump into you when they walk backwards :-)

Chris