Monkey? Ah yes that'll be me!  The Monkey reference comes from my nickname on Live Messenger, and the fact that I am a Web Developer who LIVES TO CODE - Hence The Code Monkey

My name is Andrew Westgarth, welcome to my Blog!  This blog holds my random thoughts on .NET Development, primarily ASP.Net, Internet Information Services (IIS), the UK Microsoft Developer Community and occasionally life in general.

I am an ASP.Net Web Developer living in Sunderland, UK.  This is a beautiful part of the world and home to my close family and my extended family - Sunderland AFC!!

In July 2008 I was awarded the Most Valuable Professional Award for efforts in the Internet Information Services (IIS) Community by Microsoft, and I was very pleased to be renewed in July 2009.  I was very honoured to receive this award.  I have a great interest in IIS as it is the deployment platform for ASP.Net applications and I have been using/administering/developing on for a number of years - IIS 7 Rocks!

I am a co-founder of North East Bytes, a Microsoft Developer and IT Pro Usergroup specifically covering the North East of England, organising Developer and IT Pro support meetings, providing guidance, organising conferences and representing NEBytes members and the UK Community in relations with Microsoft.  

In my spare time, yes I do try and save some, I like to play Football, Badminton, Table Tennis and Snooker.  I love to read allsorts of literature, although I sometimes have little time to read non technical literature.  I have a great interest in the wartime efforts of the Royal Air Force, in particular 617 Squadron - the Dam Busters.  I love music and film and my tastes are very wide and varied, in particular with music it's all about the arrangement and lyrics!

I have started to take more of an interest in photography of late and have a photostream on Flickr.  I am getting to grips with my Camera.  I particularly like to take pictures of Aircraft and the beautiful Coast Line we have here in the North East of England.

Finally I am quite a social guy and you can find me through a myriad of mediums such as:

• Facebook - Please do not be offended if I do not accept all Friend Requests I only accept if I know you
• LinkedIn - For my professional profile
• Twitter - Yes those are my tweets at the top of the page
• Blip.fm
• Last.fm
• XBOX LIVE - However if you look at some of my blog posts on the subject you'll see I don't seem to play that much :(
• Flickr - My Profile

I hope you enjoy reading my blog and I look forward to your comments and messages.

Andrew