dot.name - the world's first domain exclusively for individuals
EDUCATION and CAREER
David Ayre lived for a time in Randalstown, Co. Antrim, on the banks of the River Maine. He attended a Baptist Primary School, and having success with the 11+ he attended Annadale Grammar School for Boys until the family moved to London, c1957. He left school in London before his GCE examination year, with a career ambition of becoming a radio/TV technician.
A new company, PERDIO Ltd - from PERsonal raDIO - was founded to manufacture the first pocket-sized transistor radios in the United Kingdom, the most exciting innovation for years. He joined as an apprentice radio engineer. Perdio later introduced the transistorised portable TV receiver in the UK market, whereupon he moved from London to the N. East of England.
After his apprenticeship he was attracted to the new electronics industry, and this first major career change led to seven years of development engineering and of supervision, followed by an exciting new era c1977 - the rise of the North Sea oil & gas industry.
The Open University (OU) offered accredited technical courses, and after completing two OU foundation-level courses in 1978 he joined Occidental Petroleum Inc in Scotland as a trainee Instrument Technician. When an Instrument Controller position arose in 1979, responsible for power station, telemetry, and metering apparatus maintenance, a third career change began.
After years of part-time OU study he gained BA, BSc and BSc(Hons) degrees in Engineering Design, Computing and Electronics and these qualifications assisted career progression and entry into the project engineering environment. With sponsorship by ELF he earned a MSc in Engineering Project Management at Lancaster University, 1996/7.
As the North Sea oil & gas industry matured, professional engineers of all disciplines were in greater demand. With the successful completion of an electronics project at BSc(Hons) level required by the IEE he became a Chartered Electrical Engineer (CEng) in 1999.
The pre-nominal Eur Ing (Européen Ingénieur) validating his Chartered Engineer status in the EEC was later conferred by FEANI in Brussels, and his professional ambitions were realised.
In 2006 he commenced part-time research in computing for a PhD at the University of Ulster.
On vacation in January 2007 a retinal tear occurred in his right eye requiring three operations.
In December a similar problem occurred unexpectedly with his left eye requiring an operation in January 2008. The PhD and several web design projects have been postponed indefinitely.
GENEALOGY
David Ayre is an Ulster-Scot and the eldest of three brothers, the children of George Ayre and Eleanor Gordon Hindman.
The family was reared in the strict Plymouth Brethren doctrine in the household of grandfather William Hindman. Their Brethren upbringing refused any familiarity with cinema, wireless, and B&W television, and this probably generated his very early ambition to understand radio & TV, whilst both of his younger siblings became successful businessmen.
His father and his paternal forebears hail from Randalstown, Co.Antrim. The family name was registered with the Scottish 'Ayr ' spelling (see below) as explained on the AYRE page.
His mother, Eleanor Gordon Hindman and his maternal grandfather William Hindman hail from the 'Iron Burgh' of Coatbridge, Scotland, and his lallans-speaking maternal grandmother Jane Gordon from Ballyhay, Co.Down, N.Ireland.
When he completed research on his family-tree in the mid-70s he was aware that none of his forebears had the benefits of a university education, nor a professional occupation, nor a Coat of Arms. They were farmers, soldiers, miners and linen industry workers. On retirement came the opportunity to apply to the Lord Lyon, King of Arms in Edinburgh and pray (the term used) for a grant of Armorials in 2002, and commence a process which would take about two years.
BARONIAL
The Ayr(e) family is a sept of clan Boyd, located historically in Kilmarnock, Ayrshire.
In November 2002 a once-only opportunity arose for his family and descendants. Aware of the consequences of the Abolition of Feudal Tenure etc. (Scotland) Act to be forthcoming in 2004 he acquired by Disposition all and whole the lands, Lordship & Barony of Kilmarnock formerly owned by Lord Howard de Walden. When the Royal Warrant documents were confirmed, the Lord Lyon devised David's Arms with the feudo-baronial additaments of robe, chapeau, badge and Standard.
'Baron of Kilmarnock' is a feudal title and is a territorial dignity, whereas 'Baron Kilmarnock' is a peerage title and a personal dignity. Furth of Scotland the difference is often misunderstood.
In 2004 Lyon confirmed that he was 'the first of the name' to be granted Armorials in Scotland.
ASSOCIATIONS
David is a Member of the Heraldry Society of Scotland and a Board Member of the Society of Scottish Armigers. He was elected an Honorary Fellow of the Collegium Heraldicum Russiae (CHR) in July, 2004.
He was invited to join the brotherhood of The Horseman's Word in Sandwick, Orkney, in April 1983, becoming one of the last candidates initiated into the Society of Horsemen in Scotland.
A BBC Scotland 'Landward' Media Player/RealPlayer video reconstruction of The Horseman's Word can be seen here.
To be continued . .
Baron of Kilmarnock - 2006
Baron of Kilmarnock - 2007
Annadale GS 25th Anniv.
The first Perdio radio
Perdio Portarama TV
.jpg)
BSc(Hons) at OU - 1994
University of Ulster - 2006
Sgt. William Hindman
(standing) - Black Watch