Articulate, intelligent, well-travelled professional, who likes to laugh at himself - preferably with someone who'll join in

I go to work... and back again. Work's fun but surely there's more?
I have been separated for several years, but have two children who are still a huge priority for me. I think that still counts as 'single' - just.
I enjoy hiking in the North and South Downs, taking in the views and fresh air. Scuba-diving is another passion of mine... I love the calm, the life on the reef, the feeling of weightlessness. And surfing - well, falling off a board - is fun too!

I write nicely (but as a ghost-writer, so nothing published under my own name).

I'm generally reasonably well dressed (but not designer-style). I'm well spoken (but not a real toff). I can't resist acknowledging both sides of an argument... The 'personality traits' here have noticed that I am worse mannered than most - surprising, but perhaps OKC heard my comments about the inane questions?

I read the Economist to keep up to date and to counteract my daily dose of the Metro and Standard on the train.
I love Bill Bryson books to make me laugh. 'Watching the English' by Kate Fox is an absolute favourite. My business book shelves are getting fuller than my ones for travel and fiction. (What... doesn't everyone organise their books by topic?)
I listen to chill-out a lot (but I'm not an Ibiza sunset hanging out type, really) and still love the 80s stuff.
I enjoy most films (except scary ones) especially ones by the Coen brothers. Movie nights with my kids are getting me hooked on rom coms - help, I need to get out to see a proper film!

three little dots...
a decent cup of coffee
a nice pint of bitter
Eastern food... everything from German and Polish (they're East of London!) to Turkish, Lebanese, Indian, Malaysian, Singaporean, Thai and Japanese
The North Downs and the South Downs
and most of all, my children

How we're going to get the economy going again so our kids aren't the first generation ever to be worse off than their parents.

Bored with the drivel on the TV, maybe reading, thinking it would be nice to have someone interesting to chat with or someone fun to hang out with (or both?)...
And then probably having to be Dad's taxi for a teenager.

I actually read the instructions when I buy a new piece of kit! I much prefer having the volume control on my TV set at a prime number - sounds better that way.

Message me if you think I might sound like someone worth finding out more about... if you think we might have things in common to keep a conversation going, to make each other smile and to see about meeting to see if there's any chemistry in person.