About Me

My name is David Julian Whitehead and I was born on 2nd July 1977 in Chatham, UK. I have been married since 2007 and have one son, who was born in 2012. I have also had dual British and German nationality since 2016.

You can find my education and employment details on the appropriate page of this website. This page deals more with the person behind the translations.

 

When I was at school, I ensured that I was heavily involved in social and extra-curricular activities, something that has remained intact to this day. Whilst at KEGS in Chelmsford, I was a school prefect, computer room assistant, librarian in the school library and participated in the German and French exchanges. I was also a member of the School Yearbook Committee in 1991 and 1992 and participated in school plays in 1990 (x2), 1991, 1992, 1995. I also won the 1994-1995 School Public Service Prize.

Such commitment and engagement continued into my university days, as follows: Chairman of College German Society 1996-1997, Chairman of Departmental Staff-Student Committee 1996-1997; Assistant with Departmental Interviews 1995, 1996, 1999; Participated in Departmental/Society Play 1996 & 1997; Organised German Society Dinner 1997 & 1999; Took part in Cabaret at Max-Born-Gymnasium, Backnang and in 1998 production of Pygmalion by English Drama Group at MBG; Interpreter at International Sport Festival, Backnang, October 1997; English Tuition at Volkshochschule; Backnang; Treasurer of German Society (1998-9); Producer of Departmental Play 1999; Took Part in Cabaret Matinee at MBG, Summer 1999.

After settling permanently in Backnang in 1999, I spent a further year working at the Max-Born-Gymnasium. I again participated in drama there, this time taking a major role in The Matchmaker. A few years later, after "going freelance", I became involved with the MBG School Library, sorting it, introducing lending systems and managing the day-to-day running. I also became involved in English-language debating and was a member of the school Big Band (which was meant to be only temporary but lasted some 5 years!). I was also co-organiser of the 2006-2007 exchange with Strandskolen, Aarhus, Denmark and again "took to the boards" in 2008, in Dürrenmatt's 'Der Besuch der alten Dame'.

I joined Debating Society Germany e.V (which organises English language debates for schoolchildren in Germany) and assisted with the 2004 World Schools Debating Championships (WSDC) in Stuttgart, Germany. I then became co-organiser of their Junior League debating, and was a judge and coach at events. I became Secretary to the Society in 2006 and Vice-Chairman in 2008. This was followed by participation in the organisational committee organising the World Individual Debating and Public Speaking Championships 2008 in Backnang and Winnenden. I became Chairman in 2009 and also attended the WSDC in Athens, Greece the same year. I remained Chairman until 2013, also overseeing the BBC Public Speaking Awards Germany in 2012.

I then became more and more involved in links between Backnang and my home district of Chelmsford, which have been twinned since 1990. I co-organised the official visits in 2015 and 2016, before joining the Partnerschaftsverein Backnang-Chelmsford e.V.. I became Vice-Chairman of the organisation in 2017, and took over the chair in 2019.

I have also run a show on Chelmsford Community Radio since 2015 and have, for many years, played the drums at local churches. I also have had recent appearances on regional TV and radio (links below). At the top is also a link to my Facebook page.

 

Interests: Travel, Computers, Music, Cookery, Architecture, Cartography, Historical Fairs and Costumes

 

Links:

Partnerschaftsverein Backnang-Chelmsford e.V.

Chelmsford Community Radio

SWR "Persönlich" - July 2018

SWR "Kaffee oder Tee" - March 2019

SWR1 "Leute" - April 2019

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