About Les

Old pic of myself, I do love the red shirt
Hi, I’m Les, nice to meet you!

I’m a writer, maker, educator and all-round tinkerer based in the North West of England. I spend most of my time taking technology apart, putting it back together again, and then writing or teaching about what I’ve learned along the way.

I work a lot with Raspberry Pi, Arduino and micro:bit, usually in ways that involve LEDs, sensors, robots, or things that beep unexpectedly. I like technology that’s hands-on, accessible, and fun — especially when it helps people learn something new without realising they’re learning.

Writing

I’ve been writing about technology for well over a decade. My work has appeared in publications such as Linux Format, Raspberry Pi Official Magazine (The MagPi), TechRadar and others, covering everything from Linux and open source to hardware reviews and step-by-step maker projects.

I’m currently Associate Editor at Tom’s Hardware, where I write about computing, Raspberry Pi projects, Linux tools, and hardware, with a focus on helping people actually use their tech, not just admire it in a spec sheet.

Past Clients

  • Linux Format
  • Linux User and Developer
  • Linux Voice
  • Pi User
  • Raspberry Pi Official Magazine (The MagPi)
  • TechRadar
  • Element 14
  • Electromaker
  • Micro:mag
  • Beanz

Teaching & Training

Teaching is a big part of what I do. In the past I worked with the Raspberry Pi Foundation to deliver its Picademy training, helping teachers build confidence with physical computing and creative coding so they can take those skills back into their classrooms. I was the first non-Raspberry Pi employee to run a Picademy centre in Leeds, England, way back in 2015!

Past Clients

  • Raspberry Pi Foundation
  • University of Manchester
  • Salford University
  • BBC

Making Things

When I’m not writing or teaching, I’m usually building something,sometimes useful, sometimes just interesting. I enjoy experimenting, breaking things safely, and sharing what worked (and what didn’t) so others can learn from it. I love breaking out a hot glue gun and tools to build something, but I am also very happy to open up a CAD application and design projects for 3D printing and laser cutting!

My Resume

Need somebody to write accessible, informative and fun technology based content? Let me know! Here is my resume for your consideration.

This site is where I collect my projects, thoughts, tutorials and experiments. If something here helps you build, learn or try something new, then it’s doing its job.

Thanks for stopping by.

lespounder [at] gmail . com