My Weekend

We find out what Mark Langdown, Head of Support and Managed Services at technology experts ITPS, gets up to on a typical weekend.

Do you ever work weekends? Part of our business entails providing 24/7 support for businesses ranging from SMEs through to household names in the finance, aerospace and legal sectors, so it does mean that weekends are sometimes fair game but it’s all part of the job.

Are most weekends the same? Yes and no. Weekends are always about family but we try to vary what we do. Our National Trust family membership often sees us visiting Gibside or Wallington, and we’ve recently got a family season ticket for NUFC, so we are all looking forward to getting our money’s worth out of that. Do you find it hard to switch off? I’ll let you know if I ever find the off button! We have a great and highly experienced team in place, but part of me is always on the alert for any problems.

What do you do at the weekend which you can’t fit in through the week? I head up a team of over 50 IT support staff keeping the wheels turning for hundreds of clients so I go through the week at 100mph, and kicking back a bit and spending time with family and friends is my weekend priority. My family would say I spend too long in front of a screen to indulge my interest in gadgets and technology at the weekends too, so they tend to encourage me to get up and out, and I’m always pleased that they do. Morning exercise or a recovery lie in? Head says exercise. Heart says lie in. Heart wins every time.

Big night out or night in the house? Both please! Newcastle nightlife is fantastic so when I do go out I like the bars and pubs around Central Station, but if you forced me to choose between out or in, nothing beats a take away and binge-watching my favourite TV shows.

Do you watch or play sport at the weekend? Both my sons play football, so we’ll watch them whatever the weather. I’ve also recently dusted off my boots and joined an 11 a side team which plays in Durham, which is something I haven’t done for about 20 years. I was very happy to score in my debut game, and even happier to see everyone on the pitch is a stone heavier than me!

Where do you like to eat out at the weekend?

My wife is a wonderful cook, so thankfully we don’t need to eat out to have a great meal. We are not particularly keen foodies as a family – the boys would eat at Pizza Hut for breakfast, lunch and dinner if we let them – but we do enjoy the great seafood caught around our coastline, and Seahouses is a particular favourite. How important is the weekend to you? It’s hugely important. You can only give your all during the week when you have a break at the weekend to catch your breath and spend time with family and friends to remind yourself just why you work so hard.

What’s the best thing about weekends? Snoozing the 6am alarm with no guilt, and being on my own timetable and not someone else’s. At the weekend, you’ll usually find me On the side lines of an under 10 or under 8 football game, having a family bike ride in the rain, walking the dog or doing jobs round the house. Probably complaining loudly, but secretly loving every minute of my family weekend, whatever we do.