Author: Mark Whitfield

Welcome to my site! After graduating in Computing in 1990, I accepted a position as a programmer at a Runcorn based software house specialising in electronic banking software, namely sp/ARCHITECT-BANK on Tandem Computers (now HPE NonStop). This was before the internet became more prevalent and so the notion of enabling desktop access to company accounts for inter-account transfers and book keeping was still quite a cutting edge idea (and smartphones only ever hinted at in Space 1999). The company was called The Software Partnership (which was taken over by Deluxe Data in 1994). I spent 5 years in Runcorn developing code for SP/ARCHITECT for various banks like TSB, Bank of Scotland, Rabobank and Girofon (Denmark) to name but a few. I then moved onto a software house in Salford Quays for further bank facing projects. After a further 23 years in the IT industry and now a Senior IT Project Manager (both Agile and Waterfall delivery), I thought I would echo out my Career Profile in this corner of the internet for quick and easy access.

ProjectTemplatesSoft for Project Management Templates & free upgrades

ProjectTemplatesSoft is an established Etsy shop specializing in professional-grade project management tools and documentation templates. Based in the UK, the shop focuses on providing structured frameworks for methodologies like PRINCE2 and Agile, catering to project managers, consultants, and business owners who need “ready-to-use” industry-standard assets.

Plan On a Page POaP example template in Microsoft PowerPoint (35+)

You can view the full current inventory and read customer reviews directly on the ProjectTemplatesSoft Etsy Shop Page.

Example of many POaP Plan On a Page templates for tailoring in MS PPT

Full Overview

The shop’s primary value proposition is bridging the gap between complex theoretical frameworks (like PRINCE2) and practical, everyday project execution. Their products are designed to be fully editable and professionally formatted to save users hundreds of hours of manual document creation.

Example Agile Sprint Burn Down Chart template in MS Excel

Platform Focus: Primarily Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word.
Target Audience: Project managers (PMs), PMO leads, small business owners, and consultants.
Key Methodology Support: PRINCE2 (Project in Controlled Environments) and Agile Project Management.
Unique Selling Point: Includes annotated walkthrough guides and practical examples within the templates to help users “tailor” tools to their specific projects.

Example of many MS Excel Budget Finance tracker templates to tailor

Detailed Breakdown of Template Offerings

The shop provides a wide range of assets, typically categorized by project phase or methodology:

1. Waterfall & PRINCE2 Specifics

These templates focus on structured, sequential project delivery.

PRINCE2 MS Excel Plans: Fully annotated and editable project plans that follow the PRINCE2 methodology.
Waterfall Project Planners: Comprehensive tools that often include Gantt charts and resource cost trackers.
Document Bundles: Frequently includes “FREE Upgrades and additions” and a variety of MS Word templates for formal reporting and governance.

Example template charts for the MS Excel Budget / Cost trackers

2. Project Control & Tracking Tools

Highly functional spreadsheets for day-to-day oversight:

Gantt Chart & Timeline Trackers: Automated trackers for visualizing project schedules.
Resource & Cost Trackers: Specialized Excel sheets for monitoring budget vs. actual spend and personnel allocation.
Action & Task Trackers: Simple but effective tools for logging team responsibilities and deadlines.

Example of many MSP MPP Microsoft Project Plan templates to tailor

3. Agile & Lean Assets

For teams operating in iterative environments:

Agile Project Templates: Specific documents for sprint planning and backlog management.
Kanban Boards: Visual task management layouts within Excel or Google Sheets environments.

Example Agile Burn Up Chart template in MS Excel

Why Users Choose ProjectTemplatesSoft?

Expert Craftsmanship: Reviews highlight that the seller is knowledgeable and provides active support for project management questions.
Comprehensive Documentation: Unlike basic planners, these often come with Word walkthrough guides, ensuring the buyer knows how to actually use the tool in a professional setting.
Cost Efficiency: Buying a pre-built, professional bundle is significantly cheaper than hiring a consultant to build a PMO toolkit from scratch.

Documentation Templates Walk-through provided

You can view the full current inventory and read customer reviews directly on the ProjectTemplatesSoft Etsy Shop Page.

Software Testing Approaches, Techniques

Columbo Overview and Detailed Timeline by Era and Year

Columbo is a landmark American crime drama television series that revolutionized the genre by popularizing the “inverted detective story” (howcatchem) format. Running for over 35 years (1968–2003), the show starred Peter Falk as a brilliant, disheveled LAPD homicide detective whose unkempt appearance and polite, rambling demeanor hidden a razor-sharp mind.

Columbo – Pilot Episode with Gene Barry, 1968

Overview and Key Elements

Format: The audience almost always knows who committed the murder at the beginning of the episode. The suspense lies in how Lieutenant Columbo unravels the culprit’s “perfect” alibi.
Signature Traits: The Peugeot 403 car, a shabby beige raincoat, a cigar, frequent mentions of an unseen wife, and the catchphrase “Just one more thing”.
The “Howcatchem”: Columbo rarely appears in the first act, allowing the killer to showcase their arrogance and meticulous planning before he systematically dismantle their world.
Class Conflict: The show frequently pits Columbo (a blue-collar, unassuming figure) against affluent, privileged suspects.
Creator/Legacy: Created by Richard Levinson and William Link, inspired by Crime and Punishment and Father Brown, the character first appeared on TV in 1960 and on stage in 1962, but Peter Falk made it his own in 1968.

Comprehensive Historic Timeline (1960–2014)

Era 1: Pre-Falk & Pilots (1960–1971)

1960: Columbo appears in “Enough Rope,” an episode of The Chevy Mystery Show (based on the story “Dear Corpus Delicti”). Bert Freed played the lieutenant.
1962: Stage play Prescription: Murder debuts. Thomas Mitchell plays Columbo.
1968 (Feb 20): Prescription: Murder (Pilot 1) airs on NBC, featuring Peter Falk for the first time.
1971 (Mar 1): Ransom for a Dead Man (Pilot 2) airs. Its success leads to a series order.

Era 2: The NBC Classic Era (1971–1978)

1971–1972 (Season 1): Columbo becomes a “wheel” program in The NBC Mystery Movie. Notable episode: “Murder by the Book” (directed by Steven Spielberg).
1972 (Sep 17): Season 2 premieres, establishing the show as a top-rated Sunday night anchor.
1973: Peter Falk wins his first Golden Globe for the role.
1974: Season 3. “Any Old Port in a Storm” introduces Columbo’s penchant for humming “This Old Man”.
1975: Season 4/5. “Forgotten Lady” (with Janet Leigh) and “Case of Immunity”.
1976: Peter Falk wins Emmys (1972, 1975, 1976).
1978 (May): Final NBC episode airs (Season 7) before Falk leaves the role due to scheduling.

Era 3: The ABC Revival Era (1989–2003)

1989 (Feb): Columbo returns on ABC under The ABC Mystery Movie with “Columbo Goes to the Guillotine”.
1990: Season 9/10 begins. Falk wins his 4th Primetime Emmy (1990).
1991–2002: The show airs irregularly as “Specials” rather than a strict series.
2003 (Jan 30): Last episode, “Columbo Likes the Nightlife,” airs, completing 69 total episodes.

Post-Series & Legacy

2007: Peter Falk pitches “Columbo’s Last Case” to ABC; it is rejected.
2011 (June 23): Peter Falk dies at age 83.
2014: A statue of Lieutenant Columbo and his dog is unveiled in Budapest, Hungary.

Major Episodes and Guest Stars

Jack Cassidy: Played killers in 3 episodes (best known as Riley Greenleaf in “Publish or Perish”).
Robert Culp: Played killers in 3 episodes (“Death Lends a Hand,” “The Most Crucial Game,” “Double Exposure”).
Patrick McGoohan: Acted in 4 episodes (3 as killer) and directed 5, including “By Dawn’s Early Light”.
William Shatner: Starred in “Fade In to Murder” (1976) and “Butterfly in Shades of Gray” (1994).
Johnny Cash: Starred in “Swan Song” (1974).

Where to Watch & Review Sites

IMDb Episode List: All Columbo Episodes
Columbophile Blog: Detailed reviews and history Columbophile Blog
Wikipedia List: List of Columbo episodes

Columbo Overview and Detailed Timeline by Era and Year

Agile Scrum Epic vs Feature vs User Story

PMO Types, Project Management Office

Movie Martial Arts and Timeline by Era and Year

Martial arts cinema has evolved from silent, fantastical tales of folklore to a global, high-octane genre blending practical fighting skills with advanced technology. Dominated primarily by Hong Kong action cinema, the genre peaked from the early 1970s through the mid-1990s, with significant modern revivals in Thailand, Indonesia, and Hollywood.

Detailed Historic Timeline and Eras

1. The Origins & Silent Era (1920s–1940s)
Early martial arts films originated in Shanghai, drawing heavily from Chinese opera and wuxia (sword-fighting fantasy) novels.

1928: The Burning of the Red Lotus Temple (Shanghai) is widely considered the first kung fu film, pioneering stylized, fantastical fight scenes.
1943: Sanshiro Sugata (Judo Saga), Akira Kurosawa’s directorial debut, marks a significant, more grounded entry in Japanese cinema.

2. The Pre-Boom & Wuxia Revival (1950s–1960s)
This era saw the rise of the Mandarin-speaking studios in Hong Kong (Shaw Brothers) and the dominance of Japanese samurai (chambara) films.

1954: Seven Samurai (Japan) elevates swordplay choreography.
1966: King Hu’s Come Drink with Me redefines the genre with elegant, dance-like choreography.
1967: The One-Armed Swordsman (Chang Cheh) brings a more brutal, masculine edge to the genre, breaking records in Hong Kong.

3. The Golden Age & Bruce Lee Era (1970–1979)
The 70s saw the shift from fantastical swordplay to realistic hand-to-hand kung fu, propelled by Bruce Lee.

1970: The Chinese Boxer (Jimmy Wang Yu) shifts focus from swordplay to unarmed combat.
1971: The Big Boss (Fist of Fury) breaks all Hong Kong box office records, launching Bruce Lee as a global superstar.
1973: Enter the Dragon becomes the first Hollywood-Hong Kong co-production, cementing kung fu in global popular culture.
1978: Drunken Master makes Jackie Chan a star, introducing a comedic, acrobatic fighting style.
1978: The 36th Chamber of Shaolin sets the benchmark for training montages and traditional kung fu films.

4. Comedy, Action & The Golden Harvest Era (1980s–1990s)
Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, and Jet Li dominated this era with insane stunts and high-speed choreography.

1983: Project A showcases Jackie Chan’s dangerous, physical stunt comedy.
1984: The Karate Kid (USA) mainstreamed martial arts in Western youth culture.
1988: Bloodsport (Jean-Claude Van Damme) sparks a resurgence of interest in martial arts cinema in the US.
1991: Once Upon a Time in China launches Jet Li to fame, blending traditional techniques with fast-paced editing.
1994: Drunken Master II (The Legend of Drunken Master) is released, often considered one of the greatest martial arts films ever made.

5. Modernization & Global Expansion (2000s–Present)
The 21st century brought a mix of stylistic, high-budget wuxia and brutally realistic,, practical action.

2000: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon earns critical acclaim and international accolades for its artistic blend of wuxia and drama.
2003: Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior introduces Tony Jaa and the raw, dangerous power of Muay Thai to the world.
2008: Ip Man (Donnie Yen) revives the biographical, martial arts hero film in China.
2011: The Raid: Redemption (Indonesia) raises the bar for grittier, intense, high-speed combat.
2021: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings represents the integration of HK-style choreography into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Summary of Key Styles & Subgenres :

Wuxia: Fantastical, wire-fu, sword-fighting (e.g., Hero, Crouching Tiger).
Kung Fu: Traditional unarmed combat, training focus (e.g., 36th Chamber).
Kung Fu Comedy: Acrobatics and physical comedy (e.g., Drunken Master).
Chambara: Japanese samurai films (e.g., Yojimbo).
Urban/Action: Modern setting, hard-hitting choreography (e.g., The Raid).
Gun Fu: Blending martial arts with firearms (e.g., John Wick).

Movie Martial Arts and Timeline by Era and Year

Frameworks for making better decisions, setting priorities

Project Management Templates bundle with free upgrades

Mark Whitfield’s Project Management templates are a comprehensive, editable suite of over 200 documents designed for Agile, Waterfall, and PRINCE2 methodologies, based on over 30 years of project delivery experience. Available through his website (click banner link above), Etsy, Flevy and Eloquens, these templates are designed to be used across the project lifecycle—from initiation to closure—and include lifetime free updates and additions.

Full Overview of Mark Whitfield Template Bundle

The bundle, priced at around £38.00 (as of April 2026), provides tools for MS Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and MS Project (.mpp).

1. Planning & Scheduling

MS Project (MPP / MSP): Includes full PRINCE2 7th Edition, Agile Scrum, and SDLC (Software Development Life-cycle) plans.
Excel Detailed Plans: Includes Gantt chart tracking for users without MS Project.
Plan on a Page (POaP): Over 30 PowerPoint examples for executive summaries.

2. PRINCE2 & Governance

Full set of over 200 documents including Project Initiation Document (PID), Business Case, Work Packages, Risk Management Strategy, and Configuration Item Records.
Reporting: Highlight reports, exception reports, and end-stage reports.

PRINCE2 Delivery Plan in MS Excel Example

3. Tracking & Risk Management

RAID Logs: Comprehensive trackers for Risks, Assumptions, Issues, and Dependencies (includes simple and detailed versions).
Finance Trackers: Simple and full project finance trackers (forecasting, actuals, variance, rate lookups).
RACI Matrix: Resource Responsibility Assignment Matrix.

Many Project Budget / Financial Tracker examples

4. Execution & Delivery

SDLC: Detailed Software Development Life-cycle plans.
Deployment/Runbook: Execution and release planning documents.
Agile: Burn down and burn up charts.

Detailed Timeline by Project Life Cycle

Templates provide detailed MS Project (.mpp) and Excel schedules that map out the standard project life cycle over time. The plans include notes and color-coded tasks (black: standard task, blue: artifact creation, brown: decision/event, purple: artifact update).

1. Project Startup / Initiation Phase

Tasks: Project Mandate, Project Brief preparation, Appoint Project Board, Define Project Approach.
Key Templates: Project Brief, PID, Business Case, Project Board Structure.

2. Planning Phase

Tasks: Develop the PID, Create Detailed Gantt Plans, Create Budgeting/RAID Logs, Setup Communication Strategies.
Key Templates: Detailed MS Project Plans (Waterfall/Agile), RACI Tracker, RAID Log.

3. Project Execution / Control Phase

Tasks: Weekly Status Reporting, Risk Management, Managing Product Delivery, Stage Assessments.
Key Templates: Highlight Report, Issue Register, Daily Log, Financial Tracker.

4. Project Close Phase

Tasks: Handover, Project Evaluation, Lessons Learned, Finalize Costs, Close Project.
Key Templates: End Project Report, Lessons Log, Benefits Realization Plan.

Summary of Key Features

Fully Editable: Designed to be tailored to specific project needs (PRINCE2 Principle 7).
Access: Compatible with Desktop, Tablet, Smartphone, and Cloud (Microsoft Teams/SharePoint).
Support: Free lifetime upgrades (and additions) to the latest template package after purchase.
Click on link in website banner above to purchase full templates bundle

Project Management Templates bundle with free upgrades.