Photo’s taken, L to R: New York City – Freetown Sierra Leone – Tim’s Mum & Dad, WWII Dewsbury, England – Cairo, Egypt – Utah, Birthplace, Bourne, Lincolnshire England – Petronas Towers Kuala Lumpur – coastline Kuaui & SNCF train in south of France
Apologies – but this is the obligatory ‘About Me’ section I have worked in the Travel, Transport and Tourism business for ever. I have observed the rise of the ‘Travel Blogger’ with interest and how now they are courted by Tourist Boards as being important opinion formers, about destinations. So, today most Tourist Boards spend a lot of time and money taking Bloggers to their destination in the hope that they will write nice things
<Its all go! –
Key to St Catherines Monastery, Sinai>
You see, for years, whether for pleasure, family reasons, voluntary support work and for my job I have had the great privilege of traveling the globe. When traveling for work I have been able to divert or extend my travels to see places and learn so much. I thought, well, I’ve been to so many places and am always going to new places that I could do this, without needing any particular support . In other words be a free agent – which is in any case is what I feel I always have been. I also felt I could perhaps offer a different focus than most seem to.
Perhaps, just perhaps, also play a role in World Peace! You have to have goals……
It seemed like fun too!
<Kuaui with family –
Sporting injury, this time from cricket>
Routes Beyond – I happened to be within sight of the Twin Towers on 9/11 and like so many watched them collapse from just across the Hudson River. It took a few years to realize that I had not only witnessed, first hand, an unimaginable catastrophe, but also seen the beginning of a change in global perceptions.
<Kortrijk Belgium with friends
Suited up in Asia>
At the very ‘bottom’ of Africa
From freely planning travel expeditions, fear and risk assessment became more important. The news and security checks confirmed to us, that the world really was a dangerous place. The phrase ‘staycation’ crept into the Tourist Boards jargon. We began to prefer the familiar more and more. That is sad and does not bode well for our future.
With 2 favorites, Churchill and FDR in Washington DC>
- On a lighter note:-Some things I am proud of doing:
- Being the Under 14’s and Under 18’s School Cricket Captain!
- Being the Second XI Soccer Goal Keeper and Captain
- As a teen, selling my model railway set and saving up for an Interrail Pass and setting off for the Arctic Circle
- Being a British Rail (remember that?) Management Trainee. Fantastic few years of training and friendships
- Being President, USA. Yes really, I have the Business Card to show it (that would be of the British Rail US subsidiary, BritRail Travel International Inc… ..but still, sounded good!)
- Meeting The Queen and Prince Phillip in Paris
- Being Chairman of the British Interests Group in the USA for 4 years, including during 9/11. Appeared on BBC’s Panorama programme
- Going on a Volunteer Trip to Haiti shortly after the 2010 earthquake
- Completing the New York Marathon (never again though)
- Being awarded ‘The Golden Paddle 2016’ by my fellow Maplewood NJ Platform Tennis Players, “for demonstrating exemplorary spirit” (that means being slightly crazy and playing in Minus 20 degrees, amongst other things)
- Leading a number of small teams to Sierra Leone to help in education, shortly after the Ebola catastrophe finish
And Finally ……sorting, writing, fiddling with, organizing, and taking every photo (apart from the handful I’m in!) of this Routes Beyond web site, myself!
