Over the years I’ve visited many volcanic islands certain ones do spring to mind for their lush green interiors. In the eastern Caribbean chain Guadeloupe is particularly enchanting. The land of running waters.  The one I spent some time visiting was one of the  outer island of the canary group of La Palma. La Palma I […]

I’ve been reading a book by Harold Gatty called “Nature Is Your Guide”. Harold Gatty was interesting guy and was an Aussie from Tasmania. He like Francis Chichester was a wonderfully navigator and came to fame as the navigator for 1931 record breaking eight- day flight around the world with the pilot Wiley Post in

Many years ago when I was young soldier in the 1970’s I had volunteered from my parent corps of Royal Engineers ( 9 Independent Parachute Squadron R.E ) for special forces selection at Hereford, Herefordshire, England.  Selection was a rigorous process and I choose the summer selection course of 1976.  Selection for the Special Air Services

Back in 2014 I left the U.K. on my sailing boat Barada ( Nicholson 32) to sail to the Canary Islands via Madeira.  Crossing the Bay of Biscay I wasn’t able to make for La Coruna due to the westerly winds I had to go into Gijon along the northern coast of Spain.  I left

I Listen to a retired US Army General Mark Hertling on physical fitness. His talk was at the US Armies office training college at West Point.  I found it a remarkable talk why? He was talking about general health and fitness of army recruits coming into the army. Poor level of fitness in the US

Conwy North Wales to Sada North West Spain On Monday the 18 April we left Conwy North Wales on route to Sada North West Spain. This  was the start of my 10 year sailing odyssey around the world with my Vancouver 32 Stella Polaris.  The last 16 months had been a rather difficult time with my

When I was in my late 40’s I decided to go back into engineering after 20 odd years as an industrial salesman.  It was quite a change from having a company car and wearing a suit to suddenly wearing a blue boiler suit. I was fortunate to go and work for an old established power

I took the train from North Wales to Midland region of England last Monday to visit family.  The weather was sunny with vivid blue skies sitting looking out of the window of the train I thought how green and lush the Shropshire landscape is. Shropshire is a fairly sparsely populated county with the major town

Lost Cause; a person or thing that can no longer hope to succeed or be changed for the better. I’ve thought about this for long time now this situation in Ukraine is another example. I was listening to oil specialist trader talking about how OPEC can up its game to produce more oil & gas

Maybe like me you’ve been riveted to the news over the past several days with invasion of the Russian military into the Ukraine. This has really sadden me that a “one man” tyrant can unleash so much destruction on an independent sovereign nation as Ukraine.  The human suffering and killing with displacement of millions of