As you can see, I've been a bit of a Jack-of-all-Trades, Master-of-None. I did spend six years in the Royal Navy, and twelve years with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. I've had the fortune to travel, live and work in over 65 countries, including three years or more in places like Pakistan, Morocco and New Zealand. Probably the most fun job I've ever had was working as an Adventure Travel Tour Leader - getting paid to visit wonderful places and hike in the mountains!
Interests I love acting on stage, reading, watching movies and hill walking. I also have a love of travel and experiencing different cultures and cuisine. And, if it's not already obvious, I enjoy writing, too.
Favorite Books Lots. Unlike with movies I do have an actual favourite; The Time Traveller's Wife, which I can re-read and enjoy time and time again. Others; To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee), Out of the Shelter (David Lodge), The Chrysalids (John Wyndham), The Hunger Games Trilogy, The Harry Potter series, The Secret History (Donna Tartt), the Quiller spy novels, The Perks of Being a Wallflower. For a relaxing read I still turn to Dick Francis and Desmond Bagley.
Favorite Authors Bernard Cornwell, David Lodge, JK Rowling, Harper Lee, John Wyndham, Len Deighton, Adam Hall.
Favorite Movies So many - so many different genres. Western: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid; Foreign Movie: Blue is the Warmest Colour; Science-Fiction: Arrival / 12 Monkeys; Comedy: Groundhog Day. Where do I put L.A. Confidential? Crime thriller: The Usual Suspects. Where can I put American Beauty?
Favorite TV Shows I don't watch much TV, but these have stood out over the years. Edge of Darkness (UK BBC series in 1986), Band of Brothers, Battlestar Galactica (re-imagining), The West Wing, Fringe, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.
Favorite Music I have a very eclectic taste in music.
I remember the joy of your laughter as we escaped to our meadow. Up there amongst the trees and those grass-covered hills, we giggled and danced in the dappled sunlight. With those mischievous eyes you would dare me, and I would strip off my dress and, laughing with delight, we would wade into the stream, splashing and yelling as we immersed ourselves in the icy water. Afterwards, we lay on that tattered old blanket as we...
Surely, the most devastating of all monsters is that which comes from within?
The two young girls played vivaciously in the cool water by the glade. As they splashed and frolicked, their laughter echoed around the mountain valley. The surrounding trees, comprising primarily of larch, beech, and spruce - and, of course, oak – gently whispered their approval. They were safe here. Locals knew not to disturb them. The sisters were special – as was the valley. The power and magic that resided in the tre...
March 1995 — Kenya A Fateful Decision I’d been in Africa for nine weeks; two very eventful months. In that relatively short time, I’d already undergone a multitude of emotions, enjoying some incredible highlights and experiencing a range of unfortunate escapades. I’d started in Kenya, flying out to Nairobi on a one-way ticket with a vague plan, a guidebook, and not much else. It wasn’t my first time backpacking in the dev...
