The meeting for May been postponed to a future date due to the Corona virus and the national guidance on self-isolation and social distancing. We are running some online meetings in the meantime.

The meeting for May been postponed to a future date due to the Corona virus and the national guidance on self-isolation and social distancing. We are running some online meetings in the meantime.

Speaking this month we have:

1st. Julian Elliott – The eagle hunters of Mongolia

To the outside world we often think that Mongolia and eagle hunters go together. But in reality the eagle hunters we so often associate with the country are in fact of a Kazak origin and live in the west of the country.

Julian’s journey to the west of the country was fraught with troublesome weather but once the epic journey commenced Julian’s was introduced to three different eagle hunter families.

The journey ended at an eagle festival that was held in celebration of the Kazak new year. A festival that was fascinating to behold along with the characters that took part in it.

2nd. Will Batho – Using adventure to inspire change

A former helicopter pilot to the special forces, extreme sports fanatic, educator and coach, Will combines his love of adventure with his experience of personal development in challenging situations. His incredible journey of discovery during Expedition Himalaya with a group of wounded veterans will explore the power of the outdoors and the science driving transformation through adventurous journeys

Admission costs, we charge a small cash fee of £3 for Globetrotters members and £6 for non-members on the door to cover our expenses, tea/coffee and biscuits are included free in the interval between the talks.

You do not need to be a member to attend, and we do not sell advanced tickets, please just come on the day, the doors open at 2:15pm and the program starts around 2:30pm with each talk lasting between 45 – 60 minutes.

London branch meetings are held at The Church of Scotland, Crown Court, behind the Fortune Theatre in Covent Garden the first Saturday of each month, unless there is a UK public holiday that weekend.

There is no London meeting in August, but we start afresh each September. If you would like to keep up to date with what’s happening at the Globetrotters London meetings and to be sent email reminders prior to the meeting, please sign up here

Speaking this month we have:

1st: Mary Fogarty – Colombia: from the Caribbean to the Magdalena and back again.

A trip full of colour and magic and unexpected challenges.

Mary started in Cartagena, with a rainbow of colours in every street, and then left the Caribbean behind to take the Toto Express – a small dodgy van, which left at 4am – to Mompox, on the magical Magdalena river. The Toto Express trundled along behind endless lines of trucks for hours of dark, but finally the sun came up and a green wonderworld emerged, culminating in Mompox, a fairytale place by the vast Magdalena, where the trees are full of iguanas and dugout boats turn up selling pineapples and papaya.

After hours of dreamy wonder spent by and on this magnificent river, there was another hairy journey back to the Caribbean … this time to Santa Marta, where the beach meets the port, and film crews are recruiting by the water’s edge.

Mary left this edgy city for Tayrona National Park, used by the infamous narcotraffickers for smuggling out their stuff in the 70s and 80s, and now one of the most beautiful natural paradises in the world. Warned to take mosquito cream and lots of water, no-one, however, suggested climbing shoes – and the route she was to take up the mountain to find an old indigenous site involved some HUGE rocks, where the only way up was to use the ropes – in Clarks sandals this proved to be quite the challenge, but she got there!

2nd: Andy Skillen – Walking with bears: on foot adventures with polars and grizzlies

Andy has spent much of his career flat on his face in the mud, snow, water and, well anything else that happens to be there, to bring the world unique images of grizzly and polar bears…on foot. As one of just 4 photographers worldwide to take people to se​e arctic giants on their terms, as well as frequenting a whole host of ‘off the beaten track’ brown bear locations, Andy has a unique take on what it is to work with and photograph these icons of the wilderness. Join us in the auditorium and hear of some of the more hair-raising encounters that Andy has gone through in his pursuit of recording ursine behaviour…

Biography:

Andy Skillen is a multi-award-winning wildlife photographer who has documented the natural world for 25 years. Published on a global basis, much of his workload is on specific projects for the world’s leading organisations. In addition, Andy supplies a limited edition, fine art collection with his work is exhibited in galleries in the UK and overseas and also undertakes private commissions for collectors worldwide. As well as the artistic side, Andy also leads groups on specialist photographic adventures in Africa, South America and the Arctic, and is one of only four photographers worldwide to lead polar bear safaris on foot.  Andy is also on the judging panel for a number of photo competitions and a regular speaker and panelist for National Geographic Traveller in the UK, as well as being a fixture on the speaking and after-dinner circuit.

For Andy, the power of photography has also been about the communication of the conservation message, and his collections are inspired by that rationale. 

Find out more at:

• WEBSITE: http://WWW.FAUNAVISTA.COM
  
• INSTAGRAM: @andyskillenphoto
  
• FACEBOOK: andyskillenphotography

Admission costs, we charge a small cash fee of £3 for Globetrotters members and £6 for non-members on the door to cover our expenses, tea/coffee and biscuits are included free in the interval between the talks.

You do not need to be a member to attend, and we do not sell advanced tickets, please just come on the day, the doors open at 2:15pm and the program starts around 2:30pm with each talk lasting between 45 – 60 minutes.

London branch meetings are held at The Church of Scotland, Crown Court, behind the Fortune Theatre in Covent Garden the first Saturday of each month, unless there is a UK public holiday that weekend.

There is no London meeting in August, but we start afresh each September. If you would like to keep up to date with what’s happening at the Globetrotters London meetings and to be sent email reminders prior to the meeting, please sign up here

This month we have:

AGM : The clubs AGM starts at 1:00 pm (card carrying members only), then at 2.30 the meeting begins

Speaking this month we have:

1st Richard Harpham – Exploring and Mapping the North Seal River, Manitoba

Richard Harpham FRGS is no stranger to adventure having completed over 10,000 miles of human powered expeditions by canoe, kayak, bike and on ski. His adventures have including London to Marrakech by bike and kayak, sea kayaking 1000 miles from Vancouver to Alaska on the Inside Passage and canoeing the Yukon River on numerous occasions.

This proved to be a good warm up for the North Seal River project in Northern Manitoba. Rich, his wife Ashley and Canadian explorers Hap and Andrea Wilson spent two weeks exploring and mapping the river system of Lakes and Class II/III rapids. This remote wilderness nestled in between the eskers and lakes of the Boreal Forest is almost 300 miles from the nearest road and certainly far from help. The team battled large rapids, heavy snow fall and freezing temperatures on their journey mapping the river.

They witnessed nature up close and raw with wolves, bears and moose for company. This area is the traditional hunting grounds of the Dene people who  used the giant eskers from the glacial retreat as their highways through the region.

Rich writes for many different magazines and also speaks about his adventures and social entrepreneurship as an inspirational speaker.  In the UK Rich works as a professional instructor and coach in their family run business Canoe Trail which offers canoeing, kayaking, stand up paddle boarding just one hour of London and has been voted Top 52 things to do in the world by Lonely Planet and No. 3 best place in the UK to stand up paddle board by Red Bull Magazine.  They run Duke of Edinburgh Programmes, corporate events and adventure school youth programmes as well as canoeing expeditions to Scotland and Canada.  

Rich is a born storyteller with plenty of amusing tales and inspiring accounts of authentic adventure.  He is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.  Come and hear first hand about their incredible adventure in this remote wilderness, the highs and lows and getting stranded when the float plane hit a rock. 

Find out more at:

• www.richadventure.com
• www.canoetrail.co.uk

2nd: Victor Murineanu – A journey across the Atlantic Ocean

“Every November since Christopher Columbus first discovered the Trade Winds, yachts of various sizes set sail from the Canary Islands on a 2,700 nautical miles westward journey across the Atlantic to the Caribbean. This is the story of my experience crossing the pond, a 3 week long adventure.

Victor’s Instagram handles:

• @odyseasailing – sailing related                                                     
• @victorius000 – personal profile.

Admission costs, we charge a small cash fee of £3 for Globetrotters members and £6 for non-members on the door to cover our expenses, tea/coffee and biscuits are included free in the interval between the talks.

You do not need to be a member to attend, and we do not sell advanced tickets, please just come on the day, the doors open at 2:15pm and the program starts around 2:30pm with each talk lasting between 45 – 60 minutes.

London branch meetings are held at The Church of Scotland, Crown Court, behind the Fortune Theatre in Covent Garden the first Saturday of each month, unless there is a UK public holiday that weekend.

There is no London meeting in August, but we start afresh each September. If you would like to keep up to date with what’s happening at the Globetrotters London meetings and to be sent email reminders prior to the meeting, please sign up here

Speaking this month we have:

1st: Russell Maddicks – Island Hopping in Honduras

Russell Maddicks goes in search of Garifuna drums, Henry Morgan’s hideaway, and the undersea wonders of the MesoAmerican Barrier Reef in Central America’s Caribbean gem

In this talk, travel writer and guide book author Russell Maddicks goes beyond the media stereotypes to show the other side of Honduras: the laid back Bay Islands with their rich Garifuna culture, the tiny coral atolls of the Cayos Cochinos. the vibrant mainland port of La Ceiba, and the thickly-forested Nombre de Dios mountain chain that offers hiking in the Pico Bonito National Park, and whitewater rafting in the Rio Cangrejal.

About the Speaker

Russell Maddicks is a BBC-trained journalist and travel writer who has spent the last 20 years exploring the countries of Latin America and publishing his experiences in print, online and in social media. A graduate in Economic and Social History from the University of Hull, England, he is fluent in Spanish and loves nothing better than mastering the country-specific slang of the Latin American countries he visits.

He has worked as a reporter and editor at the Daily Journal newspaper in Caracas, the editor of a webzine aimed at the Latin American youth market called Loquesea! (Whatever!), and for 10 years worked as a regional specialist at the BBC covering political developments and general news across Latin America.

He is the author of travel guides to Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico, Nicaragua and Venezuela, and has written for numerous international publications, including BBC Travel, National Geographic Traveller, Wanderlust Magazine, the Mexico News Daily, Latino Life Magazine, ArtNews, and Songlines.

In 2015, his book Culture Smart! Ecuador was awarded the Gold Prize at the Pearl of the Pacific International Travel Journalism Awards at the Ecuadorian International Tourism Fair (FITE) in Guayaquil.

An accomplished public speaker, he has given illustrated talks on Latin American travel destinations at the World Travel Market in London, the Globetrotter’s Club, the Telegraph Outdoor and Adventure Travel Show, Destinations: The Holiday and Travel Show, Nat Geo Traveller’s Travel Geeks, and at UK colleges and universities.

You can follow his Latin American travels on Twitter and Instagram

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/latamtravelist
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/latamtravelist/

2nd Katrina Megget – A long, hard walk down New Zealand

Katrina Megget takes on the challenge of tackling her self-doubt to see whether she can walk 1,864 miles along the Te Araroa Trail down the length of New Zealand. Little did she know quite how physically and mentally demanding it would be.

Katrina will also detail some of the highlights during her adventure as well as some of the life-changing lessons she learnt along the way. 

In this talk, freelance healthcare and adventure travel journalist and awesomeness coach Katrina Megget details some of the challenges she faced during her four months walking the North Island of New Zealand before being forced to quit the trail after a knee injury – from the mind-numbing monotony of beach walking to the muddy rigours of Raetea Forest, from battling 110 km wind gusts on exposed mountain tops to almost drowning during a river crossing, and then having to deal with the concept of failure when injury struck.

About the speaker: Katrina Megget is a freelance healthcare and adventure travel journalist with work published in The Telegraph, Scientific American, Trek and Mountain Magazine, Outdoor Enthusiast and New Zealand Wilderness Magazine. Born and bred in New Zealand, Katrina has spent the past 13 years in the UK.

Despite always having a love of nature and the outdoors, it has only been in the past five or so years that Katrina has embraced her adventurous streak to explore the mountainous and wild places of the UK and New Zealand, and also taking on the challenge to climb 40 volcanoes by the age of 40.

Having suffered from chronic self doubt and low self esteem, Katrina is challenging her self-limiting beliefs to push herself outside her comfort zone to achieve goals and dreams she thought she wasn’t good enough to achieve, last year walking 1,242 miles down the length of New Zealand. Now through her blog she raises awareness of self-doubt and its debilitating effects and to show that it doesn’t have to hold us back from achieving something incredible because everyone is more capable and awesome than they think they are. 

Katrina can be found

• blogging at www.katrinamegget.com and on social media
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/KatrinaMegget and
• Facebook https://www.facebook.com/KatMegget/ 
• and shares her learnings about self doubt on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/katrinamegget/

Admission costs, we charge a small cash fee of £3 for Globetrotters members and £6 for non-members on the door to cover our expenses, tea/coffee and biscuits are included free in the interval between the talks.

You do not need to be a member to attend, and we do not sell advanced tickets, please just come on the day, the doors open at 2:15pm and the program starts around 2:30pm with each talk lasting between 45 – 60 minutes.

London branch meetings are held at The Church of Scotland, Crown Court, behind the Fortune Theatre in Covent Garden the first Saturday of each month, unless there is a UK public holiday that weekend.

There is no London meeting in August, but we start afresh each September. If you would like to keep up to date with what’s happening at the Globetrotters London meetings and to be sent email reminders prior to the meeting, please sign up here

Speaking this month we have:

1st: Julie and Keith Tame – Camping in Africa – a Grown up Gap Year.

Julie and Keith have had many holidays in Africa but in 2015 we set off on an overland trip for 15 months in their Landcover, camping in remote places, watching wildlife and having adventures.

From South Africa to Uganda and everywhere in-between. Along challenging roads, through deep sand and through water crossings Julie and Keith had some amazing experiences and  we would love to share some of this with you.

Julie and Keith hope that their talk will inspire you to take a grown up gap year of your own.

Follow their next adventure on:

• Website:  campingafrica.co.uk
• Facebook: Julie and Keith Africa Adventures
• Instagram: thetamescampingafrica

2nd: Peter Jartoft – Beowulf VS Hygelac and Geatland.

Beowulf,  a fictional king in the epic poem!

But king Hygelac mentioned in the poem was real, what kind of locations with names and archaeology can we find that may explain the origin of the poem?

We will also add other real kings mentioned in old texts such as Emund Coal-burner as we speak and include Geatlands medieval history.

About the speaker:

Peter Jartoft, born 1969 AD, has a Master of Science Engineering Physics, one of his interests is in history and archaeology.

Reading the Beowulf poem he asked himself the question “Where did Hygelac live?”.

Based on this question, the Land of Beowulf guided tours originate.

Find out more at: www.LandofBeowulf.com

Admission costs, we charge a small cash fee of £3 for Globetrotters members and £6 for non-members on the door to cover our expenses, tea/coffee and biscuits are included free in the interval between the talks.

You do not need to be a member to attend, and we do not sell advanced tickets, please just come on the day, the doors open at 2:15pm and the program starts around 2:30pm with each talk lasting between 45 – 60 minutes.

London branch meetings are held at The Church of Scotland, Crown Court, behind the Fortune Theatre in Covent Garden the first Saturday of each month, unless there is a UK public holiday that weekend.

There is no London meeting in August, but we start afresh each September. If you would like to keep up to date with what’s happening at the Globetrotters London meetings and to be sent email reminders prior to the meeting, please sign up here

Members Slides : Around the world in eighty minutes.

10 presentations of 10 slides

Speaking this month in a fast paced journey around the Globe with 10-12 talks of 10 slides.

• Francesca Jaggs – Dubai
• Simon Finnamore – South Africa
• Kim Rix – Solo Travel
• Suzanne Mcgauley – Grenada To Antigua
• David Shamash – Israel
• Mary Fogarty – Cows change beach in Corsica
• Nicola Sanderson – South Korea
• Richard O’Shea – Croatia To Venice
• Justyna – Iran
• Paula Williams – Cycling In Yorkshire
• Pete Hall – The Trip from Hell pt2

Admission costs, we charge a small cash fee of £3 for Globetrotters members and £6 for non-members on the door to cover our expenses, tea/coffee and biscuits are included free in the interval between the talks.

You do not need to be a member to attend, and we do not sell advanced tickets, please just come on the day, the doors open at 2:15pm and the program starts around 2:30pm with each talk lasting between 45 – 60 minutes.

London branch meetings are held at The Church of Scotland, Crown Court, behind the Fortune Theatre in Covent Garden the first Saturday of each month, unless there is a UK public holiday that weekend.

There is no London meeting in August, but we start afresh each September. If you would like to keep up to date with what’s happening at the Globetrotters London meetings and to be sent email reminders prior to the meeting, please sign up here

Speaking this month we have:

1st: Tim Hanigan – On Foot through the High Atlas: Exploring Morocco’s mountains

The mountain spine of northwest Africa, the High Atlas walls off the fertile coastal regions of Morocco from the vast expanse of the Sahara. Rising to 4,000 metres in places and snowbound in winter, the range is the stronghold of Morocco’s indigenous Berbers.

Today traditional transhumance cultures sit uneasily alongside an expanding network of government roads, which are rapidly transforming former mule-trails into tarmac. But for now there’s still plenty of wilderness, and some very fine trekking.

Tim Hannigan shares insights from his many journeys in the High Atlas, with a particular focus on the beautiful Ait Bougmez and Mgoun region at the very heart of the range, as well as tales of his repeated failure to make it to the summit of Morocco’s second highest mountain!

Tim is a writer and journalist. He’s the author of Murder in the Hindu Kush, A Brief History of Indonesia, Raffles and the British Invasion of Java, various guidebooks, and numerous travel articles – covering the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, amongst other places.

Find out more at:

• Twitter
• Website
• Facebook

2nd: Janey McGill – Oman: Her Faces of Change

Janey returned in January from walking Oman’s Empty Quarter with an Anglo-Omani team exploring the human condition and encouraging respect, understanding and acceptance regardless of gender, culture or identity differences.

The winter of 2018/19 saw Janey undertake her most challenging expedition.  Born of a decade worth of experiences, overcoming injury and adversity, challenging relationships and an adoration for extreme natural environments.

With her two team mates, Baida Al Zadjali and Atheer Al Sabri, walked nearly approximately 800 kms through Oman’s Empty Quarter desert.

Why? To deliver a message that we are better together regardless of gender, culture or identity. To foster understanding between nations and cultures.

The three women were supported by a small team and sponsored by Land Rover.

Janey will be releasing a feature length documentary on the journey in January 2020

Find out more at:

• Web: http://www.janeymcgill.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/herfacesofchange
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/janeymcgill

The talk by Francesca Jaggs on Eswatini (Swaziland) has been postponed as Janey kindly offered to speak this month.

Unfortunately Michelle Ellison’s talk has had to be postponed.

Admission costs, we charge a small cash fee of £3 for Globetrotters members and £6 for non-members on the door to cover our expenses, tea/coffee and biscuits are included free in the interval between the talks.

You do not need to be a member to attend, and we do not sell advanced tickets, please just come on the day, the doors open at 2:15pm and the program starts around 2:30pm with each talk lasting between 45 – 60 minutes.

London branch meetings are held at The Church of Scotland, Crown Court, behind the Fortune Theatre in Covent Garden the first Saturday of each month, unless there is a UK public holiday that weekend.

There is no London meeting in August, but we start afresh each September. If you would like to keep up to date with what’s happening at the Globetrotters London meetings and to be sent email reminders prior to the meeting, please sign up here

Speaking this month we have:

1st. Will Linsdell – The Road to Damascus

Approximately two years before the start of the devastating conflict that has broken the Middle Eastern country’s spirit, Will travelled by train from Istanbul to Syria.

In 2009 Will found a country filled with extremely hospitable & seemingly very contented people, together with majestic ancient cities, incredible Roman ruins and well-preserved crusader castles.

Hear about Will’s life affirming epic trip, the colourful locals he encountered and the spellbinding sights he experienced as he takes you on a journey uncovering eight thousand years of history and also take time to reflect on the travesties that have occurred there over the past eight years.

Find out more about Will on:

• Wilbur’s Travels Blog

• Amazon Author’s Page

• Twitter

2nd: Lindy Pyrah – Overland through Scandinavia

Globetrotter member Lindy will talk about her overland trip through Scandinavia which she undertook in the summer of 2017; starting in London on the Eurostar she explored the countries overland by trains and ferries, uncovering amazing landscapes, dined at some interesting restaurants in remote places (Noma, Fäviken and Kok’s) and came away with a love for the area.

The previously advertised talk by Oliver Dowson has had to be postponed

Admission costs, we charge a small cash fee of £3 for Globetrotters members and £6 for non-members on the door to cover our expenses, tea/coffee and biscuits are included free in the interval between the talks.

You do not need to be a member to attend, and we do not sell advanced tickets, please just come on the day, the doors open at 2:15pm and the program starts around 2:30pm with each talk lasting between 45 – 60 minutes.

London branch meetings are held at The Church of Scotland, Crown Court, behind the Fortune Theatre in Covent Garden the first Saturday of each month, unless there is a UK public holiday that weekend.

There is no London meeting in August, but we start afresh each September. If you would like to keep up to date with what’s happening at the Globetrotters London meetings and to be sent email reminders prior to the meeting, please sign up here

Speaking this month we have:

1st. Paul Gillingham – Exploring Orkney on Two Wheels

Paul uses his bike to explore all corners of Orkney, assessing the history and culture of its islands – both life-affirming and tragic – its wildlife, passion for music and glorious wildlife. We meet some interesting characters along the way and asses its stone monuments which pre-date Stonehenge.

Now retired, Paul taught history in UK, Canada, Tanzania and Hong Kong before becoming a Television presenter and radio journalist and broadcaster, producing travel features from around the world for BBC Radio 4, BBC World Service and Classic FM. He has written many articles on travel and a book, ‘At the Peak: A History of Hong Kong Between the Wars’.

2nd. Jessica Brooks – 21st Century Mongolia

Mongolia is predominantly sold as a stereotype – nomads, pristine wilderness and a land that hasn’t changed sincethe time of Chinggis Khan.

However, Mongolia is firmly embracing the 21st Century. This interactive talk is for those interested in learning a little more about the reality of Mongolia in the 21st Century.

Jess is from the UK but has been based in Mongolia since 2006 and is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society – awarded for her work in Mongolia as well as having authored a published digital guidebook to Mongolia.

Jess is also the founder of Eternal Landscapes Mongolia, a registered Mongolian business and social travel enterprise that focuses on providing travellers with a real 21st Century insight into Mongolia that supports the local communities. 

• Linkedin
• Twitter
• Guidebook to Mongolia (This book is available for download with Apple Books on your Mac or iOS device)
• Jess Brooks website
• Eternal Landscapes Mongolia website

Admission costs, we charge a small cash fee of £3 for Globetrotters members and £6 for non-members on the door to cover our expenses, tea/coffee and biscuits are included free in the interval between the talks.

You do not need to be a member to attend, and we do not sell advanced tickets, please just come on the day, the doors open at 2:15pm and the program starts around 2:30pm with each talk lasting between 45 – 60 minutes.

London branch meetings are held at The Church of Scotland, Crown Court, behind the Fortune Theatre in Covent Garden the first Saturday of each month, unless there is a UK public holiday that weekend.

There is no London meeting in August, but we start afresh each September. If you would like to keep up to date with what’s happening at the Globetrotters London meetings and to be sent email reminders prior to the meeting, please sign up here