1st: Simon Banks – What’s the plural of paradise? Malawi, UK & Aotearoa.
He only went to New Zealand for a 50th birthday party! Long time Globetrotters Club member, Simon Banks reflects on some recent observations as he celebrates his 60th.
2nd: Mark Hadley – Morocco: fast and slow
Our experiences in Morocco from two week dashes to 5 months wandering
We love Morocco. It’s so accessible but definitely on a different continent. From mountains to coast, from waterfalls to desert it has so much on offer. It is cheap, safe and friendly. We have had five trips to Morocco from short dashes at Christmas time, to slow indulgent five month trips. I’ll share how we did quick trips and an insight into our long slow trips.
For forthcoming meetings we have
a suggested donation £2-3 for members to help with our costs. Members will be emailed a ticket code link allowing access to this option or you can access it from the members area.
a donation of £5-6 for non-members, non-members may join the club for £12 per year and get this and future meetings at members rate for £12, members can also watch the 3 previous online talks, members also receive Globe our members magazine and our annual members calendar, why not join and enter your pictures.
a catch up to watch later will be available to members and non-member ticket holders. (Members can also watch the previous online talks)
Date And Time
Sat, 6 Feb 2020, zoom meeting opens at 13:30 with the talks starting 14:00 GMT (London time), please arrive early so we can deal with any issues joining.
1st. Jacqui Furneaux – Seven years from India to Bristol on an Enfield bullet!
Jacqui Furneaux reveals the story of her unexpected and unplanned lengthy journey through 20 countries with her trusty 500cc motorbike. It tells the reasons for this epic trip and how a six-month holiday became a seven year way of life in Asia, Australasia and the Americas. Hear how a 50 year-old nurse becomes a mechanic and adapts to life on dusty roads and goat tracks from the mountains to the sea, through barren deserts to lush jungles.
Topics covered include:
How it all started;
the 500cc Enfield Bullet motorcycle;
the travel method and tips on how to do it;
benefits and disadvantages of being female in this activity;
2nd. Zara Taylor – Anhui Province – Home of the Four Treasures of Chinese brush painting
As a practitioner in the art of Chinese brush painting, this is a journey to explore the province renowned for its manufacture of the materials for painting – the 4 treasures. Still being produced today by artisans, using ancient and secret methods passed down through the generations. With few foreign tourists, a hidden gem, a region with many ancient villages, water towns and unique Hui merchant architecture to discover.
By tradition we follow this meeting with a New Year Party post-meeting – everyone is invited to bring food and wine or soft drinks (we are not allowed beer or spirits) and participate!
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
1st. Kim Rix – Gemstone adventures in Myanmar (Burma).
There aren’t many unspoilt travel destinations that offer a tourist both an authentic and exciting experience, but Myanmar is certainly one of them, Kim has discovered.
In the course of writing the seventh book in the Gemstone Detective travel guide series, Kim travelled to Myanmar twice in 2019 to undertake research. Unable to stay away, she is about to return as leader of a gem tour to Mogok, Valley of the Rubies.
Besides giving her audience a flavour of the gem trade in Myanmar, Kim will show that there is so much more to Myanmar than its deserved reputation for fine gemstones.
Foodies will find that the incredible local cuisine will their mouths watering for more. Fans of architecture will find much to admire in Myanmar’s dazzling Buddhist temples. Those who love the great outdoors will be spoilt for choice with some great trekking routes, spectacular scenery and pretty waterfalls in the rainforest around Mogok.
Kim passionately believes that Myanmar is the travel experience of a lifetime. “It was so hard to put the camera down.” she says, “The only time it left my hands was when they served Laphet – a local salad of fermented tea leaves, shredded cabbage, deep-fried beans, nuts, peas and tomatoes, all flavoured with chilli and garlic. You won’t have tasted anything like it before!”
2nd. Robin Ratchford – Beyond our screens – in search of our own perspectives
Iraq, North Korea and Chechnya – three fascinating places that, sadly, when they appear in the headlines it is usually for all the wrong reasons. Yet each has its own history and culture and many aspects to it that rarely make it to through the forest of bad news. Robin invites us to take a tour that goes beyond our screens – be they on TV, a laptop or our mobile phones – to look at some of the less-reported features of these three travel destinations
Robin Ratchford has lived in six different countries and visited more than 130 countries and territories on all seven continents.
Looking back, he thinks collecting colourful stamps from the age of six first sparked his interest in foreign countries and cultures all over the world. Travel, adventure and discovery are central themes in his life.
The people he meets and the cultures he has experienced are a constant inspiration for Robin’s writing.
Born in the United Kingdom, Robin is currently based in Belgium.
He counts learning and improving his knowledge of several European languages among his constant passions.
He and his faithful companion Mortimer the Fox Terrier live in Brussels.
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
2nd. John Pilkington – Llamas and Gangsters in Bolivia
Until 20 years ago, trains of fluffy, brightly-tassled llamas would set
out each June on a 300-kilometre, three-week journey over the Andes
using a track dating back to Inca times. Their woven saddlebags were
loaded with blocks carved from the Uyuni salt lake – the biggest and
highest in the world – which the drovers traded in the lowlands for
maize, honey, chillies, and (this being Bolivia) coca leaves. Our
President joined one of the last of the dwindling caravans.
Going back another 100 years, Bolivia was the haunt of two of America’s
most wanted runaways – Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. A Bolivian
miner’s wage packet wasn’t great, but there were a great many miners and
they were all paid weekly in cash. The payrolls were taken to each mine
on horseback. It was just too tempting for the ‘Yanqui’ outlaws; but did
Paul Newman and Robert Redford tell us the whole story? Come and hear
what really happened.
Unfortunately Jim Holmes has had to postpone his talk.
Postponed: Jim Holmes – The Altai of Western Mongolia.
I travelled around Western Mongolia for UNICEF working on a photographic documentary. From remote camel herding communities to vast moon-like landscapes punctuated by shimmering lakes, this is a location for those who love wide open spaces. Subsistence agriculture and few public services make this a tough environment for families. See how UNICEF is supporting schools to make children’s lives and futures stronger.
Jim Holmes is a professional photographer that specialises in worldwide humanitarian issues.
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
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
Palestine is a land of striking contrasts, from its ancient limestone hills crowned with scattered villages and more recently dense clusters of Israeli settlements, to the vast stretches of the Judean desert, rich in remarkable sites and buildings. Very few tours visit places like Mar Saba, Hisham’s Palace and the palm shaded oases of this beautiful landscape.
Jan travelled through Palestine in 2017 with the Palestine Exploration Fund, meeting some of the hospitable Palestinian people across the West Bank including Bedouins and the Samaritan community with their ancient customs. We will visit the holy sites in Hebron, a volatile city where tensions run high, Qumran, home to the Dead Sea Scrolls and Temple Mount in Jerusalem – a significant site to the three major world religions. Jan’s talk will also address the impact of the Separation Wall in the context of the more recent history of Palestine.
Jan Parsons was Chairman of Guildford Travel Club from 2013 – 2019. A keen photographer, her particular interest is visiting ancient and remote sites away from the tourist trail where travel, history, culture and archaeology meet.
They say a picture paints a thousand words, well not this one. Having stared at the same unremarkable photo on his grandparent’s wall for years, Andy was surprised to discover not only was this picture taken in Sudan, but also the slightly dusty and angry looking man holding a bicycle was in fact his Great Grandfather – a revelation which could only lead to one thing.
Following in Family Footsteps is the story of how an old sepia photograph inspired a three-month adventure following 80-year-old family footprints through the mountains and deserts of East Africa. As well as negotiating sandstorms, pool sharks, rogue bus drivers, active volcanoes, and some of the hottest temperatures the planet has to offer, this is also the story of an often-misunderstood corner of Africa through the eyes of two people generations apart.”
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
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
1st. Michał Siarek – Macedonia – the land of Alexander
The very first thing Michał Siarek saw in the capital city of Skopje was the construction site of a 25-meter tall figure of a warrior on horseback which – as he found out later – was the statue of Alexander the Great. Nearly 2.500 years after his death, the legacy of the famous conqueror sparks a conflict between two contemporary states – Macedonia and Greece – both claiming his legacy.
Established as one of the six socialist republics within the Yugoslav Federation, the modern state of Macedonia first surfaced in 1945, its name derived from one of the three geographical regions named Macedonia – not from the ancient kingdom. Despite peaceful secession from the war-torn Yugoslavia in the 90s, the newly proclaimed republic immediately fell into a dispute with Greece over the name and cultural heritage. In 2009, the Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski announced an architectural scheme titled Skopje 2014. The equestrian figure was the crown jewel of the nation-branding policy, likening the modern day Macedonia to its ancient archetype of Alexander’s Kingdom.
“Alexander” is a multi-platform documentary based the relationship between politics, history and culture, centred around the construction of a national myth in the (Former Yugoslav) Republic of Macedonia – a state with no name, fixated on a dispute about origins so distant that they may have never existed at all.
Michał Siarek (1991) is a Polish documentary photographer working in the nexus of by geopolitics, history and national mythologies, driven by stories with complexities which require slow approach and long-term dedication.
2nd. Andy Browning – Following in Family Footsteps.
They say a picture paints a thousand words, well not this one. Having stared at the same unremarkable photo on his grandparent’s wall for years, Andy was surprised to discover not only was this picture taken in Sudan, but also the slightly dusty and angry looking man holding a bicycle was in fact his Great Grandfather – a revelation which could only lead to one thing.
Following in Family Footsteps is the story of how an old sepia photograph inspired a three-month adventure following 80-year-old family footprints through the mountains and deserts of East Africa. As well as negotiating sandstorms, pool sharks, rogue bus drivers, active volcanoes, and some of the hottest temperatures the planet has to offer, this is also the story of an often-misunderstood corner of Africa through the eyes of two people generations apart.”
You only need one ticket per screen, not one for each person watching or attending.
Date And Time
Sat, 3 Oct 2020, 14:00 BST
For forthcoming meetings we have
a suggested donation £2-3 for members to help with our costs. Members will be emailed a ticket code link allowing access to this option or you can access it from the members area.
a donation of £5-6 for non-members, non-members may join the club for £12 per year and get this and future meetings at members rate for £12, members can also watch the 3 previous online talks, members also receive Globe our members magazine and our annual members calendar, why not join and enter your pictures.
a catch up to watch later will be available to members and non-member ticket holders. (Members can also watch the previous online talks)
1st. Paul Gillingham – Across Spain the Roman Way, At a Snail’s Pace.
“What have the Romans ever done for us?” scoffs John Cleese in Monty Python’s ‘Life of Brian’.
Plenty, discover Paul and his son, who cross Spain along the ancient Roman routes, Via Augusta and Via de la Plata
Their 800 mile bike ride starting from the Roman city of Gades (Cadiz) takes them through Andalusia, Extremadura and Castilla y Leon, provinces where the Romans left their mark with bridges and roads, aqueducts, theatres, circuses and baths.
They then head for the hills of Galicia along the Camino Sanabres, completing their journey at the post-Roman shrine of St James in Santiago de Compostela.
Paul taught history in UK, Canada, Tanzania and Hong Kong before becoming a journalist and broadcaster. He began as a TV newsreader in Hong Kong in the 70’s (see Paul Gillingham, HK TV via Google), returning to UK as a TV presenter, and went on to produce 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’ (Macmillan, 1983).
The highlights of his career include: a spell in the Swedish Merchant Navy, a month in a Rwandan refugee camp during the genocide, meeting Ginger Rogers on Broadway and interviewing, among others, the Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, Quentin Crisp, Little Richard and the sons of Martin Luther King and Mussolini.
2nd: Alan Palmer – In Search of ‘Attaland
Travels in The South of Morocco
Morocco first began to capture Alan’s imagination while he was on a fleeting visit to the country in 1979. He returned to complete his first ascent of Jebel Toubkal, the highest mountain in north Africa, in 1986, and has remained a frequent visitor, trekking regularly, ever since. During this time, he has developed a particular fascination for the Berber Aït ‘Atta warrior tribe which valiantly resisted the French occupation of their country, culminating in their honourable surrender at the Battle of Bou Gafer in 1933. In this talk, Alan describes how and why he has been slowly but inexorably drawn towards the Ait ‘Atta and his exploration of ‘Attaland, their homeland, which stretches from the snowy peaks of Jebel Azourki in the Central High Atlas Mountains, across the barren slopes of Jebel Sahro, to the green oasis of Nekob in Morocco’s deep south.
Alan is Founder and Director of Yak Travel, his company which organises bespoke treks and tours through rarely explored regions of Morocco and North-East India.
He is author of Moroccan Atlas the Trekking Guide (Trailblazer Publications) and has also contributed to three other guide books, Pakistan and The Silk Road (both published by Insight Guides), and the Rough Guide to Morocco. Additionally, he regularly writes articles for travel magazines and travel books and frequently delivers talks and presentations on Morocco, North-East India and Burma (Myanmar) at travel clubs and shows, both in England and in India.
He is:
a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (FRGS)
a member of the Royal Society for Asian Affairs (RSAA)
a life member of the British Moroccan Society (BMS)
a suggested donation £2-3 for members to help with our costs. Members will be emailed a ticket code link allowing access to this option or you can access it from the members area.
a donation of £5-6 for non-members, non-members may join the club for £12 per year and get this and future meetings at members rate for £12, members can also watch the 3 previous online talks, members also receive Globe our members magazine and our annual members calendar, why not join and enter your pictures.
a catch up to watch later will be available to members and non-member ticket holders. (Members can also watch the previous online talks)
This meeting will be held online in zoom in line with UK Covid-19 regulations.
Speaking this month we have:
1st. Janet Parsons – Palestine: Beyond the Wall
Palestine is a land of striking contrasts, from its ancient limestone hills crowned with scattered villages and more recently dense clusters of Israeli settlements, to the vast stretches of the Judean desert, rich in remarkable sites and buildings. Very few tours visit places like Mar Saba, Hisham’s Palace and the palm shaded oases of this beautiful landscape.
Jan travelled through Palestine in 2017 with the Palestine Exploration Fund, meeting some of the hospitable Palestinian people across the West Bank including Bedouins and the Samaritan community with their ancient customs. We will visit the holy sites in Hebron, a volatile city where tensions run high, Qumran, home to the Dead Sea Scrolls and Temple Mount in Jerusalem – a significant site to the three major world religions. Jan’s talk will also address the impact of the Separation Wall in the context of the more recent history of Palestine.
Jan Parsons was Chairman of Guildford Travel Club from 2013 – 2019. A keen photographer, her particular interest is visiting ancient and remote sites away from the tourist trail where travel, history, culture and archaeology meet.
2nd Luke Ripley – Nil by Air: London to Sydney without flying
Globetrotters member Luke Ripley will attempt to dispel the myth that intercontinental travel necessitates flying by describing the journey he made last year from London to Sydney, entirely by surface transport. Setting off from London’s St Pancras station, he travelled by rail to China, via the Trans-Siberian Railway, before joining a container ship for the two-week voyage to Brisbane, crossing the Philippine, Solomon and Coral Seas. Once ashore in Australia, he continued by rail to Sydney, with a few stops and side-trips en route. Not an aircraft in sight!
While aviation remains massively dominant in the travel industry, among those seeking to limit the environmental impact of their travels, and for whom the journey is at least as important as the destination, there is perhaps a growing awareness of the land transport alternatives. However, with the almost total demise of “proper” deep-sea passenger shipping, a voyage by freighter is now often the only practical means of crossing oceans for those determined to avoid air-travel, yet remains relatively little-known.
Luke is a railwayman first and foremost, but has considerable experience of cargo-ship travel, having made numerous voyages (inc. trans-Atlantic, trans-Pacific, Europe – S. Africa, Europe – E. Africa via Suez, and in the Med). As well as focusing on his own recent journey, his talk will touch on some of the joys, practicalities and obstacles involved in this form of travel more generally.
Luke Ripley – Nil by Air
Luke Ripley – Nil by Air
For forthcoming meetings we have
a suggested donation £2-3 for members to help with our costs. Members will be emailed a ticket code link allowing access to this option or you can access it from the members area.
a donation of £5-6 for non-members, non-members may join the club for £12 per year and get this and future meetings at members rate for £12, members can also watch the 3 previous online talks, members also receive Globe our members magazine and our annual members calendar, why not join and enter your pictures.
a catch up to watch later will be available to members and non-member ticket holders. (Members can also watch the previous online talks)
Brian Andersons’s talk has had to be postponed due to the covid-19 pandemic.
Brad Parsk’s talk has had to be postponed as the expedition was postponed due to the covid-19 pandemic.
This meeting may be postponed to a future date or take place online due to the Corona virus and the national guidance on self-isolation and social distancing.
