This meeting will be held online in zoom in line with UK Covid-19 regulations.

This month we have:

AGM: The clubs AGM starts at 12:30 pm (card carrying members only), then at 2.00 pm the meeting begins

Speaking this month at 2pm we have:  (Get Tickets)

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 member of the Pakistan Society
• Secretary of The 153 Club (Sahara)
• a member of The Globetrotters Club
• TripAdvisor Destination Expert (DE) for Morocco

Find out more at:

• http://www.yaktravel.co.uk/
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram
• YouTube –https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbeFQsXbenMiGh9bhm50TdQ

The talk by Derek Mansfield – Riding the Scythian Empire has had to be postponed.

You only need one ticket per screen, not one for each person watching or attending.

Date And Time

Sat, 7 Nov 2020, AGM 12:30, talks 14:00 GMT (London time)

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)

This meeting will now be Online

Speaking this month we have: (Get Tickets)

Date And Time: Sat, 3 Oct 2020, 14:00 BST

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.

Find out more at:

• www.alexander.michalsiarek.com
• www.instagram.com/michal.siarek

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.”

Find out more at:

• Website: www.andyexplores.com 
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/AndyExplores
• Instagram: http://instagram.com/andyexplores

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)

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.

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.
• We also have a limited number free tickets for members who have been financially affected by Covid-19
• 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.

This meeting will be held online in zoom in line with UK Covid-19 regulations.

Speaking this month starting at 1pm (UK time) we have:

1st.  Som Tamang – Take on Nepal)

Take on Nepal are one of the only trekking companies training and hiring a team of women in Nepal, In the mountain villages of Nepal, opportunities for women are few. Many young girls have little or no education, and marriage at an early age is still common. Take on Nepal and FHC have been working to change this for many years. As Take on Nepal has grown, we’ve begun hiring young women and girls from Batase — first to work as porters and then as guides, roles that up to now have been seen as exclusively male. For young village girls, early exposure to paid work as porters and the experience of interacting with Western women is an eye-opener. It provides them with a glimpse of other possible futures, futures far different from the lives their mothers lived and to the lives they may have thought they were going to live.

2nd. Dan Evans – Simplicity, Serenity and Sincerity across the world

The English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams once referred to the three great ‘S’s’ as Simplicity, Serenity and Sincerity.

However, these principles stretch far beyond the concert hall. In this talk, join me on a journey around the world as I go in search of these three facets of life. I shall showcase the simplicity of life in a Moroccan desert and an Italian harbour.

With words, I shall convey the serenity of the Alaskan wilderness and a twilit UK city. And I shall whisk you to a lakeside property in Brazil where sincerity is most certainly moored. I’ll conclude with some musings on how Simplicity, Serenity, and Sincerity have come to the fore over the past year.

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!

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.
• We also have a limited number free tickets for members who have been financially affected by Covid-19
• 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)