Speaking this month we have:
- Paul Archer – How to drive a black cab up Everest… and other useful tips
Paul has arranged various expeditions since he was 17. Most recently, his ‘It’s on the Meter‘ expedition was a full circumnavigation of the world in a black cab, taking in 50 countries, over 43,000 miles and gaining two Guinness World records.
- Eric Hayman – Up Africa ’74.
Eric Hayman has always been a traveller. From half a dozen schools and homes he joined the army. Postings took him to Germany and the Middle East. After demob in 1964, he helped his parents at their Eastbourne hotel before working with horses around the UK. Then his itchy feet took him to the southern African kingdom of Lesotho.
By early 1974, Eric had spent five years there. From running a country hotel, he worked on the Lesotho Highlands Water Project, before being a UNDP field geologist. The end of this contract coincided with that of a teacher/volunteer who, like Eric, wanted to travel back to the UK overland.
They left Lesotho in April 1974 with, as far as Botswana, an ex-pat doctor working in Maseru’s hospital and an ex-pat employed by the Lesotho government. The journey would take them both up through Africa; they went their separate ways after Cameroon, but met up again in London in 1975 – and again in 2007.
By road, rail and river, both pushed northward, Eric working as cook’s “boy” on a cargo ship from Dakar to Grimsby. His yet-to-be-published book-length illustrated account of the six-month journey – “Up Africa ’74″ – is available on DVD.
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.
Admission costs, £3 for Members and £6.00 Non-members. 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 approximately 40 minutes.
There is no London meeting in August, but we start afresh each September.