London Meetings.
The London Meetings programme from September 2008 to July 2009 .
Saturday September 6th 2008
Katie Fahrland
Off to Bamako for the Festival au Segou, West African Music and Arts
Our 2007/8 travel prize winner reports back on her journey of a lifetime.
Fran Sandham
Traversa, a solo walk across Africa
Fran Sandham was an editor at Rough Guides for several years, and worked as a bookseller and in the voluntary sector before that. He has travelled in over forty countries. He lives in Brighton and London.
For more info see: http://www.traversa.co.uk/
Saturday 4th October 2008
Justin Marozzi
Travels with Herodotus. historical adventures with the father of history
Justin Marozzi is a writer and journalist who has traveled extensively throughout the Muslim world.
For more info see: http://www.harpercollins.com.au/global_scripts/product_catalog/book_xml.asp?isbn=0007116128&tc=bd
Jonny Bealby
The Silk Route
Whilst in Islamabad investigating the possibilities of setting up an adventure travel company, Jonny Bealby met the woman of his dreams. Not only that, but Rachel was the person with whom he could live out his dream - to travel the Old Silk Road on horseback. On his return to Pakistan that Christmas, however, Jonny was faced with those dreadful words: 'I've met somebody else...' With his heart fixed on this journey, as well as the possibility of a TV deal, Jonny set out to find a Quixotic stranger as his companion. In no time he found Sarah - attractive, warm and funny - the perfect candidate for a possible romance. Unfortunately, though, during their search for the Heavenly Horses that would carry them across the Mountains of Heaven, their fledgling friendship was beset by problems of communication, inexperience and the difficulty of adapting to radically different cultures and surroundings.
For more info see: http://www.wildfrontiers.co.uk/wildfrontiers/jbbooks.jsf
Saturday 1st November 2008
Martin Featherstone
Northern India - Rajahstan to Varanassi
Martin takes us on a journey to india visiting the Elephant Festival in Rajahstan, bodies burning on the Varanassi ghats, inside the Rat Temple ,the Indo-Pakistan border ceremony and also the sex temples of Kujaharo
Jennifer Barclay
How I Went to Korea and Learned to Love Kimchi.
Jennifer Barclay writes articles on Korean culture for www.londonkoreanlinks.net and has written on Korea for The Korea Herald, Canada's Globe and Mail and the Travelers Tales (US) anthology A Woman's Asia. She has also written on travel and culture for The Toronto Star and Greek News, and contributed to Lonely Planet: Korea. Her short travel stories 'Comfort Me With Kimchi' and 'Discovering the Old World in Andalucia' were forwarded to the finals of the Canadian Literary Awards in 2001. She has recently published her first book, Meeting Mr Kim, or How I learned to Love Kimichi (August 2008), about the three months she spent travelling around South Korea.
The talk by Paul Mungeam has had to be postponed
Paul Mungeam
Stories from ten years of Adventure and Travel
Paul Mungeam. (Known as Mungo in the TV industry) was born in Tonbridge Kent in 1971. He studied fine art in Sydney for 3 years and, with no formal media training, held a 'second' camera for a friend at a society wedding. The rest, they say is history. His home is in Wandsworth. London. Over the last ten years he has proved that by daring to take hold of opportunities that arise, you can become a considerable achiever. He has filmed in approximately 50 countries and on every continent. With a friend he has just launched a new company called Expedition Media (expeditionmedia.co.uk expeditionmedia.co.uk).
For more info see: http://www.whsmith.co.uk/CatalogAndSearch/ProductDetails-Mungo+the+Cameraman+-9780955565007.html&tab=3
Saturday 6th December 2008
Juliet Coombe
Around The Fort In 80 Lives - Sri Lanka revisited
Talk on the horrors and highs of creating a brand new book series based on people and how these colourful characters make each and every travellers trip unique. How to turn your travel idea into a book and what to look for when commissioning the rest of the series.
John Gimlette
Panther Soup, a European Journey in War and Peace
A chance encounter with an American veteran leads John Gimlette, the award-winning travel writer, on an astonishing journey which shows just how Europe has changed since the Second World War.
Their contemporary odyssey passes through some of the most spectacular landscapes in the world, and through cities that have risen from cinders. Panther Soup is the story of that journey, a tale as bleak and absurd as war itself yet full of transformation, rich variety and interest when dealing with the present day. For more info see: http://www.randomhouse.co.uk/catalog/book.htm?command=Search&db=main.txt&eqisbndata=0091921384
The talk by Amar Grover has had to be postponed
Amar Grover
A Journey through Southern Morocco
Taking in ruined palaces, spectacular scenery and the fortified granaries of the Berbers.
Saturday 3rd January 2009
Four 20 minutes Mini-talks and our New Year Party
Our January meeting gives four speakers to present 20 minute talks, an opportunity to introduce subjects within a tighter format. We hope that talks may include topics that couldn't be sustained over a normal 40 minute talk or offer a launch for new speakers. By tradition we follow this meeting with a New Year Party post-meeting - everyone is invited to bring food and drink and participate!
Saturday, 7th February 2009
Peter Overton
Wildlife Research Expeditions
Biosearch expeditions takes groups of volunteers to live in the wilderness areas of Malawi and assist the parks authority with their wildlife surveys.
Amar Grover
A Journey through Southern Morocco
Taking in ruined palaces, spectacular scenery and the fortified granaries of the Berbers.
Saturday March 7th, 2009
Jonathan Kaplan: Travels in Eritrea
A wedding and two wars on the Red Sea.
Peter Gostelow: Long Bike Ride Home
In the summer of 2005 Peter left Japan, where he’d been teaching English for two years, and began travelling home, by bicycle. This solo and unsupported journey lasted 3 years and took him through 30 countries, covering a total distance of over 30,000 miles. For more information see http://www.petergostelow.com
Saturday April 4th, 2009
Paul Whittle: Steam to Mandalay
Highlights of a 1,200 mile tour of the reclusive country of Myanmar – “Land of Gold and Green” – by vintage steam train. Magnificent religious sites, beautiful scenery and friendly local people.
“Brazil Bunch”: Six Friends, The Ashininka, Canoes, from Brazil to Peru & Back.
Proving even GT members can’t walk on water. Urban Jungle to Tropical jungle and back.
Saturday May 9th, 2009
Polly Evans: “ Mad Dogs and an Englishwoman”
Author of: “It’s not about the Tapas”, “Kiwis might fly”, “Fried eggs with chopsticks” and “On a hoof and a prayer”. In her latest travels Polly has exchanged her bicycle, motorbike, public transport and horse for “mans best friend”. She will talk about her experiences in the remote Yukon Territory in northwest Canada learning the art of mushing (how to drive sled dogs), the topic of her latest book. http://www.pollyevans.com
John Mole: I was a Potatoe Oligarch
The USSR collapsed. John Mole wants to take part in the revolution. How? With a fast food take-away. A fascinating journey under the (potato) skin of the New Russia. www.johnmole.com/oligarch
Saturday June 6th, 2009
LUKE FREEMAN - Cowboys of Madagascar 2004 RGS/BBC Journey of a Lifetime winner
In April 2004 Luke Freeman set off to Madagascar to join a group of young drovers driving 600 head of cattle across Madagascar from east to west. ??This is a key rite of passage for young men as they earn enough money to settle down and start a family. Life on the road is tough and risky: bandits, crocodiles and precipices threaten the safety of the cattle and their drovers.? ?From the dusty western plains to the dripping rain forest of the east, Luke tramped the cattle trail sharing the lifestlye, food and songs of the Malagasy cattlemen.??His Journey of a Lifetime describes his double life on the tracks of cowboys and in the corridors of power.?Luke fulfils his dream to drive a herd of cattle along the old drove-paths of Madagascar and ends up jetting around Africa as chief speechwriter to the President.
ED GILLESPIE - Around the world without the aluminium sausage - a slow travel circumnavigation of the planet Director of Futerra London. www.futerra.co.uk
Over 12 months (2007-2008) Ed and his girlfriend travelled around the world without getting on a plane and attempted to embrace as many different modes of transport as they could in the process. They wanted to experience the benefits of international travel without causing massive carbon damage to the climate by flying. The journey is the reward and getting there is half the fun! Revelling in the slow movement through landscape, culture, people and language rather than just passing over it all in an aluminium sausage! A realisation that holidays can start the minute you leave your front door not the moment you arrive at your destination. You can read about his journey at www.lowcarbontravel.com. His interesting career history includes working for the Natural History Film Unit, as a marine biologist in Australia, New Caledonia and Orkney and on environmental issues for Transport for London.
Saturday 4th Jul 2009
Members Slides : Around the world in eighty minutes.
8 presentations of 12 slides
This month we have a fast paced journey around the Globe stopping off at The Crimea, Morocco, Ireland, Australia, North Vietnam, Stockholm, Palitana, and sample some Island Life (but not necessarily in that order).
Probably the best meeting of the year and your last chance to meet up before the summer.
- **REMINDER*** This meeting will take place at Dragon Hall, 17 Stukeley Street, London, WC2B 5LT and start at 2.30pm. [map]
Future Meetings: Speakers and dates to be confirmed.
- Saturday 12th September (This meeting will take place at Dragon Hall, 17 Stukeley Street, London, WC2B 5LT)
- Saturday 3rd October
- Saturday 7th November
- Saturday 5th December
Mark your Diary