Which to most people would sound like a very boring statement. I never found accountancy boring – in fact I loved being able to help small businesses to sort out their accounting information. I was also never JUST a Chartered Accountant – I managed to squeeze in a few unusual journeys along the way, such as learning to ride a motorbike and completing the Isle of Man TT circuit (slowly, not racing!); walking across the Caucasus Mountains in Georgia, and the Atlas Mountains in Morocco; the 3 Peaks Challenge in the UK; a cycle challenge in Tanzania, Africa, to name just a few… Some of these may appear on the ‘Before’ section of this website if I get around to collating the photos etc in the winter…

At the end of March 2025, however, I formally retired from the accountancy partnership I had been involved with for the previous 7 years, ready to complete the gap year I never did between A Levels and University. I wouldn’t have had the confidence (or indeed the money) to travel at the tender age of 18. Indeed when I finished Uni and participated in the BUNAC programme available in the 1980’s (which involved me getting a work permit for the USA for the summer) I struggled with both confidence and money as I caught Greyhound buses from New York to San Francisco, and back via Chicago to Boston, before flying home again from New York, waitressing here and there.

My (adult) children
Annie (now 29, soon to be 30 later in 2025) and George (currently 25, but also a birthday later this year)
My dog – Harry – a black cocker spaniel
My sister (Trudi), brother (Paul) and my mum (20 years older than me, almost exactly, so past the 80 milestone). Unfortunately my dad died in September 2024, but he had a big influence during my life

In fact my wish to travel was probably as a result of my childhood. In the early 1970’s mum and dad were taking us across France, camping, all piled up in a little family car, before it was fashionable to travel abroad. Dad had a Penguin English/French dictionary which enabled us to get by with filling the car up with fuel, and trips to the boulangerie. I remember hours driving south along very straight roads, all windows open in a vain attempt to cool down, looking out for suitable picnic sites for lunch. We started looking for beautiful sites with tables and streams at 12noon, progressing down to any old layby full of gravel by 2pm when we were all really hungry. The favourite was crusty French baguette, with chocolate and a banana folded in the middle to make a sandwich! Happy days indeed…

I have set this website up as a record of my travels in my retirement year and maybe beyond. I have no idea where this journey will take me, but a website seemed to be the best way to capture the photos and my thoughts along the way. It is not intended for a wider audience – it is for my own memories and perhaps for those I travel with who may be interested in their little part in it. I don’t believe anyone is likely to sit down and read everything, and I am happy if the only one who reads the blogs is me. If anyone else finds any of the blogs interesting then that’s a bonus.