I became hooked on the outdoors aged 13 in the Air Cadets pottering along the Berkshire Downs Ridgeway with a rucksack that weighed the same as me eating beans on an open fire and sleeping under an old parachute with a bunch of mates. After a 38-year career as an Artillery Officer I have recently retired to a quiet village near Taunton. My career was varied with much of it spent outdoors, and much of it spent planning and delivering training that would be challenging, effective-and fun.
There have been some great opportunities for Expeditions and I have had some great experiences along the way. Some highlights are from spending 4 weeks langlauf skiing in the high arctic in Norway in the winter to a 10 day expedition further south trekking and sea kayaking in the summer. I have been a member of two epic sea kayak journeys in SE Alaska (4 weeks) and in the Queen Charlottes Islands of NW Canada (8 weeks). I have also completed a solo kayak circumnavigation of Cyprus, much of which was still wild and undeveloped. I am an enthusiastic but stately Orienteerer and enjoy map making and the planning and setting out of orienteering courses. I have competed in a couple of 2-day ‘OMMs’, and survived Borrowdale without fuss. Weaved throughout this has been my interest in ancient history, navigation, stargazing and cartography which has developed over the years.
I am a freelance outdoors instructor predominantly involved with DofE Training, Practice and Assessed Expeds. I also volunteer with Devon and Somerset Wing Air Cadets with DofE as a Leader and Ten Tors as a Trainer/Manager. I am an NNAS Gold Tutor and Assessor. I'm also a volunteer the Somerset DofE County Committee and part of the DofE Assessors Network for Dartmoor and Exmoor.