Personal Interests

Travel

I have lived in the UK, the USA and Singapore and visited 53 countries and 25 US states. I aim to visit a new country every year. I like to tell fellow tourists about the best places to see and share amusing anecdotes.

Wine trails

I am always interested in learning about quality and trying new foods and drinks. I wrote about Champagne for Take A Break magazine. As Napoleon said of champagne (and this applies to authors): 'In victory you deserve it; in defeat you need it.' I also explored wine trails in California, Canada and New Zealand.

Homes of the Famous

Homes of authors interest me the most, e.g. Edgar Allen Poe in the USA; Webster who wrote the dictionary; R L Stevenson (California); Unsinkable Mollie Brown (Denver); Dracula (Whitby); Katherine Mansfield (New Zealand); Jim Thomson, the silk king in Thailand.

Short Stories

My hobbies are writing short stories, novels and speeches and talking to other authors about techniques. I belong to two UK writing circles and go to two UK annual writers' conferences. I like analysing Country and Western Music which tells a story succinctly, often in ballad form, with a twist end not just once but often three times in only 12 lines.