(c) evaser.com I was talking to a friend about my next adventure – a surf and yoga trip to Kerala planned for later this year. Her eyes widened as I told her of my plans to go alone … “I wish I was more like you,” she said. “You’re so brave and adventurous going off on your own without a care in the world. I’d love to be able to do that but I’m too scared.” I was surprised by her response. I’ve never thought that travelling on my own might be considered dangerous or adventurous by others. I’m sure[…]
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The magical world of England’s New Forest
By Jane Wynyard, August 27, 2013 The English countryside is more than just lovely walks in the countryside, nature and fresh air. It’s a place that takes me back to my childhood daydreams of fairies, goblins, heroic knights, outlaws, legends, princes and princesses. Which is why I love the tiny village of Brockenhurst in the New Forest, Hampshire. It’s a place where you can let your imagination run wild. New Forest, which is more than a thousand years old, is a world of creatures, ancient woodlands, fascinating history, royalty, miles and miles of forest, and breath-taking country walks. And, most importantly,[…]
Prince Fluffy Kareem: helping horses, donkeys and camels in the Pyramid area of Cairo, Egypt
I want to give a huge shout out to Prince Fluffy Kareem – aka PFK – an amazing charity that helps horses, camels and donkeys in the pyramid area of Cairo, Egypt.Their work is incredible, inspiring, tough, challenging, sad and life-changing. Norwegian horse lover, Marte, and Egyptian stable manager Sherif alongside Emma Thompson from the UK run the PFK stable with 13 horses, of which 11 are rescues. In addition to stabling rescues, PFK foster other working horses that need rest and treatment for various issues, run clinics where local horse owners bring their horses for treatment and have made three[…]
My week as a real Calamity Jane on a cattle drive in Montana
In my 20s, I worked as a news journalist at a regional paper called The Daily News in New Plymouth, New Zealand. I earned the nickname Calamity Jane because every time I was on late duty, a major disaster happened – a gang shoot-out, an ammunitions warehouse on fire, capsized Korean fishing vessel, six car pile-up, a cyclone … you name it, I covered it. The Chief Report would ring the police and fire brigade to warn them I was on late duty. It was that bad. But this story isn’t about my journalism days or the disasters I covered. It’s a[…]
Little piggies go to the park in London
Monday May 27 2013 This has to be one of the best things I’ve seen in London in my whole ten years here. I was walking with a friend through Ravenscourt Park today and ranting about how I needed more nature and time with animals when there in the middle of the park were two enormous pigs! They were the gorgeous sweetest kunekune pigs, twin brothers called Snout and Crackling. They both wore dog harnesses and grunted, snuffled and ate copius amounts of fresh green grass. Other dogs didn’t quite know what to make of them including one[…]
Meeting Pavarotti in the City of Love – Verona, Italy
In August 1990, I travelled to the city of romance – Verona, Italy – as part of the New Zealand contingent for the World Festival Choir. It was my first ever visit to Europe and the start of a long love affair with Italy, Europe, and Pavarotti. Singers had been selected from around the world to sing Verdi’s Requiem at the Arena di Verona with Pavarotti, in a performance to raise funds for United Nations refugees. More than fifty thousand dollars was raised from the concert, which was attended by Princess Diana and the King and Queen of Spain. The performance also[…]
Riots Over British Gold At the 1920 Antwerp Olympics
It was an amazing Summer for Team GB at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil. Britain won 65 medals, of which 27 were gold. The British athletes left Rio on a high and there was huge congratulations all around on their success. Now imagine this is 1920, we’re at the Antwerp Olympics and the British Water polo team has just beaten Belgium to the gold medal. Instead of admitting defeat, being happy with a Silver and congratulating the British in the sporting spirit of the games, the Belgians have erupted and started a riot. Soldiers in full riot gear with bayonets and swords have entered the games to control[…]
The murdered millionaire and his Hampstead home
By Jane Wynyard, May 15, 2012 One of the best things about Hampstead are the houses and the stories they tell – some fascinating and quirky, some with sad and terrible tales to tell. One such sad story is an apt testament to our pre-recession world of greed and corruption. The above photo, taken a couple of days ago (May 2012), is all that’s left of the dilapidated home of an elderly recluse millionaire author, Alan Chappelow, who lived alone on Devonshire Hill. Mr Chappelow was battered to death in June 2006 in his house, known as Manor House, by[…]
The Ancestors
I had it drummed into me from an early age that family and knowing where your roots come from are vitally important. My Grandfather, Edward Gordon Gedge, told me fantastic stories about his aristocratic life and my parents often said to me that I had ‘blue blood’ in my veins although I had no idea what they meant, and that I could trace my ancestry back to William the Conqueror. Living in New Zealand, I didn’t have any appreciation of my ancestry until I first came to England and visited Whitmore Hall – my roots; the ancestral home in Staffordshire. […]
Giant storks and drunken bees in Marrakech, Morocco
Marrakech, Morocco 2007 Our trip began with the most amazing breakfast on the rooftop terrace of our riad. Birds and bees flying around and we were surrounded by pots of colourful bougainvillea and pink hibiscus flowers. Our breakfast consisted of brown bread and traditional rghaif – Moroccan pancakes, mint tea, fresh strong coffee in silver pots and home-made fig or orange jam which the bees went bonkers over while tiny birds bounced around the table snapping at the bread. The bees turned into clowns – they would perch on the edge of the jam pots and suck at the jam[…]