I first got to know Yarisow – as he was affectionately known – back in 2012. I had left behind my career as an Army Officer and moved out to Kenya to be the Chief of Staff in a strategic communications team working in Somalia. I was living in Nairobi, spending weeks at a time […]
It was not what I was expecting when I first ventured into the divided city of Mogadishu in 2010. To be told that the city contained a Christian burial site seemed unlikely. After further research I realised that not only was there a Commonwealth African War Cemetery in the middle of the one of the […]
It was a bit of a scramble to get a seat. I was the civilian Chief of Staff of the UN-contracted Information Support Team, based in Mogadishu International Airport (MIA). During my rounds of UN offices in the camp, I heard that a UN flight was going south to Kismayo International Airport the following morning, […]
I recently did something that I had been meaning to do for 6 years; to have the last medal I was awarded during my service added to my existing medals. I felt a moment of nervousness when I handed over the package containing my medals in the local Post Office to be sent off to […]
In 2009 I returned to the UK after a notably intense operational tour of duty in Kosovo. Even though bullets were not flying past my ears, the 6 months I spent there made a lasting impression on me. Even two weeks into my time based in Pristina, I knew there was a book waiting to […]
Well there is one thing that I can definitely confirm as a resolution; to make 2018 better than 2017. It will not be hard to achieve that. 2017 was the worst year in living memory, for many reasons. But that’s another blog post for another time… So what do I want to achieve this year? […]
Like most people across our planet, I was again saddened by the senseless killing and maiming of so many people in what is a beautiful city. Like many, I have visited and enjoyed Barcelona. Like many I have wandered aimlessly around the streets without thinking I was in danger. I tweeted this picture yesterday; I […]
Its been a while since I last wrote anything on this blog. I have been head down settling into a new and demanding role, which has included some of the more interesting things in life: travelling abroad, taking photographs; meeting people; and generally living a busy and extraordinary life! These things don’t last forever though […]
Thanks for reading this short blog and for visiting my site. I know many readers are very interested in my connection with Sándor Görög who lives in Budapest. In fact I can say with clarity that my experience of visiting Sándor this Autumn was a highlight for me and it marked the end of a […]
Sunset over the Atlantic Its not often that we are able to escape from the rat race. This week I flew out to stay in a family house in a small, near deserted seaside village in northern Portugal called Moledo. I have only ever been here in the summer and the difference is stark. The […]
