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Casamance Capers

When new volunteers arrive in The Gambia, one of the first things that VSO talk about is the importance of never, ever, ever setting foot in that part of Senegal to the southwest of The Gambia known as...

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Murder Mystery Mayhem

For those of you who don’t yet know, my time in The Gambia is coming to an end. As is natural, a short time ago people started asking about my ‘leaving do’. I, of course, replied that I wouldn’t be...

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Mini Egg Mini Break

Being acquainted with young Agnes definitely has its advantages: no longer do we need to sit around imagining what we might be doing if only we’d got round to thinking of it and then organising it....

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Home Time

When you live anywhere, no matter what that place is like, after a while you inevitably build an attachment to it. After twenty months in The Gambia, I was just about ready to come home but, as the end...

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My First VSO Reunion

As I mentioned in my last post, pining for long lost VSO chums from The Gambia is featuring largely in my daily timetable at the moment. My sense of separation was greatly reduced around a month ago,...

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Easter to August 2010

Well, it’s been a long time since I did anything with this blog, so I doubt very much that you’re actually reading this! If you are though, and let’s suppose for a minute that that might be the case,...

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Road Trip to Amersfoort – Part 1

A couple of weeks ago it occurred to me that, contrary to my promises and my good intentions, I hadn’t yet made it over to Dutchland to see my old mucker from Kerewan, Ivo. We’d spent many happy hours...

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Road Trip to Amersfoort – Part 2

The ride from Calais to Dutchland turned out to be much easier than I’d thought. Reading a map on a motorbike can be tricky (it keeps blowing into your face and making you crash) so I’d made a list of...

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Road Trip to Amersfoort – Part 3

Something strange must have happened that night: I distinctly remember being in a bar in Amersfoort town square but then the world started to go in and out of focus. Perhaps it was aliens trying out...

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The Grand European Tour (abridged version)

Having friends with interesting cars is a wonderful thing and I recommend it. Having friends who want to do interesting things with their interesting cars is even better! Having friends who want to do...

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Bruges or Bust!

Apologies to those of you waiting for the next thrilling installment of the European epic but events overtook me and I never got around to writing it! I fully intended to finish it, but wise people...

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Emily’s Graduation

Just a quick note to let you all know how proud I was today when I went to watch Emily graduate. I know I’ve been quiet lately, but this one got me wanting to tell everyone how clever she is (apart...

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Battles With Blencathra

Several years ago, I stumbled across the start of a programme called Wainright’s Walks (I think) in which the presenter was about to scale the heights of Blencathra via something called ‘Sharp Edge’....

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Inglish in Istanbul

‘Oh dear,’ sighed Helen one sunny day in May, sounding as wistful and contemplative as a recalcitrant schoolgirl who’s just realised he missed her opportunity to cause a minor explosion in the...

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Return to Da Gambia

When I left The Gambia nearly 2 years ago, I was pretty sure that I would never be going back there. I’d had a great time and learned a great deal, both about myself and African culture, but it is a...

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Summer Shenanigans in Sunny Scotland

“Where in the world would you like to spend your 50th birthday?” was the question. It sounded exciting at first – until the proviso that it had to be somewhere cheap as were are saving to get married...

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Summer Shenanigans etc …2

Our first Scottish night was scheduled to happen on the banks of Loch Lomond. The campsite we were aiming for was on the eastern shores and claimed to have toilets but nothing else – I was really...

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Summer Shenanigans in Scotland 3

After scaling the dizzy heights of Benbecula (both physically and emotionally), I thought the rest of the holiday was going to be something of an anti-climax. I hadn’t reckoned with the excitement of...

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On Being A Stag

Whilst being incredibly excited about my forthcoming nuptials, I am only too aware that I am slightly older than the average prospective groom and can’t help feeling a bit silly about some of the...

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Andrew’s Summer

When I last wrote, I was looking forward to travelling back to England and spending a few weeks at home with friends and family. I am pleased to be able to report that I managed to perform this skilful...

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