2019-2020


A list of this season's talks appears below, click on an individual entry for more information. Unfortunately due to the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic we had to cancel the last 3 talks, but hope to re-schedule them soon.

  • Tow camels

    To Eritrea and Ethiopia: A Victorian Quest

    October 1st

    John Pilkington

    Partly on foot with a donkey, John retraces the route taken by an 1868 British expedition to the Abyssinian highlands, meeting spirited people in extremely challenging lands.

  • Source of the Amazon

    Kayaking the Amazon

    October 22nd

    Olie Hunter Smart

    Olie and a friend took on the immense challenge to travel the length of the Amazon, a self-supported 4,000-mile journey from its source in the Peruvian Andes to the Atlantic.

  • Burgos Sampedros

    The Back Roads of Iberia

    November 5th

    Duncan Gough

    Duncan has travelled over 50,000 miles on back roads around Iberia and will encourage visitors to get off the beaten track to experience unique insights.

  • Long straight road to buttes

    On the Road in North America

    November 19th

    Chris Forse

    A celebration in words, pictures and music of the great American Road trip, including the deserts and mountains of the American and Canadian west and the Appalachians

  • world map

    Members' Social & Talks

    December 3rd

    Members’ only evening with quiz and buffet. Then a number of our members will talk about their latest travelling experiences from their journeys all over the world

  • Arab and tea

    On Foot in the Middle East

    December 17th

    Leon McCarron

    Leon travelled on foot from Jerusalem to Mount Sinai,following ancient trading routes and modern-day hiking paths, to search for another side to a misunderstood region.

  • Verdun

    Freewheeling from the UK to Vienna

    January 7th

    Paul Gillingham

    We all remember that magical first trip abroad. Over sixty years on, Paul celebrates his first journey by cycling across France to Freiburg, then along the Danube to Vienna.

  • Genghis Khan statue

    Modern Mongolia

    January 21st

    Jess Brooks

    Be delighted, challenged and surprised by 21st century Mongolia. The rewards for those who make the effort to get to Mongolia are, like its land, immense.

  • Barra house

    A Journey Around Our Archipelago

    February 4th

    Patrick Barkham

    Patrick travels from small to ever tinier islands around Britain in search of the essence of island life. Do small islands have big lessons for us on the mainland?

  • Hejaz railway

    Saudi Arabian Journeys

    February 18th

    John Weatherburn

    The Weatherburns lived in Saudi Arabia from the Gulf War to the Arab Spring and travelled the country experiencing desert, volcanoes, pilgrimage routes and coral reefs.

  • Kyoto lanterns

    Tokyo to Yonaguni-Jima

    March 3rd

    Mike Laird

    Mike journeys from Tokyo to a remote Japanese island, all without a plan, taking in some less well known sights, as well as a good helping of Japanese culture and cuisine along the way.

  • Brown bear

    Walking with Bears

    March 17th

    Andy Skillen

    Join award-winning photographer Andy on his experiences photographing bears on foot: an evening of unique images and close-up encounters with grizzlies and polar bears.

  • Tusheti viallage and castle

    Travels in Tusheti

    April 7th

    Chris Wills

    Chris and family explore the Tusheti region of Georgia on horseback, learning about the Tush, their way of life and discovering ancient settlements and villages on the way.

  • Speaker's image

    AGM & From Transylvania to Tallinn

    April 21st

    Janet Parsons

    After our AGM, Janet takes us on a journey across eastern Europe from Romania via East Slovakia and Riga to Tallinn, the best preserved medieval city in Northern Europe.

These are the main items of the programme, but they may be subject to change due to circumstances beyond our control. Other events will be announced at the meetings and in our newsletters.

Download this season's programme as a pdf file

Download this season's programme as a calendar file