My publisher, Harper Collins, and the wonderful Marjorie Calder of The Big Partnership, keep telling me that I need to Blog more, join Facebook and start Tweeting and…   However, social media simply just does not grab me. The few friends that I have I either email, telephone or meet and I have always had the conviction that anyone who … READ MORE »

A recent posting on the websites Forum has prompted me to post my thoughts on ths Blog.   The interference of satnav signals is an issue that threatens us all.   Much of my work brings me into close contact with the realities of life, from mountain rescue to counter-terrorism, and yet the single biggest threat I believe is the … READ MORE »

Lucky as I am to travel to interesting and different parts of the world, the magic of Ramshead nevers fails to capture me. Out early this morning to feed the sheep and open the hen houses, I stood in amazement at the fire in the sky above Ruberslaw from the sunrise. A busy couple of days with a journalist and … READ MORE »

This weekend my mountain rescue team are off to the Cairngorm for their annual winter training, always includes a few good beers on Saturday night, but I am getting ready for my next big trip, States side, plus have an operating manual to finish to take with me!   As a team we train weekly, with about 4 weekends dedicated … READ MORE »

Received an email from Eric, a good SAR friend, who told me that last week he witnessed some of the most spectacular northern lights (aurora borealis) he has ever seen. When I was last in Iceland, working with some of the SAR teams there, I was fortunate to see them for myself and they are mesmerizing to look at. Later … READ MORE »

This weekend I attended the Mountain Rescue England & Wales National Water Conference to present about the value of satnav where water is a critical element of the mission.   The risks that any body of water poses to MR Responders is considerable, from a bank side search along a seemingly quiet river bank to the devastating recent floods in … READ MORE »

Collecting my hire car from Charles  de Gaulle Airport I was surprised to be informed by the sales person that although my car had an inbuilt satnav, as per my request, the advance speed camera warning had been disabled.   There are two schools of argument for and against advanced warning of speed cameras using in-car satnav technology: one that … READ MORE »

Just before Christmas I received the great news from Harper Collins that the book is selling so well that they need to reprint further copies. I have taken this opportunity to correct the various spelling mistakes and factual errors that readers have highlighted to me over the three months since launch.   A BIG thank you to everyone who has … READ MORE »

Forgive the brevity of this blog entry, I will write at length over the holidays.   This last month I have attempted to clear my massive back log of commitments and it has taken me everywhere from Seattle to Inverness and on some bases with no access to the outside world whatsoever. Initially I always feel bereft yet within a … READ MORE »

Received an email from Harry Cockburn, an old friend who I have not seen for years, saying that he had read a great review of my new book in ‘The Field Magazine’ and this has made me smile for lots of reasons.   Firstly, great to hear from Harry, now living in France, conducting WWI battlefield tours.   Secondly, because … READ MORE »