A subject that I have blogged about in the past is one I return to today. I am increasingly delighted at the diversity of background interests of those who also take an interest in natural navigation.
I regularly give talks to specialist groups, only last Monday night I found myself at the Sandhurst Social Club, speaking to the knowledgeable and very likeable Yateley Offshore Sailing Club. Such specialized gatherings have a mutual interest that draws them together and so variety quite naturally gives way to experience in one area.
On the Beginner’s Guide courses that I run, however, there is no such need for a unifying interest and the backgrounds of those who come is a never-ending source of joy for me. On Friday’s course at the Royal Geographical Society, there was a mountain-marathon runner, an astrologer, a Duke of Edinburgh leader, an amateur astronomer, a nautical circumnavigator and, not least, a good gathering of those who just wanted to get more out of each journey, large or small.
I am no less delighted by the way this subject also takes me to a such a fruit-pudding of locations. Tomorrow I am off to Malmesbury in Wiltshire (the ‘Philosophy Town’, didn’t you know??) to give a talk at their:
‘IDEAS OF NATURE AND COUNTRYSIDE FESTIVAL’
I have little doubt that I will be confronted with more wonderful variety there. I hope to see one or two of you there if you can make it. The talk starts at 10am, which is nice and late for those who like to enjoy midsummer’s abundant daylight.
Tags: course, Malmesbury, navigation courses, Philosophy Town, rgs, royal geographical society, Sandhurst, Sandhurst Social Club, Yateley Offshore Sailing Club
