According to Herodotus, the Greek historian, Egypt was the gift of the Nile, for without her rich waters Egyptian civilization would have been short-lived. The river provided the elements that sustained and influenced an ingenious and vigorous civilization for over three thousand years. In this talk, we travel down the river Nile from the Great Pyramids in Cairo to the temple of Ramses ll in Abu Simbel in Nubia, with images of the wildlife and colourful landscapes

Liverpool possesses an abundance of public monuments and sculptures, unsurpassed by any other English city, with the exception of London. This talk begins with the earliest surviving freestanding sculpture in the city, dating from 1799. My images will reveal the confidence, wealth and pre-eminence of Victorian and Edwardian Liverpool as reflected in her public monuments. We will also come up to date, looking at Liverpool in 2008 as Capital of Culture, with the magnificent Superlambananas and other stunning modern works around this vibrant, global city

Centred at Cusco in Peru, the Incas created the most powerful civilization of pre-Columbian America between the early C15th and the mid C16th. This vast empire, stretching from northern Ecuador to central Chile, fell to the Spanish Conquistadors between 1532 and 1572. In this presentation I discuss the history, geography and uniqueness of the Inca empire, and reveal through my images, the local people and culture, the wildlife in the desolate but colourful landscape of the Andean altiplano, and reveal the stunning architecture and cyclopean masonry of the Inca temples and fortresses, including Ollayantambo, Sacsayhuaman, and Machu Picchu, the legendary ‘Lost City of the Incas’

Recollections from my December 2003 trip on a Russian icebreaker to the coldest, windiest, driest and most remote continent. Breathtaking scenery and rich wildlife is revealed through my images from the South Shetland Islands and Antarctic Peninsula, the last true wilderness

Originating in 1162, the Venice Carnevale has always been a time of excitement and merriment, the last fling before Ash Wednesday and the rigours of Lent. Usually over 11 days in February or March each year, adults don sumptuous masks and costumes and go out on the town to celebrate in style. This talk reveals the history and myths behind the great festival tradition of Venice, illustrating spectacular Carnevale masks and costumes set against the backdrop of the stunning buildings and ravishing vistas

When Marco Polo visited India in the C13th, he described the country as “the richest province in the world … a land of wonders”. His observation is no less true today as everything about India is older, bigger, more colourful, more diverse and more intriguing than anywhere else. India is often mistaken as a continent because of her varied characteristics. A vast country, India boasts a history that goes back five thousand years. In this talk my images from two visits to this remarkable country, will give a flavour of India’s huge diversity; her people of different castes and creeds, rich cultural heritage, colourful wildlife, her monumental architecture and stunning landscapes.

Join me on my 2003 and 2008 trips on Russian icebreakers to the coldest, windiest, driest and most remote continent, the Antarctic. In this talk you will see 7 species of penguins, wandering and black browed albatrosses, giant petrels, Antarctic shags, skuas, whales, elephant seals and fur seals photographed against backdrops of violent seas, sheer cliffs and stunning icebergs. This rich wildlife and breathtaking scenery is revealed through my images from the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, Elephant Island, the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula, the last great wilderness on earth

Al-Andalus, Arabic name given to the parts of the Iberian Peninsula governed by Arab Muslims between 711 - 1492. The vast Caliphate of Córdoba included the cities of Seville, Toledo, Lisbon, Zaragossa and Cordoba. Al-Andalus was a beacon of learning, and the city of Córdoba became one of the leading cultural and economic centres in both the Mediterranean basin and the Islamic world. In this presentation we will visit the cities of Cordoba, Seville, Granada, Lisbon and Istanbul and through my images will reveal the power, prosperity, scientific advances and artistic richness of the culture of the Al-Andalus Moors