Illustrated Talks

I give talks across the NW of England to photography clubs, hotel luncheon clubs, church groups and various regional and local societies, including RSPB groups, Rotary, U3A, Soroptimists, WI, PROBUS and the Townswomen's Guild. I also give talks to secondary and junior schools, and am currently developing a programme of talks with Wirral Grammar School for Boys, and visiting local junior schools with a new talk on Antarctica.

I also lecture on my photographic work and travels abroad in the monthly 'Dinner Lecture' series, at Burton Manor, an Adult Residential College in Burton village, near Neston, Cheshire, and regularly exhibit and present afternoon and evening Illustrated Talks at The Lauries Centre in Birkenhead, Wirral.

In November 2009 and 2010, I presented portfolios of my work to expedition staff and travellers on the Russian polar-class icebreaker, 'Kapitan Khlebnikov' (KK), during expeditions through the ice-bound Weddell Sea in Antarctica to James Ross and Snow Hill Islands. From June to Sep 2011 I will be lecturing and presenting illustrated talks to travellers on the icebreakers, KK and the '50 Years of Victory', during expeditions to the North Pole and a High Arctic Circumnavigation of the World.

To enquire or book a particular Illustrated Talk, please use the contact page. Presentations are available in 45 or 75 minute modules, with the latter in two parts with an interval. Fees generally start at £60 plus travelling expenses if outside the Merseyside and Cheshire areas.

The following Illustrated Talks are now available to book :

gentoo chicks Emperors and Kings
Join me to view penguin images from my three expeditions to the Falklands, South Georgia, the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula. Focusing on eight penguin species, this talk focuses on the natural adaptations which enable them to breed and survive in the peninsula and the outlying antarctic and sub-antarctic islands. My images feature adults and chicks of the Adelie, Chinstrap, Emperor, Gentoo, King, Macaroni, Magellanic and Rockhopper species, all photographed against breathtaking backdrops of icebergs, glaciers, sheer cliffs and violent seas. This talk is a treat for all penguin fans.

Antarctica 'A Really Cool Place'
A new illustrated talk for schoolchildren, suitable for ages 6 to 7 and 9 to10 years. This 30 minute talk looks at the rich wildlife in this cold and isolated place, including; whales, seals, penguins and albatrosses; plus stunning images of frozen landscapes with gigantic blue-green icebergs.

Some of the threats caused by global human activity are also touched upon, for eg; habitat destruction, climate change and pollution, which now endanger this unique and 'really cool place'. A talk which children and teachers alike will enjoy.

We Pollute and Plunder the Earth at our Peril
Since the outset of the Industrial Revolution, mankind has plundered the Earth of its finite resources. From the mass slaughter of seals and whales in the C18th, we have overfished the seas and denuded vast areas of forest, causing the extinction of many hundreds of species of wildlife. With the human population now over 6 billion, the Earth is no longer able to sustain the familiar and comfortable world we have taken for granted. The result is global warming, climate change, pollution, floods and crop failures. With stunning images from my expeditions to the Antarctic, one of the last 'pristine' environments left on the planet, I show how even this most inaccessible and inhospitable place is being affected by mankind's actions. It's not too late, there are glimmers of hope as lessons are being learned which can save Antarctica and other wilderness areas for future generations. For nature lovers and anyone concerned about the environment, this talk is not to be missed.

Petrels, Paddy’s and Penguins
This talk features over 30 species of birds which live in the Antarctic and in the outlying sub-antarctic islands of this vast, cold and inhospitable continent – the last true wilderness on earth. You will see images of penguins, albatrosses, giant petrels, snow and cape petrels, snowy sheathbills, gulls, Antarctic skuas, Imperial and rock cormorants, all photographed against breathtaking backdrops of icebergs, glaciers, sheer cliffs and violent seas. This illustrated talk is a visual treat for bird watchers and all nature lovers, and not to be missed.

Images From The Edge
Join me for a portfolio of stunning photographs from some of the most spectacular landscapes in the world and a look at some of the great explorers who discovered them, including Marco Polo, Magellan, Livingstone, Burckhardt and Bingham. Travelling between five continents we will see icebergs and frozen seas in the Arctic and Antarctica, the Inca city of Machu Picchu in Peru, Petra and Wadi Rum in Jordan, Victoria Falls in Zambia to Red Forts in India and Abu Simbel in Egypt, plus much more. There is something for everyone, this talk is a must for travellers, historians and lovers of nature.

Seals, Whales, Candles and Soap

In 1775 Captain Cook claimed South Georgia in the South Atlantic for Great Britain. Sealing commenced there in 1786, and within 50 years over a million fur seals had been killed for their pelts and oil. Whaling began around the island in 1904, and by 1914, whale oil had become an important commercial commodity and a basic ingredient in the production of explosives. In 1917/18, the entire Antarctic catch of 258,000 barrels of whale oil was destined for West Float Docks in Birkenhead. Join me to find out about this incredible local link and the Wirral industries using whale oil in their domestic and international products. I also look at the last 50 years of international protection which has seen seal and whale numbers return to record levels in the southern ocean. The challenge now is to protect this wildlife and the pristine environment it inhabits from the new man-made threats of pollution and global warming. With stunning images from my visits to South Georgia and the Antarctic region, this talk is a must for all nature lovers and anyone who cares for our environment.

Feathers and Wings
Join me for a presentation featuring over 50 bird species from five continents. My diverse and colourful images will include familiar avian species from Europe, to more exotic vultures and caracaras from South America; kites, sun birds and bee-eaters from Asia, to albatrosses, petrels and penguins from Antarctica.

For bird watchers and lovers of nature, this beautifully illustrated talk is a treat.

Egypt "The Gift of The Nile"
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 'City Of Sculpture'
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.

Peru 'Land of the Incas'
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’.

Venice Carnevale 'Masks, Myths and Mystique'
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.

India 'Land Of Wonders'
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.

Al-Andalus 'The Moors in Spain’'
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.

Antarctica 'Recollections of a Scot in Antarctica'
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 on earth.

Man, The Measure of All Things
Protagoras, the C5th Greek philosopher, who believed ‘Man is the measure of all things’, was the inspiration for the Renaissance humanists who blended art and science, exemplified in Leonardo de Vinci’s drawing of ‘Vitruvian Man’. The Renaissance began in Tuscany in the early C15th centered in the cities of Florence and Siena. It developed and spread to Venice then on to Rome, which was largely rebuilt in the new style during the C16th. This talk features many Italian Renaissance treasures which were to influence European architecture, painting and sculpture for many centuries afterwards, and includes stunning images of architecture, sculpture and paintings by masters such as Ghiberti, Brunelleschi, Palladio, Masaccio, Raphael, Botticelli, Michelangelo, Bernini and Leonardo da Vinci.

Uttermost Part of the Earth
In 1519 Ferdinand Magellan, the Portugese explorer, became the first European to navigate a wild and remote channel linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Sailing for the Spanish crown in search of a westward route to the Spice Islands, Magellan sighted many fires along the coastline. His sailors christened this uncharted area “Tierra Del Fuego”, or ‘the Land of Fire’. Sailing the same waters in 1577, now named the Magellan Strait, Sir Francis Drake described this southern tip of South America as “the uttermost part of the earth towards the South Pole”. The crew of the Golden Hinde, became the first British to set eyes on penguins, describing them as “foule which could not flie, of the bignesse of geese”.

Join me to view stunning wildlife and landscape images from my three expeditions to Tierra Del Fuego. You will see the rare fuegian red fox, penguins, seals, sealions, albatrosses, giant petrels, magnificent birds of prey, and many other animals and plants which survive in this most remote and inhospitable region of the southern hemisphere.