Namibia & Atlantic Islands SailAway

Larry is a commercial photographer and for over 30 years has been working nationally and internationally with a diverse range of clients such as BP, Cunard, NHS, McDonalds, American Express, ChildLine and National Grid amongst many others. He has been featured in, and written for, Professional Photography magazine, his stock photography is represented by Getty images and he is a member of the Association of Photographers.

Larry has directed and taught photography weekends and classes, is self taught, still learning, and has a real passion for what he does. He loves to help others improve and enjoy their photography regardless of the device they’re using, whether its film or digital, a basic compact camera, a phone, an iPad, or the latest high end digital SLR.

Over his career he’s shot architecture and interiors, still life, reportage, sport, industrial, food, landscapes and much more. Larry has had two studios, the second, Brighton one, being the largest in the UK at the time, where he shot everything from cakes and desserts for Greens to room-sets for B&W loudspeakers. In recent years most of his work is on location and involves photographing people from all walks of life, in all sorts of situations, for corporate, advertising and editorial.

Having been involved in photography for so long, Larry started out using film cameras of various types and formats from 35mm to 5x4 and processing and printing in the traditional darkroom. He then moved to scanning the images from film and outputting them digitally. Larry’s first shoot using purely digital was a commission by Canon UK in 1998 to produce a calendar of photographs of London. For the last 15 years Larry has been shooting entirely with digital cameras and has an extensive knowledge of the digital workflow from camera to print. He was asked by Park Cameras, the UK’s largest independent photo retailer, to advise and teach at their School of Photography as well as offering one to one tuition.

Having worked with Cunard for several years, supplying photographs of their ships around the world for brochures, advertising and PR, along with commissions for Seabourn, Larry enjoys being on cruise ships. He particularly likes smaller ships and has given photography talks on Minerva and Voyager, so is very much looking forward to joining Aegean Odyssey.

Websites:

www.larrybray.com  -  people photography

www.larrybrayphotoart.com  - landscapes, seascapes and travel photographs

Stefan is currently celebrating thirty years as a cruise ship lecturer to all parts of the world but says that of his many achievements the one of which he is proudest is to have been voted among the one hundred people of Polish descent who have contributed most to the life and culture of Britain -  a list on which he appears, alphabetically, between Bonnie Prince Charlie and King Cnut!

Stefan was educated at the Universities of Southampton and Oxford and is a Chartered Biologist and Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology, a Chartered Horticulturist, a founder Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Horticulture, a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London and Associate of the Royal Photographic Society. He holds an honorary chair in Biological Sciences at Liverpool John Moores University, honorary doctorates from the Universities of Southampton and Derby and is an honorary fellow of CABI Biosciences International and of Warwickshire College. He is double past-president of the British Mycological Society and holds the Veitch Memorial Medal in gold of the Royal Horticultural Society, the Benefactors' Medal of the British Mycological Society and the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Garden Media Guild.

Stefan is probably Britain's most experienced media gardening expert and has published over sixty books on natural history and gardening, many of them standard reference works and most translated into several languages. He is believed to be Britain's second biggest selling gardening author and has also written for most national newspapers and leading magazines. Stefan has used his special expertise in fungi to write the most comprehensive field guide to British fungi ever published. His major natural history book, the encyclopaedic Fauna Britannica described the entire wild animal life of the British Isles and its role in British culture.  HRH The Prince of Wales wrote the Foreword and the book was short listed for British Illustrated Book of the Year.

Among his numerous broadcasting achievements, Stefan appeared most famously on BBC Radio's 'Gardeners' Question Time' as panellist and chairman for a unique unbroken run of over 600 broadcasts in twelve years, just part of a portfolio of well over 1,000 radio programmes.  For three years he presented 'Classic Gardening Forum' on Classic FM and devised, wrote and presented six series of the hugely successful programme 'The Gardening Quiz' on Radio 4.  He has also appeared on or presented around 1,000 television programmes, many featuring his own garden, on every British terrestrial television channel and has presented several series on satellite stations.  He is Patron or Trustee of numerous gardening and science-related bodies including the North of England Zoological Society, owners of award winning Chester Zoo and also has over thirty years experience as an expert witness in matters of litigation involving plants.

Stefan has a long-standing interest in modern British political history and is recognised internationally as an authority on Winston Churchill and his social circle. His book 'Churchill and Chartwell' was described by the International Churchill Center in Washington DC as '…a thoroughly indispensable standard work, as important for the library of any serious Churchill student as the memoirs of close associates'.  His latest work, a biography of the Hon Venetia Stanley, confidante of prime minister H H Asquith, has already been hailed as 'a masterpiece'.

Website:  www.stefanbuczacki.co.uk

Jane teaches exercise and dance in and around Brighton, specialising in teaching the over 50’s, as well as choreographing fashion shows and flash mobs.

Since starting ballet at the age of 3 years, Jane has danced all her life appearing in shows as a child then becoming professional at 16. For 15 years Jane worked in theatres, TV and on cruise ships with famous groups including The Tiller Girls, Black and White Minstrels, The Danny La Rue Show, 2nd Generation and as a Lionel Blair dancer. Jane had a wonderful time appearing in Summer seasons, pantomimes, TV variety shows and travelled abroad including 6 months in Japan, 6 months in Mallorca in the dinner show at the prestigious Sporting Casino, 3 months in Portugal and a month in Malta with the Black and White Minstrels.  

After several years travelling Jane settled to work in UK appearing in choreographed fashion shows for Selfridges, Barkers, Pronupture and Wrangler tours and with many appearances in the Liverpool Echo, Manchester Evening Post, Leicester Mercury and Brighton Argus fashion shows. Jane has appeared in TV commercials including Woolworths, Dulux, British Airways, Baileys and Great Mills DIY store.

After marrying photographer, Larry Bray and having 2 girls, Jane turned her attentions to ‘behind the camera’ helping Larry by producing and styling his shoots.

Over the last few years Jane has produced, styled and choreographed fashion shows and street flash mob events for clients including Marks & Spencer, Brighton City Centre and Jury’s Inn Hotel. In 2012-2014 Jane appeared as a guest fashion presenter on QVC shopping TV channel.

Jane had the wonderful opportunity of dancing with The Second Generation again for Dame Vera Lynn’s 100 birthday tribute at the Palladium Theatre in March 2017. The wonderful Dougie Squires directed the show and reformed his famous group for ‘one night only’. The show had the honour of the Queen attending the performance.

Jane’s fitness/dance classes have built up over the last 6 years to near capacity with 9 classes a week. She has thoroughly enjoyed teaching her classes on several cruise ships including the Minerva, Voyager and Saga Pearl 2. Jane is excited to be joining Aegean Odyssey and offering everyone the chance to have fun keeping fit and healthy, moving to popular and catchy music.

Website  -  www.janebusbyfitness.co.uk

Facebook  -  http://www.facebook.com/janebusbyfitness

Clare was born and brought up in the small and historic town of Youghal, in Co. Cork, in Southern Ireland. She was educated at the Presentation of the Sacred Heart Convent, in Youghal. a traditional Catholic school for young ladies. Whilst receiving the full curriculum of subjects, including Gaelic, Clare’s heartfelt interests lay in other directions.

Her mother was a classically-trained pianist, and her father a fine tenor. Clare and her siblings were all musically inclined from a young age, and Clare formed herself and her three younger siblings (two sisters and a brother) into a harmony ensemble, with their ages ranging from sixteen to just eleven.

In 1967, they won a grand concours held in Cork City Opera House, and were brought over to the UK on a tour, from which they never returned to Ireland.

They settled in the United Kingdom, married and had families. Clare and her sisters resurrected their musical career in the 1980’s, culminating in national TV appearances and selection for the Golden Rose of Montreux international awards festival, in Switzerland.

Clare went on to become a very successful BBC radio presenter, working for BBC Radio Lancashire, and BBC Radio Merseyside, two of Britain’s largest local radio networks. She had her own magazine-type show, interviewing right across the board, from authors to explorers, and from politicians to pop stars.

As well as musical ability, Clare also inherited from her mother a lifelong love of crafting.

“With six children to look after, my mother saw it as a necessity rather than a hobby,” reflects Clare. “I’ve just taken what I learnt and absorbed from her, and turned it to another use...teaching”.</p>

Clare has spent a lifetime singing and crafting. In 2008, she gained her ‘Fascinator of Excellence’ qualification, and since then has appeared on ‘Crafty Beggars’, a TV show sponsored by Hobbycraft.’

Clare has been singing and teaching her crafts aboard cruise ships for the past seventeen years. Her craft workshops are informative, effective, and great fun.With a unique blend of skill, patience, and humour, she brings to life the adage, “People learn best when they’re enjoying themselves”.

Please note Clare will not be lecturing.

John studied Modern Languages at Exeter and Salford Universities, majoring in French, German, and Spanish. A lifelong thirst for travel was partially assuaged by a stint in America, at the University of Texas, in Austin, followed by a year in the pipeline construction industry, working as a translator/interpreter, in Algeria.

John then embarked upon a working lifetime spent in some of the strangest corners of the travel industry.

At a time when the world was just starting to open up to leisure travel, he was in the vanguard of this revolution as a worldwide tour coordinator, accompanying groups of travellers on trips to a variety of exotic destinations and with a variety of diverse purposes.

From wildlife photo safaris to transatlantic flights aboard Concorde, from the slopes of Macchu Picchu to the outback of Australia, from the gates of Graceland to the Iron Gates of the Danube, John’s life was a kaleidoscope of people, places, and experiences, some exciting, some disquieting, but all memorable.

Smuggling a body across the Iron Curtain, being caught up in a revolution in South America, pinned down by sniper fire in San Francisco...these were just some of John’s experiences as he plied his trade around the globe. He went on to become general manager of one of the UK’s most prestigious independent tour operators.

John’s first experience of ocean cruising was in 1982, around the islands of Indonesia. Since that long-ago cruise baptism, he has sailed the seven seas, as cruise manager, charterer, port lecturer, destinations presenter, and special interests speaker.

A long time Mensa member and four time Brain of Mensa finalist, John&rsquo;s range of knowledge and interests is as intriguing as it is eclectic.

As a cruise lecturer, John brings to bear all his experience and expertise in a series of scintillating presentations on a- as you might expect - diverse range of fascinating subject matters.

Gareth first became interested in geology at grammar school where he self-taught the A-level course without specialist teacher guidance. He graduated from Swansea University in 1966 with a B.Sc. (Honours Geology) and gained his Ph. D. (University of Wales) in 1970 researching the Upper Carboniferous sediments of SW Wales, under the supervision of Prof. Gilbert Kelling. He began his academic career lecturing in sedimentology and stratigraphy at Sir John Cass College, London and retired in 2004 from the University of Greenwich where he also taught M.Sc. courses in Petroleum Geology.

During his career he tutored and was external examiner for the Open University, teaching a variety of second and third level geology courses and summer schools. In the 1970’s Gareth ran guided walks and lectures for the Pembrokeshire Countryside Unit (later to become the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park), which was established by the well-known pioneering conservationist, author and broadcaster John H. Barrett MBE (1913-1999).

As an oil/gas consultant, employed by UK, Dutch and American companies, he worked on hydrocarbon fields in the UK and Dutch sectors of the Southern North Sea, Libya and Qatar. He has led innumerable field trips to South Wales, other classic areas in the UK and SE Spain for undergraduates, OU and U3A students, the Geologists’ Association, post-graduates and active and retired oil-company personnel. Gareth has written many research papers and has contributed to books published by the Geological Society of London and the Geologists’ Association and has delivered lectures to the petroleum societies of Great Britain (London) and the Netherlands (The Hague).

In 2008 he founded Geoserv Publishing and has since self-published three books: The Geology of South Wales: A Field Guide (1^st and 2^nd editions) and Aspects of the Sedimentology of South Wales, all of which have been well received, particularly by students studying the rocks of the Pembrokeshire Coast and Brecon Beacons national parks, the Gower Peninsula and the Vale of Glamorgan. The field guide contains interesting comments and illustrations regarding ‘Stonehenge and the Preseli Bluestone enigma’ and the Iron Age forts/tombs of the area. A further two publications are planned for 2019/20: The Red Rocks of Pembrokeshire with Prof. Brian Williams, and Introductory Geology: an illustrated guide for beginners.

He and his wife Jean have travelled widely, especially to locations with features of geological and geographical interest. These include cruises to the Caribbean, Mediterranean, the Baltic and the coasts of Norway and Alaska and extensive holidays have been spent in North Africa, the Canadian Rockies, USA, South America, Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam & Cambodia and, most recently, South Africa & Namibia. These travels have facilitated the opportunity for Gareth to pursue his interest in the photography of landscapes, geological structures and rock-related archaeology.

Gareth and Jean met at Swansea University and have been married for over 50 years, mostly living in Kent with their two children. As a Welshman Gareth is a rugby enthusiast and enjoys a wide range of music from Buddy Holly and Bob Dylan to opera and classical. He enjoys walking, gardening and cooking, and is the head chef of the George residence.

Gillian Mawby read English at the University of Durham and subsequently an MA and PhD in Ruskin Studies at Lancaster University where she also held an honorary research fellowship.  

She was born in Devon and is a life member of The Devonshire Association for which she was Recorder of Dialect for twelve years. She was awarded the Voluntary Medical Service Medal in 1981, and has attended sittings in a South African court whilst serving as a Magistrate on the Lancaster Bench.

As an ornithologist and research ecologist Peter has travelled widely and is a regular and highly successful cruise ship lecturer. Peter’s interest in the environment and ornithology in particular was encouraged during his schooldays at Sedbergh. Whilst still at school he was part of one of the first expeditions to visit South-East Iceland to study the breeding distribution of the Great Skua. Subsequently he went on to organise and lead his own expeditions to the Shetland and Faeroe Islands. Whilst an undergraduate at Cambridge University he was awarded a grant to extend his studies of Arctic Scandinavia. Such was his skill and expertise, he received his licence and has been ringing birds for well over fifty years.

He went on to teach, working in England (Marlborough, Shrewsbury and St John’s School, Leatherhead) and Scotland at The Edinburgh Academy, culminating with his final appointment as Headmaster of Lancaster Royal Grammar School, where he spent eighteen very happy and successful years. Peter is currently researching the environmental impact of changing patterns in agriculture on the birds of the Western Dales, working in conjunction with the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, the British Trust for Ornithology and the Environment Agency.

He is now in great demand to speak to enthusiasts from the RSPB, Scottish Ornithologists Club and regional Wildlife Trusts. In common with many teenagers, Peter was faced with choices and although he finally decided to follow a science route into teaching, his other love is music and playing the cello. He has pursued this from his schooldays to playing now with a number of orchestras in North West England.

In recent years Peter has enjoyed sharing his enthusiasm and knowledge with passengers on a range of cruises, vising places as far flung as Polynesia, the Amazon, Central America, New England, the Atlantic Islands, Iceland, Greenland, the White Sea, Baltic and Mediterranean, SE Asia East Africa and the Indian Ocean. His talks include top quality illustrations, sound and video clips, making them both entertaining and informative. When not lecturing Peter welcomes the opportunity to enhance passengers’ experiences of the wildlife around them out on deck, providing on-board commentaries and during tours away from the ship.

Steve has first class presentation and outstanding graphics skills coupled with the enthusiasm and ability to entertain and inform.  He has a lifetime’s love of the sea and its history, is RYA Yachtmaster qualified, and has extensive sailing experience, including passages on tall ships, most notably the Bark Endeavour, replica of Captain Cook’s ship. He is proud to be an honorary member of the Merchant Navy Association.

Steve has lectured around the world and has been in demand as a cruise ship speaker for over 10 years, with a growing portfolio of over 60 talks. He also speaks regularly to U3A, NADFAS, Probus, National Trust Associations and many other organisations.

He has worked extensively in local and regional radio as musician, writer and presenter.

A member of the Society for Nautical Research, Navy Records Society and the Captain Cook Society and a regular contributor to its quarterly journal, Steve is continuing research, with members of the society and various museums, into Cook’s world and the characters associated with Britain’s greatest navigator. He has worked in Hawaii on the site of Cook’s 1779 shore base and created models of the site for museum display.

His recent book “Better Conceiv’d than Describ’d: The Life and Times of Captain James King, Captain Cook’s Friend and Colleague”, is a culmination of that work and has been very well received.

With a belief that everyone has a story within them, he worked with the BBC on their “Telling Lives” project in 2004/5, introducing short film making skills to the general public. In addition, he has supported his cruise-based colleagues in improving their own graphics presentation skills.

Before his retirement in 2015 Barry Walsh was a Consultant in Communicable Disease Control (CCDC) and Director of the South West London Health Protection Team, part of Public Health England. For 24 years he worked years in public health in London.

Born in Co Mayo he qualified in medicine at the University of Cork Ireland in 1981. After House Officer roles in Cork he moved to England where he started training in pathology.

He specialised in medical microbiology at St Mary’s Hospital Paddington and then John Radcliffe Hospital Oxford. Barry got his Membership in medical microbiology (MRC Path) in 1991. He took a Master’s Degree in Public Health in 1994.

While specialising in medicine in London he managed to get a BA (2.1) in the History of Art at Birkbeck College in 1989. He focused on Italian Renaissance Art, Roman architecture, and Art of the 20th Century. In 1991 he got a Diploma in the History of Medicine at the Worshipful Society of Apothecaries and won the Osler Gold Medal for his lecture on Anatomy and Art in Renaissance Italy.

Barry qualified as a London Blue Badge Guide in 2000 and now works as a professional tour guide in London specialising in medical and art history tours as well as the Palace of Westminster. He guides at Tate Modern, Tate Britain, National Gallery and Courtauld Institute.

His broad interests and lectures also encompass Science Industry and Technology (Industrial Revolution), Royal Medicine, Art and Medicine, and The Body in the Car Park (the discovery of King Richard III).

Bringing his interest in Western Art together with Art of the East he recently gained a Postgraduate Diploma in Asian Art at the School of Oriental and African Art (SOAS) London in 2017. He lectures and guides on Islamic, Chinese, Japanese, Indian art and East meets West in the British Museum and Victoria and Albert Museums.

Sara Withers has been designing and making jewellery for almost all of her working life. Her work concentrates on the use of beads, some self made, some sourced from interesting suppliers. She has taken part in numerous exhibitions and her work has sold in a selection of shops and galleries throughout the U.K., including the British Museum. She is the author of many books of bead jewellery projects. The most recent being ‘The Encyclopedia of Wire Jewellery Techniques’ and ‘A Compendium of Jewellery Techniques’.

Sara teaches bead making and jewellery making in several arts centres in Britain including West Dean College in Sussex and the Oxford Summer School. Four years ago a love of jewellery making and travelling was happily combined when she started to give classes on small cruise ships. Another of Sara’s bead related interests is the Arkell bead collection in the Pitt Rivers Museum, University of Oxford, which she has studied in order to communicate her enthusiasm to others. In 2007 she was one of the speakers at the International Bead and Beadwork Conference in Istanbul.

During your cruise Sara will be running jewellery making lessons suitable for complete beginners, or for those who have done some jewellery making, with themes ranging from traditional and contemporary knotting, to bracelets and earrings, beading wire necklaces, and resin pedants.

For more information on Sara’s work and to see more examples of her jewellery, her website can be found by visiting http://www.sarawithers.co.uk