RM tour

[Nightwalker]

I've got front-row seats at his Poole lecture this Friday. Anyone else here attending the one at Poole? I've got 3-4hrs to drive imediatly after work

 

[Biddlesby]

Did anybody else see RM at High Wycombe last night? I thought he was bloomin' fantastic, although I couldn't stay for all the questions else I would have been stranded. He spoke very well, it didn't feel at all scripted, got plenty of laughs from the audience, and didn't use too many pictures, but instead well chosen ones that he talked around a lot, which is how a presentation should be. A particularly inspiring talk. Go if you get the chance!

 

[swyn]

My wife and I were there and I agree with you Biddlesby.

All in all a very pleasant evening, simple, well presented with gentle humour. We attended the book signing and expressed our thanks.

Highly recommended to anyone even vaguely interested in the wild world.

Swyn.

 

[g4ghb]

I was at Poole on Friday (didn't see you Nightwalker! )

Must say it was an Excellent evening,. even swmbo agreed There were a few probes with the sound but apart form that 2 1/2 hours went SOOO fast!

Was interesting to hear that he is working on a couple of programs that are out next year, woo hoo!

so...... whens the next lecture tour?... I'll be there for sure!

 

[spamel]

Who's going to the one in Leeds tomorrow night? I'll keep an eye out for BcUK badges!

 

[Jodie]

A couple of programmes? Woohoo indeed!

I was at High Wycombe. It was fantastic Hell to get home from though - wish he'd
do a talk at the Ondaatje theatre (Royal Geog. Soc.) or Logan Hall (Inst. of Education)
or the room at the Royal Institution where they do the Christmas lectures. All of those
being conveniently situated in London

He made some very interesting comments about briefing / teaching people before they
went off to do things and I thought he'd be really good at coaching people in how to be
or behave in certain situations, in addition to the skills teaching side of things.

Fascinating bloke.

 

[dave k]

I was at Poole on Friday (didn't see you Nightwalker! )

Must say it was an Excellent evening,. even swmbo agreed There were a few probes with the sound but apart form that 2 1/2 hours went SOOO fast!

Was interesting to hear that he is working on a couple of programs that are out next year, woo hoo!

so...... whens the next lecture tour?... I'll be there for sure!

I was in Poole as well, lots of problems with the sound right at the front.. We could not hear very much apart from a large echo!

I thought it was interesting what someone said when asking about tracks re-runs, he got a `I hope not they were terrible` from mr. mears!

 

[Nightwalker]

I was at Poole on Friday (didn't see you Nightwalker! )

You might not have seen me but you would have heard me! I was front and center of the theatre and at one point the sound screwed-up so bad for us right at the front that it was just a complete audio-blur we couldnt make out, it was so annoying to be sat just meters away from RM for the first time and couldnt hear what he was saying! I was the one shouting for some of the staff to come down and listen Glad it got sorted out though, but still the sound system wasnt working well overall. Very disappointed with the Lighthouse's (Poole's) sound crew, but the presentation was superb. I was also the only person wearing a RM t-shirt (pure coincidence honest! )

 

[dave k]

You might not have seen me but you would have heard me! I was front and center of the theatre and at one point the sound screwed-up so bad for us right at the front that it was just a complete audio-blur we couldnt make out, it was so annoying to be sat just meters away from RM for the first time and couldnt hear what he was saying! I was the one shouting for some of the staff to come down and listen Glad it got sorted out though, but still the sound system wasnt working well overall. Very disappointed with the Lighthouse's (Poole's) sound crew, but the presentation was superb. I was also the only person wearing a RM t-shirt (pure coincidence honest! )

Yeah - shame about the audio. I saw jimmy carr there about a month ago, and it was fine - I was sitting upstairs however.
I was second row in in the center. I did see a couple of people in DPM sitting down though - but I was too busy queing up to buy guinness to look about very much!

Shame he didn't do a signing afterwords though..

 

[Nightwalker]

Shame he didn't do a signing afterwords though..

Really!? Thats a bit shocking to hear; because after the show finished I had a lady approached me thinking I was a member of the RM staff or something because I was wearing a woodlore t-shirt and asked if Ray was doing signings etc. because she heard he wasnt because he was ill? I explained I wasnt involved with him but I expect he would because I heard he had at all the other places on his tour. That night I sort of wanted to wait around in the signing queue just to meet him say thank you and shake his hand, however I had 3 and half hours to travel home from pool, so I figured if I wait arounded for that I probably would have got home for 3-4am, so I didnt hang around for that; but now you said he didnt do signings anyway thats got me thinking maybe he was ill!

 

[Jodie]

I thought it was interesting what someone said when asking about tracks re-runs, he got a `I hope not they were terrible` from mr. mears!

Pish tosh

They're a lovely little introduction to the subject and think how many people they've inspired!

I'm sure there could be improvements (obviously I wouldn't notice anything wrong as I'm
pretty inexperienced) but I'd have to disagree with him on that one. Unless I'm just being
wildly naieve* and they really were terrible of course...

*no idea how to spell this word, or even how to look it up

 

[Tadpole]

Pish tosh

Unless I'm just being wildly naieve* and they really were terrible of course...

*no idea how to spell this word, or even how to look it up

the spelling is naive, I used to use the word gullible until it was dropped from most English dictionaries

 

[g4ghb]

I did wonder if it was you NW that was having probs.... I was at the front of the back half if that makes sense.

I was in my BCUK tshirt and oddly enough was also asked if I was 'with Ray' Obviously I championed the site as being the best resource on the net! (darn it where is the angel smilie )

One thing that has just come to me was his comment about making a fishing spear and how there are piccies of one on the net and you could learn to make them in an hour...... now this ramble leads me to think that the answer to the question 'does Ray look into BCUK?' is yes! - as didn't JonR post some lovely spears a couple of weeks ago - coincidence?....I think not!

 

[Matt Weir]

the spelling is naive, I used to use the word gullible until it was dropped from most English dictionaries

It's actually illegal to use the word gull*ble on any uk based internet forum you know?

 

[Nightwalker]

I did wonder if it was you NW that was having probs.... I was at the front of the back half if that makes sense.

I was in my BCUK tshirt and oddly enough was also asked if I was 'with Ray' Obviously I championed the site as being the best resource on the net! (darn it where is the angel smilie )

One thing that has just come to me was his comment about making a fishing spear and how there are piccies of one on the net and you could learn to make them in an hour...... now this ramble leads me to think that the answer to the question 'does Ray look into BCUK?' is yes! - as didn't JonR post some lovely spears a couple of weeks ago - coincidence?....I think not!

Good to hear you was wearing your BCUK shirt I was looking avidly for anyone wearing one or a bcuk-badge but couldnt see anyone in the crowd there was a lot of people! The thing that interested me that ray replied to a question asking him if he considered himself religious or spiritual man, his answer was yes.

 

[spamel]

Got my books ready, batteries are on charge, trying to go for the sophisticated but outdoorsy look. Sod it, scarpa boots, jeans and a dockers shirt'll do!

i can't bel;ieve how much stuff I could take to get signed by him, but I reckon I might be taking the mick already!

Survival Handbook
Outdoor survival handbook
Essential bushcraft
Two books which he has a foreword in!

i hope he has the time to sign them!

 

[KNC]

I went to the Dunstable one and agree it was great. He's realy into it. And hes down to earth as well. He signed my books and I heard he was intending to do that everywhere.

 

[pibbleb]

I'm sure you'll love it. I saw the original presentation in February in Tunbridge Wells it was very interesting. Even my wife enjoyed it and thinks we are are just a bunch of kids waiting to grow up.

Spamel I wouldn't worry about out fits. I had to go straight from work so I stood out like a sore thumb in my pin stripe suit!

The fella next to me who'd spent all day travelling from Teesside thought I looked like a right'n' I had to explain it was urban camouflage!

Have a good time

Pib

 

[Ogri the trog]

Have a great time Spamel,

Let us know how it went.

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[spamel]

What an amazing night! A fantastic guy, a pleasure to listen to.

I bumped into Ed there, which was a pleasant surprise. One of the wierdest things I saw was a guy with a paddle, a brand new varnished paddle! Anyway, I was in the third row back, just off centre but Ray stood directly in front of me, which was nice! His anecdotes were sometime funny and sometimes sad, but i think his only "tambourine banging" as he put it was about the rapid deforestation of the rain forest. The way he put it really scared me as to how quickly the "Liver" of the planet is dissapearing.

Many of the pictures are seen in his Essential bushcrafy book, although they have been greatly reduced and cropped. Some of these pictures will help me remember the night as I will be able to relate to the night through the pictures.

At the end of the night, he did a long Q&A and I think the best question was "Have you ever been up s**t creek without one of these?!" You guessed it, it was the guy with the paddle! He says he is taking the paddle out tomorrow for a christening, whoever you are I hope you have a fun time. No idea if he got the blade signed, but I'd like to think so!

And after waiting at just about the very end of the queue, I finally got to meet the guy who has been such an inspiration to me. I think he was a bit shocked when I puled out all of my books for him to sign! He saw the Survival Handbook straight away, and said as only Ray could "That is really rare." I told him that my brother had bought it for my 30th birthday and sent it out to Iraq for me. He signed it, I think he may have thought that it was destined for eBay, but no fear that is staying!

Edit: Forgot to mention about the Wilkie Survival Knife. Both Ed and myself are sworn to secrecy I'm afraid although I can tell you that Ray will one day write about it and also show pictures of the knife he designed. Also, look out for four programmes coming up about Australia, it looks like it will be very interesting and Alan Duxbury is gonna be filming with Ray again soon after recovering from his helicopter crash injuries a few years back. Best of luck to you Alan.

The last thing I got him to sign was a shotgun shell matchbox to my daughter Jo'anne. I think that was the nicest thing he did.