CURRENT MISSION

Friendly ex-pat American SGM in London. Looking to host gay or gay-friendly travellers.

ABOUT ME

Gregarious, single gay man. Very fit and active 50's. Retired veterinarian. World traveler & backpacker. Enjoy the occasional gay or gay-friendly visitor.

A workaholic, (busy-holic?) usually juggling several projects at once, paid and/or voluntary. I specialise in project development for charities. Also community and social justice advocacy and campaigning on the side. Enjoy fitness (gym & trekking)

I have a passion for community issues. And an academic passion for genealogy and local history.

Recent projects involved developing patient groups in the NHS; community safety and integration; LGBT Hate-Crime awareness in local government and policing.

I was nominated to be the official Escort to the Mayor of London Borough of Camden in 2000 and 2012. A fascinating role that provided me the privilege of getting to know the many faces of Camden from ethnic & community workers to Ambassadors & heads of industry.

I was also one of the many performers in the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics & Paralympics. An amazing experience which filled my summer of 2012.

2014 sees me working freelance in community development and family history projects. Travel adventures for 2014 have been Oslo, Norway, Torremelinos and Gran Canarias, Spain and Boston, USA .

Possible travel plans for 2017; Norway? Venice?, Turkey? Macedonia?

PHILOSOPHY

I have a wonderful circle of mainly straight friends, but wanting to build on some single/coupled gay men as friends and mates.

I enjoy keeping fit so I'm found at my local community gym 3-4x week.

I have an incurable tendency to get involved in local issues that I feel passionate about which sometimes unduly fills my evenings with meetings.

Social justice is my ethos in life.

I have an academic passion for genealogy and local history. I also love to travel and explore places, when I get the chance.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I make my bed or sofa available once a month for 1 or 2 nights. Convenient comfortable (small) flat easily accessible to Camden Town, Hampstead and Central London.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Six years new to CouchSurfing, but have hosted many travelers over the years (Family, friends, friends of friends). Have traveled/backpacked extensively and stayed in foreign hostels, campsites and local people's homes which always added to the experience of my trips. More interesting than staying at a hotel!

Interests

Community issues, LGBT safety, HIV discrimination awareness, local history & genealogy, fitness/gym. Totally 'out' but not much into the gay clubbing or party scene.

ME: Pubs vs clubs, picnics vs parades, cafes vs concerts.

• fitness
• gardening
• traveling
• backpacking
• olympics
• freelancing
• genealogy
• history
• tours
• lgbt
• foreign cultures
• pubs
• rambling

Music, Movies, and Books

Eclectic! Rarely go to cinema; still embedded in 1980's dance music; also love traditional brass bands, Folk, Barber Shop Quartette and céilidhs (Scottish or Irish); currently reading: The Flip Side, Watching The English, If It Wasn't Love (Sex, Death and God); What Makes You Not A Buddhist.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

Back packed solo around the world.
Scaled Mt Kilimanjaro.
Invited to Queen's Garden Party at Buckingham Palace.
Performed in 2012 London Olympics Opening Ceremony.

What I Can Share with Hosts

A safe, small, tidy place convenient to transportation for 1-2 nights. Shared bathroom. Invaluable local advice! Sometimes available for a short guided tour (if my time permits).

Countries I’ve Visited

Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Paraguay, Portugal, Scotland, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Tanzania, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Virgin Islands, U.S., Wales

Countries I’ve Lived In

United Kingdom, United States