CURRENT MISSION

To photograph interesting people on planet earth.

ABOUT ME

I am a photographer and journalist. I produce photo essays and documentary photo books.
This leads to a lot of traveling and, hopefully, comfy couches.
I'm friendly, chatty, don't smell and don't bite. And I don't like sitting around doing nowt. You could say I'm quite social.
I try to make people feel at home (especially when they are actually in my home).
I love football (soccer, as the Americans say) and Formula 1. I went skiing for the first time this year, and also did a bobsleigh run (which was fantastic).
The most important thing in my life is my son, Teddy.

PHILOSOPHY

Step up to the plate.
You're only as good as you're last memory.
And
Like it says in The Bible: Just do it.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

I'm went America (April 2008) and was fortunate to have two very kind people put me up (Shawna and Nathan).
A Danish manstopped with me in July 2008 as he walked the length of Britain - quite amazing, really.
I've had an Indian computer expert stay and also a German midwife.
Preston, Lancashire, is a quite average part of Britain. But it's not far from the amazing Yorkshire Dales and Lake District and it's on the way to Scotland - so it's a great stopping off point. And it's very close to Blackpool, Britain's trashiest and glitziest seaside town!
However, Newcastle and the North-east of England is the fantastic part of the world where I'm from. And I've been blessed to be a Sunderland AFC supporter. Howay the lads.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

Topeka, Kansas - Shawna entertained me brilliantly.
Kansas City - Nathan held a little party for me.

Interests

Big cities, people watching, skiing, football mountains and the sea.
Photography, seeing new places. Meeting unusual - and normal - people.
Global warming is a bugbear of mine. It's happening, but it's not to do with pollution as the politicians say.
Globalisation - if you're in a foreign country would you eat at McDonald's or drink at Starbucks? What's the point? Shouldn't you be experiencing the local stuff, not just the same blandness you have at home?

• books
• photography
• documentaries
• running
• partying
• drinking
• flying
• traveling
• camping
• skiing
• soccer
• journalism
• mountains

Music, Movies, and Books

Don't watch many movies, but I'll say Life of Brian, Where Eagles Dare and Star Wars, quite like old Alec Guinness movies, too.
I listen to New Order and Duran Duran and The Police (please forgive me).
I enjoy reading books on ancient history (Graham Hancock's and Robert Bauval's are favourites of mine). Peter Gabriel's biography was rather good, as were Roy Keane's and Niall Quinn's.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I saw a football game at the Nou Camp, I saw an eagle flying in the mountains in Scotland, I saw the temples down the Nile and I saw the beautiful buildings in Vienna.
I mountain-biked in La Plagne and was not very good.
I cycled up Jeffrey Hill (from Chaigley) in the Ribble Valley. This will mean nothing to you and you probably will not have heard of Jeffrey Hill or the Chaigley route) but believe me it is a bugger to get up.

Teach, Learn, Share

Don't be afraid of clever people - they're probably not that clever.

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