About Dan
Travelling Dan was originally created as a Facebook Page. The Page was for my guests, past and present, who had accompanied me on guided tours of my 'Back Yard', The British Isles.
Over a career spanning thirty (harrumph) years, I have conducted forays around England, Scotland, Wales as well as the island of Ireland.
In that time I have met every personality from 'Saint to Psychopath.' I have made lasting friendships with guests, drivers and fellow Tour Directors. Many charming managers, owners and staff of numerous venues, hotels, and locations have also remained in my life.
As a young man, I was blessed with a great memory for dates, historical characters and events. Just as well, really! I soon found myself lugging great holdalls, haversacks and briefcases around on coaches. They were loaded with books, maps, pamphlets and all the paraphernalia associated with the professional guide. It was wearisome, to say the least! This is something I did for two years.
I remember my very first outing. It was a twelve-day trip around England, Ireland and Scotland. I had spent the night before carefully constructing note-trays with memory cards. These would help me construct a logical progression of lectures as we travelled from London to Bristol on the first day of the tour. We passed Stonehenge and all was proceeding according to plan. But, suddenly, the driver had to apply-brakes! The red card tray slipped off my lap and into the stairwell! All my carefully assembled note-cards cascaded, waterfall-like, down every step. At that point, I determined, 'I better learn it all!'
Thankfully, the next 60 miles or so was home-territory. Bath was in fact home. So no notes were required here. However the next day we were headed for Ireland. The last time I had been there was on holiday with the parents and younger sister when I was thirteen. That was exactly half a lifetime away (at that point as a 26-year-old)
That night in Bristol (and every touring night thereafter for the next two seasons) after dinner I would only have one drink in the bar - to be sociable. Then straight to my room for research on routes, maps, landmarks, points of interest and related histories. I was very organised. Everything was written up in longhand and catalogued according to tour routes.
“Are you mad?” might well be a justifiable question, especially asked by somebody brand new to the game today. But, you must understand, my young technologically-aged friends, we had no Mr ‘Google’ in those days. There were no laptops, tablets or smartphones. Even the ‘house brick - phone’ wasn't available to mere mortals. It was in fact £9 per day then, which was outrageously expensive. We were just about being introduced to the mysteries of the PSION (an electronic Filofax)!
It that ‘rings no bells’, it’s because you weren’t there! But even a Filofax was more efficient, cheaper, and easier to use.
So, that’s me - Travelling Dan. You might wonder thus if I have the qualifications to tell you these stories. Well… you decide. Join me for some histories, tall tales and maybe even the odd down-right lie!
