I'm surprised that this hasn't been reported on already.
I went to the theatre last night, full house, and listened to Ray speak for one and and a half hours without any boredom for me at all. He then took questions for twenty minutes and then signed books for God knows how long.
Excellent evening and he isn't fat; he is very square shaped. Everybody who had a book signed got a few seconds to speak with him and he has the ability to make you feel that he is interested in you.
The slides were grouped by different geographical regions/peoples and each section ended with a slide that summed up that batch for him, and he explained why. He told humorous stories about the people he has met and worked with, without demeaning them, and also about himself. In the questions session he spoke of the assets of "Britishness", specifically politeness, fairness and self depreciation, that are very valuable to the traveller, and how these traits are disappearing. I think I understood what he was saying and his audience was largely over 40, but wondered if younger people would recognise those traits as being around today. I certainly see them only occasionally in the young people, and their parents, that I work with. This only an observation, not a complaint, on my part; the world changes and none of us live in it forever.
I went to the theatre last night, full house, and listened to Ray speak for one and and a half hours without any boredom for me at all. He then took questions for twenty minutes and then signed books for God knows how long.
Excellent evening and he isn't fat; he is very square shaped. Everybody who had a book signed got a few seconds to speak with him and he has the ability to make you feel that he is interested in you.
The slides were grouped by different geographical regions/peoples and each section ended with a slide that summed up that batch for him, and he explained why. He told humorous stories about the people he has met and worked with, without demeaning them, and also about himself. In the questions session he spoke of the assets of "Britishness", specifically politeness, fairness and self depreciation, that are very valuable to the traveller, and how these traits are disappearing. I think I understood what he was saying and his audience was largely over 40, but wondered if younger people would recognise those traits as being around today. I certainly see them only occasionally in the young people, and their parents, that I work with. This only an observation, not a complaint, on my part; the world changes and none of us live in it forever.
. Glad to here it was a good night, wish I had been there.
