NEWS ARCHIVE : 2003

New York Times:
The NY Times this last weekend (1-2nd Nov 2003) has published a big feature by Bruce Weber, the international photographer. I haven't seen it yet, but the photo shoot was a lavish affair, involving one camel, two camel handlers, five dogs, three trucks (including one for my wardrobe), a wardrobe mistress, make-up lady, fashioner editors, and the photo crew itself, including various camera assistants, lighting people and Bruce himself - a very warm and generous and patient man, as it turned out, who was both interesting and interested. 3/Nov/03

ICEDOGS hits the United States!
Recently I've been in Washington, helping to re-version Icedogs as a 2 hour special for National Geographic TV's Ultimate Explorer. This is due for broadcast as I understand it on the evening of 9th November, on MSNBC. I'm so pleased with what the National Geographic people have done, particularly in the way they have built up the characters of the 10 dogs, and my relationship to the dog team. My sincere thanks to Margaret Burnette at Ultimate Explorer and the programme producer, Jody Schiliro and her enthusiastic team.
3/Nov/03

TV deal:
My proposed journey across the Taklamakan - the desert in NW China that means "Go In, and You Won't Come Out" was postponed due to the extraordinary costs of trying to film there. However, I hope to give news soon of a major new international TV broadcast venture that's been bubbling away for three years now, while sponsorship was sorted in the States. We shall see!
3/Nov/03

Man As Strong As a Crocodile:
You may have heard this BBC Radio 4 programme, based on recordings I made among the Niowra people of New Guinea, some 17 years ago, and broadcast on 20th October. Although the initiation ceremony brought back painful memories to me, it must have made good listening because an extract was played on Pick of the Week. 3/Nov /03

The Big Conservation Debate
- at the Royal Geographical Society, and organised by Friends of Conservation. Entitled Why Wilderness Matters, the event was sold out.
3/Nov/03

» further details

Excess Baggage - Radio 4

Some Radio 4 listeners might have heard me on Excess Baggage this morning. Many of the old stories, I'm afraid, but it was a nice little plug for my Faber Book of Exploration, which is going to be relaunched with a special offer (it's rumoured) for this Christmas. 6/9/0

» further details & photos

Tea at Buckingham Palace: Last month, I was also at Buckingham Palace, giving out Duke of Edinburgh Gold Medals with fellow 'celebs'. These included Laurence Llewellen Bowen, Lilly Savage, and numerous well known faces - pictured with me here are the Countess of Wessex, Charlie Dimmock and others. 6/9/03

Duke of Edinburgh Awards at Buckingham Palace

When is an explorer an explorer?

Thanks to everyone who took the time to write in and give their views about this matter
8/7/03

» read full article and letters

Faber Book of Exploration - good criticism!

The criticism of my Faber book that I most consistently agree with is that my selection of explorers didn't include enough non-Europeans. Though I personally think there were ample enough reasons for this - principally, lack of works in translation which were interesting and expressive, i.e. not merely reports (as many Chinese/Islamic documents were) - I've of course ended up perpetuating our European biase.

Any ideas from any one as to non-European authors they would have liked to be included? I'd welcome names of specific works by the explorers themselves, rather than books about them... One day I'd like to compile a more rounded edition.
8/7/03

Faber Book of Exploration error!
10/7/03

» details

Videos:
Limited numbers of Icedogs, Edge of Blue Heaven, Skeleton Coast and Last of the Medicine Men are still available in VHS (no DVDs, I'm afraid). These cost us a fortune to reproduce, and we have to pass on that cost, sadly. If we make a profit at all, it's very nominal. Prices available on request! 8/7/03

Oil Tycoon
You might be interested to know that the billionaire who has just bought Chelsea football club, Roman Abramovich, is governor of Chukotka, the remote Siberian province in which I undertook the journey with my dogteam. He was regarded locally as a great hero, a great friend to the Chukchis and hard-pressed Russians out there. He was also very good to me. He seemed a shy man, but kindly agreed to meet me and my translator Misha, and even let us fly free in one of his various aircraft, all the way back to Moscow.
7/7/03

Please note what could be an interesting event!
Me in debate with Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Col. John Blashford Snell, chaired by acclaimed travel writer
and critic Sara Wheeler, at the Royal Geographical Society - see events

What on earth have I been up to lately?

I've been in Shepherd's Bush and Guatemala. At last I'm getting underway with a new book, though just how
much it will cover the BBC 2 Icedogs (Siberia) journey I'm not quite sure, also;

• Radio 3 listeners might have heard me on Private Passions, (I didn't)
  
• Radio 4 listeners might have heard me on Pick of the Week (I didn't)
  
• TV viewers may have spotted me expounding my thoughts on Great Britons ( I didn't either!)
  
• for the second time I'm coming up on Through The Keyhole (the last time, I had to use my mum and dad's house, so I've advanced a little)
  
• also a prime time BBC 2 (I think) series called The Way We Travelled, in the Autumn.
  
• I'll be an advocator for one of the top 20 books chosen for the huge BBC 2 Autumn series, The Big Read - it's a secret as to which book, but it promises to be controversial
  ... 15/5/03

Many people kindly think to seek my advice as to how to become an adventurer/explorer - despite my various misadventures! The following is the main meat of a recent reply I gave to a teenager. Other would-be explorers
may find it useful.
15/6/03

» read letter

"Blisters - someone wrote for advice about blisters!
6th Feb 03

» read reply

Icedogs - is the book ever going to happen?

I've had hundreds of requests for an Icedogs book to accompany the series, and still haven't managed to
get around to it. I am trying! I'm very touched by all the interest. Is it because everyone feels their own pet dogs might make the Siberian team? Perhaps there's another Bernard, awaiting his chance.

6th Feb 03

Icedogs - television repeat?

Well, no, not yet. I'm repeatedly asked for updates from you nice lot out there, but have no idea. If only it were up to me!

As we all know, the original series went out at a time when most of you weren't home from work, or were busy battling with babies or doing their homework. Furthermore, it was given a slot against Eastenders, and trailed AGAINST - ie, Eastenders, which had a particularly juicy story-line at the time, was being promoted, and Icedogs given no trails. This, along with the series being allocated no publicity budget, was quite a handicap, but if it's any consolation, it's being shown around the world now by the BBC, and going down very well. It's not just the British who like dogs! Any one wanting to see it again should politely ring the BBC 2 Scheduler, c/o the BBC general number: 0208 743 8000.

6th Feb 03

Icedogs - the series is presently being shown by BBC Worldwide around the world.
6th Feb 2003

» a few comments from viewers

Icedogs - who was in that team?
6th Feb 03

» read letter and reply

You might have noticed that the New Year showing of my Great Railway Journey programme - Mombasa to the Mountains of the Moon - didn't happen.

» read why

Videos now available:
There's been a demand for VHS tapes of some of my BBC TV series. I have a limited number of copies of The Skeleton Coast, Edge of Blue Heaven, and Icedogs which are now available from my office.

The Faber Book of Exploration, a huge anthology of explorers edited by me, is now available "at all good bookshops, " as they say.

» full details

Fundraising & Donations

• Nelson, and rhinos
  
• Shinai Serjali
  
• The Orangutan Foundation
  
• The Kirekat Foundation
  
• Little Stars

» latest news

The ecologically unique island of Siberut in Indonesia is threatened by a modern 'sickness'.
Benedict Allen reports - Read Guardian Article.