Kevin Clark, architect and professional musician
This week’s speaker was Kevin Clark, architect and professional musician, who described his hair-raising trip from London to Baghdad in 1964.
Kevin and his wife Barbara, who came along as a guest of the club, are long-time and popular residents of Plimmerton.
Kevin and his late friend Jurgen Erni finished their architecture studies in South Africa and made their way to London, where they invested in a 1958, 500cc, Matchless motor cycle and a box sidecar.
They planned an overland trip to Baghdad, intending to take in as much classic architecture as possible. The route was long and occasionally perilous, covering 19 countries and 31,500km in all. They reached Baghdad via the Balkans and Turkey, then returned to London via Israel, Greece, and Italy.
They slept rough, had tussles with border guards in various countries, and headed for the architectural gems along the way. Although this was the main purpose of the trip, inevitably there were stories to tell about interactions with the locals, and the radically different cultures they encountered.
Eventually, they arrived back in London four months later with the motorbike on its last legs.
Kevin’s talk was illustrated with photographs of high quality and Kevin’s own cartoon drawings. These, and many others, appear in Kevin’s account of the trip (“Baghdad or Bust”) which is written in diary form and which he has published. This is a lavishly produced book and I thoroughly recommend it.
Calling All Puzzle Masters! Can You Solve This?
When John was six years old he hammered a nail into his favorite tree to mark his height.
Ten years later at age sixteen, John returned to see how much higher the nail was.
If the tree grew by five centimetres each year, how much higher would the nail be?
Do you think you know the answer to our daily riddle? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm.
Want to stop seeing riddles in your newsfeed?
Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.
Win this brand new home!
Experience the perfect blend of country charm and city convenience in Clarks Beach, Auckland!
For just $15 a ticket, you could win this brand-new, fully furnished Jennian home, valued at over $1 million.
This home offers three bedrooms, spacious kitchen and living areas, and a double garage.
Whether you decide to make it your dream home, a holiday retreat, a rental property or simply sell it, it’s still a life-changing prize.
Don’t wait—get your tickets today at heartlottery.org.nz.
What's your favourite recipe for courgettes?
Kia ora neighbours. If you've got a family recipe for courgettes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our January 2025 issue.