I’ve always viewed life as a sequence of adventures, confronting the unknown with confidence that, in the end, things would turn out fineāeven if it required some resilience. As my Mum noted, ‘Frank always seems to land on his feet!’
The above was taken at Gatwick Airport in August 1971 and records a landmark event.
I was preparing to board a Dan Air flight to Bangkok. My excitement was greatly amplified by the fact that this was to be aboard the iconic Comet 4 airliner (G-APDK). I was on my way back to Laos.
I had already spent two years there working with Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) but now I was returning to develop the work of the C&MA’s recording studio in Vientiane.
This adventure proved to be a steep learning curve for me. Meeting Hennie, starting a family and navigating the political changes in Southeast Asia were each significant milestones – yet they all happened in quick succession.
The Adventure
My first attempt to record my stories was serialised and made available on ISSUU: