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Going the Wrong Way - a conversation with author Chris Donaldson
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Going the Wrong Way - a conversation with author Chris Donaldson
Chris Donaldson is now a successful businessman in Northern Ireland, but in his early twenties, at the height of The Troubles, he made the decision to travel to Australia.
You can’t blame Chris, but somehow things just didn’t go to plan.
In this entertaining episode of the Abeceder podcast Fit For My Age Chris explains to host Michael Millward how global events forced him to change his plans and created an adventure that created a lifelong passion, including time living in Dubai.
Chris describes the ups and downs and practicalities of being a motorcycle adventurer. He reflects on how memories of youthful adventures help to maintain well-being as we deal with the challenges of age.
You will leave this episode wondering what type of adventure you might embark on.
Buy Going the Wrong Way at these links
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Fit For My Age is made on Zencastr, because Zencastr is the all-in-one podcasting platform, that really does make creating content so easy.
If you would like to try podcasting using Zencastr visit zencastr.com/pricing and use our offer code ABECEDER.
Travel
If you fancy going on an adventure of your own remember that Ultimate Travel Club, members benefit from trade prices on flights, hotels, trains, and package hotels, and so many other travel related purchases.
Use our offer code ABEC79 to receive a discount on your membership fee.
Find out more about both Michael Millward and Chris Donalson at Abeceder.co.uk.
Matchmaker.fm
Thank you to the team at Matchmaker.fmthe introduction to Chris.
If you are a podcaster looking for interesting guests or if like Chris, you have something interesting to say Matchmaker.fm is where matches of great hosts and great guests are made. Use our offer code MILW10for a discount on membership.
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If you would like to be a guest on Fit For My Age, please contact using the link at Abeceder.co.uk.
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Transcript
Introduction to 'Fit For My Age' and Zencastr
00:00:05
Speaker
Made on Zencastr. Hello and welcome to Fit For My Age, the health and wellbeing podcast from Abysseedah. I am your host, Michael Millward, the Managing Director of Abbasida.
00:00:18
Speaker
As the jingle at the start of this podcast says, fit for my age is made on Zencastr. Zencastr is the all-in-one podcasting platform on which you can make your podcast in one place and then distribute distribute it to the major platforms like Spotify, Apple, Amazon and YouTube Music.
00:00:36
Speaker
Zencastr really does make making podcasts so easy. If you would like to try podcasting using Zencastr, visit zencastr.com forward slash pricing and use my offer code, Abysida.
00:00:50
Speaker
All the details are in the description. Now that I have told you how wonderful Zencastr is for making podcasts, we should make one. One that will be well worth listening to, liking, downloading and subscribing to.
Introducing Chris Donaldson and His Journey
00:01:05
Speaker
Very importantly, on Fit For My Age, we don't tell you what to think, but we do hope to make you think. to Today, my guest, who I met on matchmaker.fm, is Chris Donaldson, who's in Northern Ireland at the moment, but has traveled the world quite extensively.
00:01:25
Speaker
Hello, Chris. Hi, Michael. Hope you're well today. Nice to be here, yep. Great. wonder if we could please start by just so setting the scene as to about you and then we'll talk about your book, Going the Wrong Way.
00:01:40
Speaker
Yeah, well, I'm a 65-year-old businessman living in Belfast. I've been here all and off most my life, but the story he starts about a book I wrote a couple of years ago about a journey i made when I 21.
00:01:57
Speaker
was brought up in Belfast and educated here. in the centre town and during 70s Belfast wasn't a great place to be.
00:02:05
Speaker
school was in the centre town, you could see bombs coming off some days, people getting shot, all sorts of use of rats and stuff going on. When you were kids you didn't really know any better, it just didn't seem about that bad at the time but looking back at it it was pretty horrific.
00:02:20
Speaker
But like a lot of Irish people just wanted to get out of town and once finished my education i decided of Australia was the place to go. And for some strange reason unknown to yeah teenagers, I took this notion were going to there on a motorbike.
00:02:37
Speaker
So I set off and set off, it was the end of November, end of October, 1979. I got as far as London and I was having a good time there. And then the Ayatollah Maney decided to take over the American embassy in Tehran, if you remember.
00:02:51
Speaker
were probably two then. but That sort of shut off my road east. ah left home, told them if be back in a couple of years, I couldn't turn up again in two weeks, saying, only joking, guys.
00:03:07
Speaker
So I decided to go to South south Africa. left, just headed south without any knowledge or idea of what was going on, what was in Africa or the Middle East or what i had to do. It's kind of weird these days because if you want to know anything at all these days, you just get your computer out and Google it and see what it all the information you want is really done. But 40 years ago, we had guidebooks, which were out of date, which i didn't have anyway. They were all for the Far East.
00:03:35
Speaker
So i ended up riding a road bike over the Sahara Desert, going down through Uganda, through Rhodesia, places that were bit dodgy at the time. ended up in apartheid South Africa, which is a bit of a dead end.
00:03:50
Speaker
But I managed to there There isn't much after South Africa, is there, other than like the Antarctic.
Life in Northern Ireland and the Call to Explore
00:03:57
Speaker
but I can remember the troubles in Northern Ireland.
00:04:02
Speaker
And it's strange to imagine now that this this was a very dangerous period to be living in in Northern Ireland. Bombs were going off, people were being shot, the booby traps and ambushes and all sorts of various different things happening.
00:04:16
Speaker
It definitely not a pleasant place to be, certainly not safe. I always sort of wondered why my parents sent me to school in the middle of town for six years. but I guess say they were used to it as well. It's amazing how you do get used to things and when you're teenagers, your kids.
00:04:31
Speaker
As I say, you don't know anything else. It's just normal. yeah The abnormal becomes normal because you don't know anything else. I spoke to people who grew up in Beirut during the Civil War there, which was probably an even more dangerous place to be at the time, but it was just what life was.
00:04:49
Speaker
But it's this idea that as a teenager, you had this wonderlust, this desire to go somewhere else. And I've spoken to so many people from Ireland who have this urge sort of like to leave Ireland.
00:05:03
Speaker
And it's the reason why no matter where you go, you can always find an Irish pub. Yeah, we've been doing it for generations, you know, populated half of America, most of Australia. But why? Why do Irish people want to travel?
00:05:15
Speaker
what What is it when you say you've been doing it for generations? Why do Irish people want to travel across the world? I think when you live in an island, You want to, it's sort of natural to sort of want to know what's over the horizon. Ireland has always been on the edge of Europe as well, so there's never been as much money around here as there has been other places as well, which is obviously a draw to people work-wise.
00:05:36
Speaker
But yeah, I mean, it's one of the few, I think it's one of the only countries in the world its population is less than it was couple hundred years ago, you know. When you said you set off without any real idea of where it was that you were going or how to get there, all the various different things that needed to happen in order to, to get there.
00:05:56
Speaker
It's like, yeah, nowadays we need passports, we need visas, we need inoculations and all sorts of various different things to go anywhere. really and it's the freedom that you must have had in that time when you contrast it with making another journey now that's you must see the the difference between those two time periods yeah well even at that time period it was a matter of ignorance was bliss in a way because if i'd known where i was going to go and what was going on there i wouldn't have gone
00:06:29
Speaker
I guess it was too bloody dangerous, you know. i mean, it was in Uganda just after Idi Amin got the heave-ho and it was still still pretty hectic. There was shooting every night, there was curfew on.
00:06:40
Speaker
His soldiers still running right around the place. Wow. It was in Rhodesia just in between, after it was between, change over from Rhodesia to Zimbabwe. And if you'd asked a British Embassy, should I go there? They'd just said no, you know.
00:06:54
Speaker
Yes. But I was just, let's say it was an unusual trip because Usually when you go on a journey, you're going somewhere, usually the destination is bit obvious, really. You're going to work, going to holiday, you're going wherever it is, you usually have somewhere to go.
00:07:07
Speaker
But I was actually, after I once sort set off, realised I wasn't really going anywhere in particular, it was just living by the day. sort of this notion of going to South Africa, but that changed, you know, nothing to do there. It really just travelling
Surviving Travel with Limited Resources
00:07:21
Speaker
for the sake of travelling. So it was quite a unique experience in that way.
00:07:25
Speaker
But you're doing this in like the late 70s, the early 80s. Now that type of traveling is possible and people are having careers at the same time. They're the digital nomads. They're traveling on boats, yachts, all sorts of various things. are Motorhomes around Europe, around North America, around Africa.
00:07:46
Speaker
all sorts of different things but you were just you on a motorbike with no clear destination of where you were going to go day to day other than eventually you were going to end up in south africa because after that there's just a water how did you survive how did you how did you make money and and pay your bills and survive well you go to uh third world countries and you live quite cheaply if you live like the locals do um you can't keep your costs well down and this thing and b&b's lodges whatever the side the road just camping so you can you can survive quite frugally but that was one of the major problems i had because my original trip should have taken me about three months and i was away for a year and a half but i managed to get when i got to cape town i managed to get a job on a yacht race
00:08:40
Speaker
coming back to Europe and the sponsors were ah shipping companies. They shipped back to the States. And so i was able to get from South Africa to the States for practically nothing. When you're young, you've got a bit more time and you're bit more hungry so to get what you can, what's what's going.
00:08:54
Speaker
So did work in the States for a while as well. I got a few quits. no travel Having enough money was of the biggest problems I had. I'd say money doesn't make you happy, but it certainly stops you making you unhappy.
00:09:05
Speaker
It certainly keeps your stomach full. Just let's recap for a second. The original plan was to go from Belfast to Australia.
00:09:16
Speaker
And you were how old when you planned to start that journey? i was 21. So you set off from Belfast, you end up in London. The Iranians took over the American embassy in Tehran, which was an occupation that lasted over a year and ended when Ronald Reagan became president of the United States.
00:09:33
Speaker
But that sort of cut off the route to Australia the overland route to Australia is to go through Europe, then Turkey, crossing to Iran and then down through India and then down through the various different island nations towards Australia. Yeah. Right.
00:09:51
Speaker
And that can take quite a while, but it is possible. Because of the situation in Iran, that route was blocked. And to go north of there means you'd be going through the Soviet Union, which at the time of the Cold War, that would have been impossible to do as well. Yeah. Yeah.
00:10:07
Speaker
And the southern route would still have meant having to do something with Iran because going through Saudi Arabia, then going north, you'd still have to go through Iran in order to get to Pakistan and then India.
00:10:21
Speaker
So that's why you decided to go to South Africa instead. There's no good as well, yeah. yeah At the time in Africa as a whole, it's like you said, you've got the situations in Uganda, the situations in Rhodesia, which then became Zimbabwe.
00:10:38
Speaker
white person on a motorbike would have been something of a novelty for the vast majority of people to see. Yeah, so it's bit of a detour. I mean, even the locals didn't have, everybody's got, we want two fives now, let's get around half the world on.
00:10:53
Speaker
No, it's it's pretty novel for most people to see it. A 750 motorbike going down the street. No, I mean, it was certainly dodgy places I was going through, but and but nothing but people you meet when you are on a motorbike, especially. I think everybody's got an interest in bikes in some way.
00:11:11
Speaker
And it's a great introduction for a lot of people. As long as you're polite, most people will be polite back as well. Yeah. And being on your own as well, you're not a threat. to but If you four motorbikes run into town, for instance, go into a bar, nobody wants to talk them because they feel threatened, as you say. You're a gang.
00:11:28
Speaker
But if you're guy on your own, you go into bar or a restaurant, you sit on your own, somebody will come over and talk to you because you look so weird. What are you doing here? It's a great way of getting to know people. You're really traveling to know the learn about the culture and the people around you, so it's lot to be said for I mean, the the experience that you've had sounds a little bit like the the sort of things that we can see on the television and the race across the world type television program where people have don't have access to the modern information sources. So there's no internet and you're relying upon your ability to communicate with the locals to find out the information that you need in order to go to the next stage of your journey.
00:12:11
Speaker
Well, it's a little bit like that. Well, it was a little bit like that, but that's, to be honest, really pretending to do it because it's like watching Top Gear their trips across Africa, wherever. and I did one in Argentina, remember, years ago when I got into trouble.
00:12:26
Speaker
But I remember reading about it. It must been tricky for the three them. Then you realize there was actually 50 people involved with all the cameramen and the sound engineers, all the engineers, the security, the doctors, the whole team of guys behind them. So louisie you you see the three people there.
00:12:41
Speaker
if the when the shit hits the fan, there's plenty of people that get them out of trouble. But the thing about traveling on your own is it's very crazy easy for you to get yourself into these situations, but there's nobody else, nobody there to get you out of it again by yourself.
00:12:54
Speaker
Yes. So it it looks like that sort of TV program. That's very much, I don't want to poo-hoo it too much, but it's very much a made for viewing rather than, it's not todo not fiction, but it's made for viewing as such.
00:13:11
Speaker
Yes, that's true. I'm not just thinking that actually the though it's ah it's a race, it's a competition, the experience of not having access to the technology was similar to what you have. Yeah, well that's true.
Travel Challenges: Then and Now
00:13:24
Speaker
remember in Egypt tried to phone home at Christmas and it took about a day to book a call. It costs the equivalent of about 50 quid to make a five-minute call from the post office.
00:13:34
Speaker
Yes. Whereas now anywhere practically in the world you can make a WhatsApp call home for nothing, you know. Yes, it's that type of isolation, I suppose. If you haven't got the money for that call, you're not making that call.
00:13:48
Speaker
We're very used to using technology to make a call to anywhere in the world and it not actually costing us anything other than our broadband fee. Yeah, it's pretty pretty amazing when you compare it back to...
00:14:01
Speaker
The old days, you know. Yeah. That completely different is like you'd have to go in some of these places, you'd have to go to somewhere specific to book your call.
00:14:12
Speaker
And then not just booking the time to use the phone, but booking the international call to get all the various different things that you wanted. But you arrive in South Africa and you get into a a race, a yacht race, which takes you across to North America and your bike has been shipped there by the sponsor of the race.
00:14:36
Speaker
And then you're in North America and you then start going down North America to into South America as your option for getting to Australia.
00:14:47
Speaker
Well, at that stage, I'd pretty much forgotten about going to Australia. I realised I was going in the wrong direction. And I was just happy enough to, let's say, travel for the sake of travelling. It's and something nobody really does anymore, apart from the old hobo.
00:15:01
Speaker
Because, as say, you're you're always going somewhere. Everybody's travelling. It's always their destination. Travelling had become a lifestyle. Yeah. It was great way to be for a certain period, but obviously not for rest your life because, A, you'll run out money after a while.
00:15:16
Speaker
and B, I don't think it's that healthy to... You're traveling down through the Americas and you end up in Argentina. So how long has it been since you have actually been home in Northern Ireland at this point? year, year and a half, as I say, I've worked in the States for six months. We've got some more money together.
00:15:35
Speaker
But by the time we got to South America, the bike was sort of falling apart at that stage. but It had been through a lot. It had been through a lot. It's called hepatitis in Bolivia, which is about the worst place in the world to catch hepatitis because it's very hard to fly in and out of and there's no sea it was sea crossings. through yeah There's no NHS.
00:15:57
Speaker
So was able to get some extra money and ship myself on the bike home from a So from ah Argentina now. You end up flying back to Northern Ireland.
00:16:08
Speaker
You have a successful business career. You end up working in Northern Ireland and working internationally as well. You spend some time living and working in Dubai. That's right, yes.
00:16:19
Speaker
Yeah, it's probably to be the wonder. Let's travel, see the world bit more is from a work point of view as well. I started writing a book whenever I came home 81, but... There was another guy, an older guy, journalist, on a similar trip, and he'd written a book before me. So I thought, well, I'll just shut my head. I'll do that sometime.
00:16:37
Speaker
And 40 years later, I managed to find my papers again and got around to finishing the book, which is quite novel and is able to write the book as a 21-year-old, but writing it from the perspective, from my perspective, it's 60-odd.
00:16:55
Speaker
So it's like looking at somebody... somebody else stranger nearly that was going on this journey must be a strange experience to look back on yourself as a 21 year old and sort of thinking about it but of course the book going the wrong way was you looking back at yourself as a 21 year old After you've you've started writing your book and reflecting upon your own life when you were 21 and 44 years later, your you're starting to it again with
Reviving the Dream: Returning to Australia
00:17:29
Speaker
one of your friends. They he sort of cajole you into, i suppose, taking the mickey or or mocking you slightly because you never actually got to Australia. And from there, it's then, well, let's go now.
00:17:45
Speaker
Let's go now. the two of you head off again on motorbikes and you're on the same motorbike as you were on 44 years earlier. Yeah. One friends said, well, you never got to Australia that time.
00:17:57
Speaker
not have another go? so sort of put the notion my head. I still had the same motorbike, stored and put in the garage. So three years just after COVID, we left and to try and get to Australia in legs rather than come Time or money to disappear for three months. And as you say, you can ah you can do a lot of work on your laptop, no where you are in the world these days.
00:18:21
Speaker
So they come back every couple of weeks. So we drove down to Athens, parked the bikes up there for two months, then went to Israel, came back.
00:18:32
Speaker
Again, it doesn't quite go to plan in that this person, this mate who suggested it, didn't get to Australia. He didn't leave Europe. And then my mate whose idea was to go in the first place decided he would didn't want to do it anymore.
00:18:48
Speaker
so that left me to decide to do it again. I ended up heading off on my own again. it's all It sounds as if it's a great adventure, but actually... One of things that make it an adventure is when things don't go to plan.
00:19:02
Speaker
If everything goes to plan, then you're on a package holiday. If something doesn't work, then you're on an adventure and you're on your right you're still on your own. Although it's like 40 odd years later, the solution to the problem is still down to you.
00:19:16
Speaker
Same guy, same motorbike, just 44 years in between. So I think at a combined age, about 110 me and the bike. I mean, do do people treat you differently because you're you're older when you're on a motorbike? No.
00:19:28
Speaker
Well, we got to Israel. We were going to take train. Saudi Arabia is sort of opening up now. And the idea was to go from Israel israel to Jordan and across Saudi. But with COVID and whatever got in the way, we couldn't get out of Israel.
00:19:41
Speaker
So had to come back to Athens. But that's what international travel and motorbikes are about. Nothing ever goes to plan. You you make plans. like something goes wrong, you've got to find a way around it. You know, it's a series of problems that come up to every day, you know.
00:19:58
Speaker
and When you're a youngster, if you're into bikes, then you buy the bike and um it's it's a tool. It gets you from A to B. Yeah. But when you've reached that lid life point and you buy a bike, it's a hobby. So, yeah, it was interested in comparing my ability to get out of trouble and get into trouble as well, so it's a 21 and a 65-year-old.
00:20:21
Speaker
Taking your helmet off and obviously being older, people might perceive that you actually might have more money than the 21-year-old who is is doing this. I think the day, I mean, it's a couple of times I stopped but stop at a petrol station somewhere in India or wherever, and you take your hellet helmet off, and they sort of look at you and think,
00:20:40
Speaker
He's this grey-haired old bugger. You expect to see a young guy when the helmet comes off and sees the grey hair and a bald patch the back is sort of catches him out a bit. Yes. And if you've made this sort of journey, it must have changed you as a 21-year-old.
00:20:56
Speaker
you must You must have felt as if you could do anything. Yeah. Well, when I started biking, it was a tool that I used to go to school to go to work. I couldn't afford a car at the time, so you got a motorbike.
00:21:07
Speaker
And that's why in the third world countries, and these places are all using the Honda 50s, whatever. They're using them as a tool to to do something. So it's quite unusual for them to see a electric big bike who's actually using it. But I mean, the UK, certainly in most s bikers are in their 60s.
00:21:25
Speaker
Young kids, I think it's been a bit of a since COVID, more people buying smaller bikes, kids, but um they're not particularly popular for the kids these days. I think they're too expensive. and don't I don't quite know why kids are more interested in their computers their iPads and motorbikes. and Usually you see the guys going down the road on Harleys or BMWs, Guzzies, whatever. They're usually in their 60s on the other side of it.
00:21:51
Speaker
As you say, it's a hobby for them now. As an HR professional, if I'd received an application for any type of job where somebody had said, well ah the gap on my work history is because I was going the wrong way to Australia,
00:22:05
Speaker
um I'd want to interview
Lessons from Travel: Resourcefulness and Communication
00:22:07
Speaker
that person. I used a lot of the life lessons that I made in my business life thereafter. Going the wrong way, it was this obviously geographic title for a bit, but I've very often taken the road to a more unusual journey to a job or a career than some people have.
00:22:27
Speaker
As was saying, probably had about five careers really over my life, working life, whereas most people maybe have one or two. um I can't think of a job that I wouldn't want to interview somebody who had had that sort of experience because It depends what sort of job it is.
00:22:45
Speaker
of and For a heart surgeon, you might not want to. imagine Like I say, just having been in those types of situations where you you are your own guardian angel. If something goes wrong, you have to get yourself out of that situation. You have to be resourceful. You have to find a solution. You have to develop the communication skills with people who might not speak English.
00:23:09
Speaker
people who do speak English but they speak it differently to you. You've got to cross all the various different cultural divides as well. You've got to go through countries where white people are rich and powerful and still come out of it with a positive mindset and be continuing your journey so i can't think of a job off the top of my head at least where that sort of experience wouldn't have given people life skills that would be an asset in any career and i'm trying now yeah i know it's only going to be a moderation so now you've got this book going the wrong way and that's doing really well
00:23:52
Speaker
What's the next on on the agenda? is Is there going to be another motorcycle tour or will you be on some sort of cruise ship instead and taking it easy? Well, the title for the next book is Adventure Before Dementia because as I now I'm at end of the other end of my working life, which is quite important time because you're sort of looking forward to spending a bit of time and money and enjoying yourself.
00:24:14
Speaker
But I've noticed lot of men, especially, identified with themselves with their work for so long. They retire and they really don't know what to do with themselves. They know what they are or who they are. And they end up sort of going out to garden, taking potatoes and playing golf twice a week.
00:24:31
Speaker
And really been working for 40 years, it's got to be more to it than that. So I sort of wanted to... There is a quotation from Samuel Pepys, the diarist the time of Charles II.
00:24:43
Speaker
What he said was that he was making time during his prime. He was making time to enjoy and the wealth that he was generating because he observed that people who waited until they had time to enjoy their wealth ran out of time. Yeah. but You don't know when you're going to run out of time or when you're going to not be able to do the things you want to do, just whatever it is health-wise.
00:25:05
Speaker
Yes. I think I've proved that I can do, I actually did what tried to do in 21. I couldn't do it when was 21, but I did it when was 65. So can still do pretty much what I do. I can't do it that fast when I get there in the end, you know.
00:25:21
Speaker
I had that conversation with someone earlier today in the gym. One of the younger chaps did something, and I said to somebody who's my sort of age, yeah, I could probably do that.
00:25:33
Speaker
I wouldn't do it as quickly as he did, but I could probably do that. Well, the difference was when I was 21, I could ride a motorbike all day and go out and party all night, whereas now ride a motorbike all day and of have a cup of cocoa and something to eat, go to bed, you know.
00:25:46
Speaker
Yes. but I think what you're saying is that regardless of how old you are you still have the ability to do what you want to do but you do it in a way which is right for you rather than doing it in a way where you are comparing yourself to other people. Yeah. I think as you get older too, you become more cautious and you tend to look at things.
00:26:09
Speaker
why sure Why should I not do it? why I shouldn't do that rather than I should do this because it's there. they should You start thinking of reasons why you shouldn't do it. And there's always very good reasons why you shouldn't do a lot of things.
00:26:22
Speaker
But if you don't do them, you don't try them, you' you're never going to get anywhere. That is very true. People are too cautious these days. Whereas 40 years ago, I think we were a bit more, less health and safety minded. Yes, because so few people had done what you did, we didn't know that it was difficult to do it.
00:26:37
Speaker
and We didn't know all the dangers and the challenges and the problems of doing it. If you wanted to go to Australia, there were different ways in which you could go. Once you know about the problems, you can very easily persuade yourself not to do something.
00:26:52
Speaker
But if you say, there may be problems, there are problems, but I'm going to do it anyway, then you end up in a situation where you can achieve something that many people may have said, well, that's not going to be possible.
The Value of Determination and Solo Travel
00:27:06
Speaker
Even, as you said, your friend went with you as far as grace, decided to go home. It's that's like if you are dedicated and interested in in doing something, you can still make it happen regardless of how old you are. Yeah, i mean, it's a matter of one door closes, you have to find another door that's open with a certain amount of determination to keep going and direction you want to go to. And it's not for everybody. I mean, I'm not saying traveling around the world, it's for everybody, but I think you could travel around the country like spending some more time on your own sometimes is good because you can like see where you are, your, your life, your, from when you're born, you've got your family around you, your school, your university, your work.
00:27:47
Speaker
There's always somebody telling you what to do, telling and you ought to do somebody you're trying to impress, whatever, if you're off on your own, you're going to be yourself. Yeah. You get to know yourself.
00:27:59
Speaker
Get yourself a Yeah. daens It all sounds great, actually. And this idea of adventure before dementia is is really interesting. I look forward to hearing when that book will be published. But for the moment, and Going the Wrong Way sounds like a really good read.
00:28:18
Speaker
And I appreciate your time today. It's been very interesting. Thank you very much. It's been great to be here. Thank you. I am Michael Millward, the Managing Director of Abbasida. And in this episode of Fit for My Age, I have been having a conversation with Chris Donaldson.
00:28:34
Speaker
There is a link in the description to abbasida.co.uk where you can find more information about both of us. I must remember to thank the team at matchmaker.fm for introducing me to Chris Donaldson.
00:28:45
Speaker
Matchmaker.fm is where matches of great hosts and great guests are made. There is link to matchmaker.fm and an offer code in the description. At Fit For My Age, our aim is proactive positive aging.
00:28:59
Speaker
Knowing the risks early is an important part of maintaining good health. That is why we recommend the annual health test from York test. York tests provide an assessment of 39 different health markers, including cholesterol, diabetes, vitamin D, vitamin B12, liver function, iron deficiency, inflammation, and a full blood count.
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00:29:22
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The annual health test is conducted by an experienced phlebotomist who will complete a full blood draw at your home or workplace. Hospital standard tests are carried out in a UKAS accredited and CQC compliant laboratory.
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There is a link in the description that will take you to more information about business and personal telecom solutions from 3.0 and the special offers available when you quote my referral code. At Fit for My Age, our aim is proactive positive aging.
00:30:18
Speaker
Knowing the risks early is an important part of maintaining good health. That is why we recommend the annual health test from York Test. York Tests provide an assessment of 39 different health markers, including cholesterol, diabetes, vitamin D, vitamin B12, liver function, iron deficiency, inflammation, and a full blood count.
00:30:41
Speaker
The annual health test is conducted by an experienced phlebotomist who will complete a full blood draw at your home or workplace. Hospital standard tests are carried out in a UKAS accredited and CQC compliant laboratory.
00:30:58
Speaker
You can access your easy to understand results and guidance to help you make effective lifestyle changes anytime via your secure personal wellness hub. There is a link and a discount code in the description.
00:31:11
Speaker
which all in all means that the description is well worth reading. If you've liked this episode of Fit For My Age, please give it a like and download it so that you can listen anytime, anywhere.
00:31:22
Speaker
To make sure you don't miss out on future episodes, please subscribe. Remember the aim of all the podcasts produced by Abbasida is not to tell you what to think, but we do hope to make you think.
00:31:33
Speaker
Until the next episode of Fit For My Age, thank you for listening and goodbye.