THE WHEELCHAIR GOES EAST

Mike Fox is a semi-retired British civil servant with a passion for travelling, reading, anything that moves on railway lines, and badminton (which he continues to play badly). He is married to Sylvia, who has a passion for dogs and music. They have two adult sons, Nathan and David, who fled the nest many years ago, and Katy, a loveable but naughty border collie who thinks she's in charge (and probably is). Mike's travel genre also has an emphasis on travelling for the disabled, largely because his wife, Sylvia, who usually travels with him, has Parkinson's disease and gets around mostly with the aid of a wheelchair.

Mike loves encountering new situations, people and cultures, and observing the world around him. He has been particularly inspired by travel writers such as Paul Theroux and Bill Bryson, sharing something of the former's love of trains and the la er's sense of humour - plus the fact that both of these writers get past mere description of the places they visit and share their profound perceptions of their travel experiences and their encounters along the way, some which he finds humorous, some poignant, all of them fascinating.