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Martin Oldfield - Judy Buchanan

Martin Oldfield

I have worked as a Tour Leader taking groups of travellers to a range of countries in Asia, Africa, the Caribbean and Eastern and Southern Europe.

My main career has been in education. My Masters degree is in educational research. I was a teacher, an advisory teacher, a Local Authority adviser and subsequently a freelance education consultant. Much of my work involved writing materials for teachers and students and in developing their understanding of history, sociology, geography and political education. I then specialised in the use of information technology in schools and working with the BSF programme.

I now live in England and in Spain and spend time in travelling. In December 2010 I travelled to Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. In December 2011/ January 2012 I visited Sri Lanka.

I enjoy cycling in England and mountain walking in Andalucia .

Each summer I spend approximately three months on our 39 foot sailing boat and travel to waters in Northern and Western Europe.

I started writing for Suite 101 in mid-February 2010 and I have 99 articles posted.

15 are about sport:

• football (9)
• cricket
• Wimbledon tennis (2)
• the 2012 London Olympics (2)
• the 2010 Commonwealth Games

15 are about political topics:

• the 2010 UK General Election and the outcomes (4)
• the UK coalition government and issues it faces (5)
• the June 2010 Budget
• electoral reform (4)
• the 2010 Labour leadership contest

11 are about education issues:

• teaching ideas using photographs
• the new government's education issues (5)
• BSF(3)
• adults and children learning foreign languages (2)

30 articles focus on aspects of living in Southern Spain.

e.g. places to visit and activities (22)

e.g. local animal charities (4)

e.g. advice (4)

7 are about aspects of long-haul travel:

• independent travel in Cuba
• a two-day journey on the River Mekong in northern Laos
• rescuing and caring for elephants in Laos (this article received an Editor's Choice Award and in January 2011 was only one of three articles, from an entry of c. 35,000 articles, to receive a Best of Editor's Choice Award)
• responsible tourism in Cambodia
• helping children to read books in Laos
• independent travel in Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam
• visiting Hanoi, Vietnam

and 16 are about a range of other topics:

• how to interview job candidates
• garden design
• charity fundraising
• pet passports
• sailing couples
• Harwich, Essex and early settlements in America
• Ham Hill Country Park , Somerset
• Chichester Harbour
• John Clarkson, freed slaves and Sierra Leone
• 1970 Isle of Wight Music Festival
• Suffolk East and Ipswich Branch of the RSPCA
• Suffolk countryside (3)
• Cambridge
• VE Day commemorations
• the death of Joseph Kennedy Jnr.
• the last successful invasion of Britain (1688) (2 articles)
• Nidderdale, Yorkshire Dales
• 2010 Beachwatch

In the future I hope to post further articles related to aspects of life in England, Spain and long haul travel.