Introducing Sail Training to China. ( and everywhere in the world , and re-introducing it to many people in the UK)Have a link to a pilot documentary which shows that young Chinese Adults can also go to sea and get wet and enjoy the experience - eventually.http://themasthead.sailtraininginternational.org/december-2014/sti-news/chinese-documentary-traileSail Training is not the same as learning to sail.It provides an arduous environment for learning teamwork and leadership skills.We take young adults who are Chinese, and non Chinese off to sea on large sailing ships for one or two weeks at a time.We are based in the UK, because there are no large sailing ships, or any sail training , in China.Anyway, there are lots of Chinese students in UK and Europe.We have been the first Chinese Team in an truely International Race - 2014 Tall Ships'​ races.www.chinasta.orgOf our total team, there were 12 out of 16 who are genetically Chinese.Here is documentary about the interaction of the crew, who are mostly Chinese students. There is a small clip here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4H5BuGCV0U.And have a few blogs:https://www.linkedin.com/today/author/19313351http://www.neehao.co.uk/2015/07/chinese-students-from-uk-universities-in-sailing-event/We have many other projects on land, including for 2016 /17, an oral history project, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, about the first purpose built sail training ships in the UK : Sir Winston Churchill and Malcom Miller.There are research project concerning the theory of change of sail training and logic modelsUpsate for May 2017. China STA is organising trainees for the luxury super sailing yacht Malcolm Miller for the Tall Ships Race.And here is a link to bits of the Oral History: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk-Y_eeRc42xm5uu023PmhA/videos

Sail Training Ship Sir Winston Churchill and schooner Malcolm MillerI now take the blame for organising thingsI went on board the Malcolm Miller on 1st April 1979.There were many empty places on the schooners.A teacher at my school,had told us to go for £20.There were 15 on the Churchill and 5 on the Miller.I was 16 years and 3 months old and the youngest on board.I had no experience on Tall Ships.I was what the Schooner were built for.I was asked back to be a cook's mate.Perhaps because the captain had noticed that I had the ability to still work in the morning , despite being completely inebriated the night before, when we had stopped at ports.Perhaps because he thought it would be funny to have a Chinese lad in the galley.Perhaps because I actually knew the chief officer. His eldest son went to my school for a few years and I used to play toy soldiers with him in the Chief Officer's house.So I went on many trips as cook's mate during the school holidays and before I went to university- No pay, but I did not need to pay.I was then kicked onto the deck to be a watch leader for the 1983 Tall Ship's Race and ponced about on deck in charge of my watch of 13 young seamen.I ran away from university for a year and I bummed around on the schooners for most of it, being the "spare", filing in watch leader and "week in port cook" vacancies. I was then actually PAID for being the senior paid hand for the very long 1984-85 refit ( a post I invented!).By April 1985, I was knackered and passed on the baton as the "spare" to my friend Andy Rose.25,000 sea miles. 400 days on board. 82, 83,84 Tall Ship Races. Proudest of all- 4 winter voyages as Watch Leader with mainly socially deprived " borstal " boys. Even though many in other watches did a runner after 5-7 days, I never lost any from my own watch through carefully nurturing them through the stormy first days at sea.https://www.facebook.com/groups/30680956784/

Frontier AccountantMission Statement : " To boldly count where no-one has counted before".Clients include a holiday parks business, an English Language School, chain of corner shops, property dealers and truck dealers. I do more than just accountancy. Holistic approach and all that blah , blah.I am also very good at planning permission issues in certain specialist areas.One of my sponsors for the China Sail Training Association, has sent me on a mission to buy an aircraft carrier for him.

I add cunning bits to the plans of our little CIC https://www.seekerscreate.com/

Filing in lots of funding applications ( 3 out of 3 success rate as at 11th July 2020) . I also scheme up cunning plans. My favorite is a heritage project which includes intergeneraltional knitting of wollen swim wear. All help required to keep the Lido going. All ideas considered. It was built in 1935 and survived the Blitz. https://hilsea-lido.org.uk/

Selling quality products made in Britain to the world. Currently doing Dog biscuits.Maybe even sending Herbal Tea for Dog on a Tall Ship to ChinaAlso selling Portsmouth to China. Portsmouth is to be twinned with the city of Zhuhai, which most of Pompey cant pronounce or spell, let alone know where it is.

Translating everything to anything.

Restoring a Tall Ship, so that she can boldly go where no museum of the sea has been before.

Giving Special Advice. This project will complete the mission. A replica of the 1620 Mayflower will sail from Europe to America in 2020. Yes, there is already a replica Mayflower II in Plimoth. The Harwich Mayflower will join her. Not just for the hell of it. Not for some money making advantage. Not for boosting the economic, value for money, return on capital, of the investment of any one town or city or country or mutli- national. The mission is to join the people of the world together. To show the world that we are all in the same boat. That we can pull together to make the world a better place. Many of the crew during her voyages from 2019 and beyond will be young adults from all the corners of the world. Even those countries without a coast, like Mongolia. We will boldly join cultures, where no other opportunities have joined cultures together before. After all, the youth of today, are the leaders of tomorrow and they all live on this one , small planet. http://www.harwichmayflower.com/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/100208590314197/The trustees of the project have driven it hard since the official start date of 2010. But no one person can build a ship. No one person can individually change the lives of other, preferably towards the good. All help, advice, money and assistance in any kind is gratefully received for the future benefit of mankind.

My Dad , Mr Lai and Mr Lai started the Portsmouth Chinese Association in the mid 1970's. In those days, there were only a handful of Chinese restaurants and take -aways in Portsmouth. The charity raised enough funds to acquire an old shop (next to Mr Lai's chinese supermarket) and then they converted the old Telephone Exchange into flatlets for old grannies and grandads.The Chinese folk still can't really read much English, so I have now been given the job of doing the reading and writing of grant applications and such like. Actually, keeping with family tradition, I'm getting my smart daughter to do all the hard work.

Oh damn. Following the family tradition by being sucked into selling Chinese food. And yes. There is also a laundry service on site for our own yacht club members. Gave up. No business on IOW. Most of the money has left the island. Had too many better things to do.

Yurts in the Isle of Purbeck. Bored with them now. Business works. No more challenge.

Adding up numbers

I was shanghaied in Cardiff by Captain Chris Blake, OBE. He was missing a cook's mate for a few weeks. Then the cook was annoying him. So I ended up as the Mad Ship's Cook for many months. I got him to let me print the title "Purser" on my business cards. It was much better for scrounging.

Public practice accountancy. Firm grew too big , too fast. Never wanted so many black bags full of paperwork. Got divorced. Glad to give away clients to other accountants. Trained many staff who are now enjoying accountancy - each to their own,.

Worked for a rubbish firm of medium sized Chartered Accountants which went bankrupt. Don't trust any accountant who says they are very good with numbers and finance. We all make mistakes. They did.Most accountants only got more than 65% in their exams, and certainly less than 85% in most. I was second in the world in a Management Accounts and Financial Management, year 2, exam. I had only turned up to pass. Left the exam hall 30 mins early- I knew I had more than 65% And I only got 83%. We all make mistakes, but I will always admit it. No- one is perfect.

Trained to lead a platoon over the top of trenches whilst blowing a whistle. 525647 for anyone who wants my service number. And that is all you will get out of me under the Geneva Conventions.Cambridge University Officer Training Corps (Infantry Wing Training Officer)6/7 Queens - HQ company , Horsham. Turned up just as they were being disbanded.

Largest McDonalds in the world at the time. I was supposed to join the Army as a bomb disposal officer after leaving Cambridge. I was talked out of it by my girlfriend, so I needed a job quick. Good fun and I learnt how a very efficient business works. I even went to Hamburger University on the Edgeware Road.