Jo and Tony Henderson

Our life and times

Diana – Traveller of the world

Diana has visited an incredible number of countries in her short life. She made a list for me for when I was preparing my speech for her wedding. She broke it into sections

  1. By the time she was 4 she had spent six weeks driving through Spain and France (throwing up all the way – lived off ham sandwiches and coke) and then emigrated to live in Hong Kong
  2. By the time she was 14 and had holidays from Hong Kong she had been to China (during the time of the little red book), Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Hawaii (twice), California (Disneyland and Universal Studios!) and San Francisco. She had also been to Morocco with Valerie and I, Switzerland skiing with me (I managed to twist my ankle running for a train at Hooton Station in the Wirral, and must be one of the few people to arrive for a ski-ing holiday with a foot in plaster!), Venice and Rome on a school trip, Spain and France skiing with Jan
  3. Aged 22 and living and working in Hong Kong for 4 years she added India (for a friend’s wedding), Sri Lanka (en route to Julie’s wedding), China, Macau and Boracay in the Philippines.
  4. Returning to the UK she lived in London (living beside Brixton prison with Tracey and Natalie) and went to Argentina (to see Julie & Ravi), Portugal on a tennis holiday with me, Germany to visit Claudia, Ireland with Amanda, Scotland with Mum and a Christmas trip to Peru with Travelbag Adventures. I remember meeting her at Heathrow when she landed back from Peru and remember she announced she was going to work in Peru as a travel guide. Shirley Valentine time I thought – I was wrong
  5. Off she went to spend two years in Peru/Bolivia/Chile and then a year in Guatemala/Belize/Mexico. When home for while between tours she had a one off trip to Egypt for a family adventure with 10 kids. While working overseas she also went to Chile (to see Julie & Ravi) with a day trip to Uruguay, Venezuela with Lisa, solo adventures in Peru as well as visits from Don and Valerie and Bolivian adventures with Natalie and Tracey.
  6. Back in London but the travelling continued. To Australia for Tracey’s wedding, Italy (one off tour with Robert Peston), New York with Valerie, the Trans Siberia Railway with Don (Moscow to Mongolia to Beijing), Boston and New England with Valerie, Florence for Claire’s hen party, Germany and Thailand with work, Borneo with Elizabeth, Ireland with Catrina, Ecuador with Roger (the travel guide friend), from Delhi to Kashmir with Ginny and Matt, Malta with Valerie, Calcutta, Sikkim and Bhutan, Jersey with Valerie, Marseille for Lisa’s hen party, Copenhagen to watch Paul run (sort of) a half marathon, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, Singapore to visit Lisa. Spain, twice with Elizabeth and countless times to see us and Dominique, France for a film festival and Wales for a shoot with John.

I haven’t counted the number of countries but it must be in her genes as I was keen on travelling and Valerie had lived in France, Hawaii and Nigeria before I met her in Spain. However we will never match our daughter.

I’m sure Diana has hundreds of photos of her travels, I have but a few which are here