The new autumn issue of Traveller marks the magazine’s 40th Anniversary. Below is Amy’s editorial, which offers an insight into the latest issue…
THIS ISSUE MARKS Traveller’s 40th birthday, and we’ve received a richness of presents in the way of contributions by some of our Honorary Editorial Board to help us celebrate, for which we are deeply grateful. The wealth of experience between these pages is substantial and I’ve been struck again by the heritage of a magazine that I still consider to be special after a decade here. Ten years is a long time to spend on one ship, but time fades into irrelevance when the journey continues to fascinate, sailing along different shorelines in every issue.
But even as a ship speeds ahead, it’s fun sometimes to stand at the back and look out at the horizon behind you, watching the furrows recede, wondering at the sheer distance covered. When Traveller set sail 40 years ago, it charted an adventurous course. Diving into those early issues – when the magazine was called Expedition – reveals a spirit of inquiry, a sense of intrepidness, a profound appreciation of the world we live in and a sense of curiosity.
I’d like to think some of those things still hold true. There are features we’re unlikely to run now, such as the 12-page investigation entitled ‘The Latest Loch Ness Monster Evidence’, and I don’t think we could devote 30 pages to a single journey these days.
But while we now cover a wider range of places, I’d like to keep the tendency the magazine has had over the years for calling in at unexpected destinations, and for telling absorbing stories. And what stories we have in this issue, from the Honorary Editorial Board members who have joined us on board the good ship. Sir Robin Knox-Johnston knows all about the pleasures of sailing the seas and shares them with us here. John Simpson knows all about the scarier spots of the world and has sent us a short piece
as polished as his television broadcasts and laced with the same hint of danger. Sir Christopher Ondaatje was kind enough to send us an account of his encounter with a leopard in Africa, as well as sharing his thoughts on life over lunch at his local Italian restaurant, which gives us our Guest Traveller interview and an insight into his extraordinary life. Colin Thubron sat patiently through a very long list of questions in a pleasant but noisy riverside bar, and with impeccable courtesy kept talking through the music and whirr of helicopters, giving us a fascinating account of the writing life with which to open our books pages. William Dalrymple was in Afghanistan when we got in touch and so we have the great good luck of running a piece on Herat told with his trademark mixture of panache and depth. Robin Hanbury-Tenison gave us a wonderful piece on Albania and the chance to stay at his home in Cornwall, which his wife Louella runs as the best sort of bed and breakfast, where guests are welcomed as one of the family and treated to the stories behind the artefacts he has collected during a lifetime spent exploring. Sir Ranulph Fiennes took the time to write about Dhofar for us, a place he first visited in the Sixties as a Captain in the army of the Sultan of Oman, and one that retains a hold on him to this day. Colonel John Blashford-Snell recounts his historic Darien expedition in Panama, a tale, like so many of his tales, full of derring-do and a can-do attitude in the face of the seemingly impossible or impassable.
Jonathan Scott, always enthusiastic, always supportive, always fun to spend time with, whirled into the Traveller office in between continents and later sent us pieces that talk about three of them – Africa, Antarctica and Asia – with glorious pictures, some taken by him, others by his talented wife Angela.
We’ve remembered presidents past too, with a painting by Sir Peter Scott acting as this issue’s ‘Dream On’ image, and with a spectacular vision of Africa as seen and photographed by the late, great Sir Wilfred Thesiger. Kari Herbert sent us a moving story about her father Sir Wally Herbert, the great polar explorer. Kari can be seen on one of our old covers, snuggled up under furs with her parents, a wee bundle of a baby on a sledge in the snow, exploring the edges of the world. Our regular ‘Art of Travel’ feature looks at some of these covers, including the one above. I’ve been between them for a great part of this day, remembering contributors past, the ages and stages, immersed in Traveller then, popping back into Traveller now.
Age cannot wither her, nor custom stale her infinite variety, and I feel tremendously lucky to be the editor wishing her a happy 40th birthday with many happy returns.