The one lesson I’ve learned from life
Charley Boorman
TV ADVENTURER Charley Boorman, 52, lives in London with his wife, Olivia. They have two grown-up daughters. He is best known for presenting hit TV shows Long Way Round, in 2004, Long Way Down, in 2007, and By Any Means, in 2008.
ADVENTURES STRETCH THE BODY AND MIND
MY FATHER, John, was a filmmaker, and when i was small i travelled the world with him as he directed great movies, including excalibur, Hope and Glory and Deliverance.
That stamped the feeling of adventure into all his children from a young age, and even now we all love a bit of travel.
it’s the spice of life, and to experience other cultures and see the way other people do things is brilliant and an important part of growing up. it’s good to explore and see what the world has to offer.
Since then, i’ve ridden motorbikes around the world with my friend ewan McGregor, taken part in the Dakar rally in West africa and travelled to Sydney ‘by any means’, which included tuktuks, catamarans — even elephants.
But, as a teenager, i realised i didn’t need to go far to have an adventure. i remember getting my driving licence and jumping into the car to visit my mates outside of London and discover Britain.
it was fantastic — driving down to Cornwall to put up our tents in a barn near Polzeath and hopping over the Channel to Calais to buy a bunch of booze for a party. We had a great time.
and the same is true now. Just last week, i hopped on my motorbike to visit France with two friends i hadn’t seen for ages. Within a couple of hours of leaving London, we were sitting in a lovely restaurant in normandy eating a bowl of mussels and drinking a little rosé.
i think we’ve forgotten what’s on our doorstep — not only Britain, but the whole of europe.
adventures are important. They stretch the body and mind and it’s been proven that the more active you are, the better you feel — both physically and mentally. and you really don’t have to go too far to have them. CHARLEY supports Eurotunnel Le Shuttle (eurotunnel.com).