The book club

In my blog “The Power of music” for wellbeing” I listed Norman Jay as a massive influence in opening my mind to world music and different genres such as soul, jazz and house music. My wife bought me this book, probably because I always tell people about attending his warehouse parties in London. I highly recommend his book and it is an interesting story of his times at the pirate radio station Kiss FM, creating a sound system at the Notting Hill carnival and an inside guide on how he managed to stage the infamous warehouse parties and influence club culture.

For example, it was interesting to listen to his experience of raves in the tunnels and warehouses next to St Pancras station, Kings Cross London. He talks about meeting Judge Jules and Soul to Soul performing and a few years later I attended a number of raves and events in the same warehouses and tunnels.

It was an amazing time and every time I pass Kings Cross station now with the new hotels and Eurostar train terminal it always brings back great memories and makes me smile! I know I bore my kids with the stories, there was no internet, no mobile phones or music streaming services and we relied on Kiss FM for some cryptic clues or a friend of a friend that might just know the address of the next event! I really love Norman’s passion for music and his dedication to travel to New York or local record shops to source new music and new artists for his sets. You can listen to his Goodtimes playlist here.

The project TravelArtNature is evolving with time and based on fantastic feedback from the community. My wife bought me this brilliant book “Taking the Plunge” by Anna Deacon and Vicky Allan. Anna and Vicky have combined their passion for wild swimming and photography to document a beautiful collection of wild swimming experiences. It depicts individuals’ experiences of the healing nature of wild swimming with stunning photographs of lakes, seas and lochs in the United Kingdom. Every individual in the book is very open about their personal battles and very inspirational on how wild swimming has supported their recovery and provided new goals and joy. For example, page 74 is a honest reflection by a man called Luke who provides a very emotional summary of his battle as an alcoholic, an attempted suicide and his journey to sobriety. I found the following paragraph from Luke, very moving and inspirational,

I highly recommend this book and there are many inspirational stories such as Luke’s and the book has inspired me to try wild swimming but as recommend by the book, try and find a local club and ensure I have the support and guidance for safe wild swimming.

Reading the book, the terms meditative and mindfulness are repeated numerous times, and this is a concept that I have incorporated into my daily routine.. This is a good example of how we can find meditation and mindfulness via different sources, for example walking in the countryside, cycling, swimming, music, meditation apps and running to name a few. This book will really inspire you to set your own personal goals and I thank every contributor for being honest and open about their personal struggles and the power of wild swimming.

For me personally, I found this book very inspirational and a great foundation for this community project and magazine Travel + Art + Nature. I am really excited to see the contributions for the magazine and hear individual stories how people are motivated and inspired by travel, art and nature. If you would like to submit an image and article for the magazine please visit the contributors page.

Firstly, thank you for all your positive comments in relation to this project and especially around the concept of “ Clarity of mind”. You can view the diagram and read the article “Stress management for men.” for further details. During my research, I have realized that our mind is our most powerful tool and psychology is critical allies in reaching our personal goals in relation to health, wellbeing, happiness and living life to our potential. I have also identified a common theme based on honest feedback via e-mail and my social channels in relation to the cost of living crisis and financial and money pressure. It seems to be the number one stress trigger and based on my own personal experience, I would highly recommend “ The Psychology of Money” by Morgan Housel. "The Psychology of Money" by Morgan Housel is a compelling exploration of the complex relationship between individuals and money. Drawing from a combination of psychological research, historical anecdotes, and personal finance insights, Housel offers a refreshingly candid perspective on how our emotions, biases, and behaviours shape our financial decisions. This is such a powerful book and subject and genuinely believe we can all take some actionable items from this book and implement into our own short term and long term goals. I have written a detailed review based on my own personal experience and some of the steps I have incorporated into my own personal and family financial goals.

I highly recommend this book and from my research it was one of the many inspirations for me to spend more time in nature. You can read a detailed review in my article “The benefits of spending time in nature”.

Shinrin-yoku, which translates to "forest bathing" in English, is a Japanese practice of immersing oneself in nature, particularly in forests, for the purpose of improving one's mental and physical well-being.

The practice is rooted in the belief that spending time in nature can have significant health benefits, including reducing stress, improving mood, boosting the immune system, and enhancing overall feelings of well-being. Scientific studies have supported these claims, showing that spending time in forests can lower blood pressure, reduce cortisol levels (a stress hormone), and increase levels of natural killer cells, which are associated with improved immune function. I have incorporated spending time in nature as a step in my own personal transformational journey.