The Long Haul. Este artículo no está disponible.The Long Haul

In 1986, with a freshly redundant job, a dangerously optimistic outlook, and a wallet full of cash, the author answered a small advert in Private Eye and accidentally signed up to cross Africa in a pair of elderly Bedford trucks. What followed was not a carefully curated "journey of self-discovery," but a rolling, rattling, frequently ill-advised expedition through deserts, jungles, war zones, borders that barely existed, and toilets that definitely shouldn't have.

This is a diary of life on the road as it really was: long days of dust and breakdowns, sudden bursts of awe, staggering natural beauty, questionable food choices, heroic drivers, ingenious fixes, black-market economics, and an alarming range of medical complaints. From gorillas in the mist to flamingos by the million, from military checkpoints to mosquito-ridden campsites, the trip lurches between the sublime and the ridiculous - often within the same paragraph.

Written with honesty, warmth, and a sharp eye for human absurdity, this book captures a moment in time before mobile phones, GPS, and risk assessments, when travel relied on luck, patience, humour, and a shared kettle. It is a tribute to the people who made it possible, the strangers encountered along the way, and the peculiar bond formed between a group of semi-lost travellers bouncing across a continent together.

Part travelogue, part confession, part love letter to organised chaos, this is Africa as experienced from the roof of a truck - unforgettable, unpredictable, and occasionally slightly terrifying.

Pete lives in Cornwall with his lovely partner Gabrielle. He adores board games, history, photography, and theatre, and has been incredibly fortunate to have earned his living working in each of those fields.

Over the decades, he has travelled the world and made many friends in various countries, enjoying meeting up with them. He has written a book of his travels across Africa in the mid 1980's called "The Long Haul".

His favourite career was as a Lighting Designer in British theatre, and he has written a book of theatrical and rock and roll anecdotes called "Clunk".

Now in retirement, he has discovered two further careers, as a writer of mainly Historical fiction and working in TV and Film as a Supporting Artist.

He is truly blessed with four wonderful step-daughters who are a constant source of joy.

If you're looking to join (or just explore) the Sealed Knot, visit the main organisation's official website. Just Google it.

From there, you can:

Find local regiments (including those portraying units like James Carr).

See upcoming battles and living history events.

Learn how to join as a soldier, civilian, or supporter.

Get contact details for recruitment officers.

Most regiments - like those representing Carr's Regiment-operate as part of this wider organisation, so joining usually starts through the main Sealed Knot site and then branching off into a specific unit.