It is always an honor to host talented authors here on The Indie Spot. Today’s guest is no exception. Please give a warm welcome to RRBC’s June Spotlight Author, Robert Fear.
Mi blog es tu blog, Robert…
I was born in Leicester, England in 1955. My family moved south to a village in Surrey called South Nutfield when I was eleven years old. We moved into Dawn Cottage and this was where I spent my formative teenage years. During this time I attended Reigate Grammar School, which was a five mile journey by train and bus. It was here that I picked up the nickname of Fred.
In 1974, after gaining three A Levels (English Literature, British Government & Politics and History), I started work at a private bank in the city. I had every intention of working for a year and then going to university. In the end I worked there for three years.
During the summer of 1976 I went on a two week holiday with three mates to the Spanish island of Ibiza. We had a fantastic time and vowed to go back for the summer the following year. Come the next April I returned there on my own, although my mates joined me later in the summer. I ended up working in a bar called Grannies and loved the whole vibe, met plenty of young ladies and had a great time, but didn’t sleep a lot!
I returned to England for the winter and worked twelve hour night shifts at a plastics factory to get more money together for the next summer. In the spring of 1977 I set off again, this time to hitch-hike around Europe. For four months I made my way through Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Austria, Yugoslavia, Greece and several islands. Then I travelled to Italy, France, Spain and back to Ibiza for the last two months of the summer.
It was during this return visit that Fred met Rita and this time when I left Ibiza it was to head for Frankfurt in Germany. I moved in with Rita, who lived with her parents in a house in Ruppertshain, a small village in the Taunus hills. I got work on a building site and then in a Coca Cola factory.
By the spring of 1979 there was enough money in the coffers to fund a trip to the States and Canada. I started in New York where I spent a week before travelling on a three month Greyhound bus pass up the east coast. Then I travelled across Canada, and down the west coast where I stayed in Los Angeles for two weeks. After that I headed across the States to Florida and back up the east coast to end my journey in New York. An incredible round trip.
Back in Germany I got a job as a messenger at the First National Bank of Chicago. Within six months I was promoted to the accounts department as I picked up the language and proved my worth. The travel bug didn’t go away though. I stayed there for fifteen months before heading off again, this time to Asia.
This period is covered by my travel memoir Fred’s Diary 1981: Travels in Asia. It was the only time in my life I recorded almost everything I did, sometimes in excruciating detail. The trip lasted six months and I travelled through Hong Kong, Thailand, India and Nepal.
Returning to Frankfurt in the late summer of 1981 was a shock to the system, a real case of reverse culture shock. Things got back to normality when I returned to the bank and worked there for another five years, becoming group leader of the accounts department. By the time I left my German was fluent.
During this period I lived in Sachsenhausen, the bar and restaurant area of Frankfurt near the Main River, often staying out late and enjoying life. Holiday allowance was generous in Germany and I could take a month of travelling each year. I enjoyed trips to the Canary Islands, Scandinavia and Turkey.
After returning from Turkey in November 1985 my life changed. I got together with the love of my life and in July 1986 I moved to Eastbourne (on the south coast of England) to be with her.
Robert and Lynn
Lynn and I are still together over thirty years later and have lived in the same house since 1988 (the mortgage will soon be paid off!). We got married in Kenya in 1994 and are cat lovers, having had a succession of rescues.
Robert and Jet
The travel bug has never gone away. We have had great holidays in Portugal, Crete, Germany, Australia and the Seychelles. More recently we spent a week in New York in 2015 and a week cruising around Norway in 2016.
I had to start from scratch with my career in England, but found my niche in accountancy and computer software. This provided the opportunity over the last fifteen years to travel with work. I have been all over Europe, as well as Singapore, Australia (for a week!), Ghana (at a Guinness brewery) and Suriname (in the middle of the rain forest).
Social Media Links!
Facebook – fredsdiary1981
Twitter Handle – @fredsdiary1981
Website – http://www.fd81.net/
Robert, I’m going to go back to the start of your tour as I am enjoying these posts. Continue to share with us, long after your tour is over. Thank you!
Beem, well done, Lad! 😉
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Thanks for visiting my humble little blog, Nonnie!
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Many thanks Nonnie.
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As I read your story, Robert, I was impressed by your ingenuity. At each juncture, you found work, established friendships, and pursued your interests. I look forward to reading more about you and your adventures. Thank you, Beem, for hosting today. 🙂
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Thanks Gwen for all of your support throughout this tour.
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Thanks for always being so supportive, Gwen!
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Beem – thank you so much for hosting this section of my #RRBC blog tour. Your involvement is hugely appreciated.
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Entirely my pleasure, Robert. I have really been enjoying getting to know more about you during your tour. I am honored to have been a part of it.
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You sure have the travel bug, Robert! I’m in awe of all the countries you’ve visited.
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Thanks for stopping by, Michelle! Always nice to find your comments on my blog. It give the place some much-needed class!
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Many thanks Michelle. I don’t travel as much these days as I would like but I’ve been very lucky being able to travel the way I have.
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Robert, you have had an exciting life that very few people get to experience. I enjoyed traveling with you today. Thank you for sharing your adventure with us. Thank you Beem for being such a supportive member of RRBC.
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Thank you, Shirley, for stopping by!
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Thank you so much for your kind words Shirley.
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What a blessed life you’ve had, Robert. Many of us only dream of visiting the places you mention. I am enjoying your blog tour and hope you are too! Have fun. Beem is a gracious host. 🙂
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Thanks, Jan. I am so glad you stopped by!
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Your support is hugely appreciated Jan.
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Robert, I am so enjoying learning more about you and your writing. Such a wonderful tour! Beem, thanks for being an awesome host, as always. 🙂
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Thanks you, Marlena! You are such a supportive person. Big appreciation.
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🙂
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Everyone is being so kind and supportive. Thank you so much Mar.
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Hi Beem and Robert! I’m enjoying this tour and learning more about Robert and his work. I like the new pictures. Well done! 😀
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Hello, Vashti! Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog and for supporting Robert. Much appreciation.
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Happy to do it, Beem!
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Many thanks Vashti. Really glad you are enjoying the tour.
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You’re very welcome, Robert!
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You have really traveled and led an interesting life! I am enjoying getting to know you! Thanks for hosting, Beem.
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Hi, D. L.! Thank you for stopping by to support Robert. Much appreciation.
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That’s very kind of you D.L.
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Thanks for sharing Robert. Yes, Germany grows on you, doesn’t it? I left the US 26 years ago and have been stuck here ever since! Thank you for hosting, Beem!
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Many thanks for sharing that insight Laura.
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Thank you for visiting, Laura!
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Six days in the spotlight for Robert Fear. Robert, I know you have enjoyed your new form of travel through blog tours. Thanks Beem and all the blog tour hosts for introducing me to another amazing #RRBC author member. Each blog shared new information about Robert as a author/writer, Robert as a family man, Robert as a traveler, and Robert as a proud parent.
Cheers!!!!
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Thank you, Gracie. I am so glad you stopped by.
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Yes Gracie, this has been a real eye-opener and I am appreciating the amazing #RRBC support. Thanks for your great summary of my blog tour – I couldn’t have put it better myself.
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Wow, Robert, is there any place you haven’t been to? This log tour is a little tame after that. I dreamed of world travel but have only crossed country twice and traveled Fromm North to South a lot as a child.Like you I kept a journal of my travels which really came in handy when I wrote a memoir.You must have enough for several books!!
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Thanks for stopping by and supporting Robert, Micki!
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Very kind of you Micki. That diary of my travels in Asia was the only one I ever kept. My next memoir will be about when I started travelling (6 months on the Spanish island of Ibiza) and I just have a few letters that were written to me. For this one I am having to be a bit more creative with my writing.
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Truly fascinating, Robert! It would be a real joy to just sit and listen to your travels and many adventures. Following your blog tour is the next best thing! Thank you for sharing so much along your tour. I hope you’re enjoying your month in the “Spotlight.” 🙂
Many thanks, Beem, for hosting and for the warm welcome, as always!
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So glad you stopped by, Natalie! I appreciate your time.
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