Welcome,
This web site is about the life and travels of "GringoPeruano" - who had the good fortune of being born in Peru and to have lived in England.
There isn't much "history" as I only started to create this "blog" in October 2009.
However, you may wish to have a look at my 2008 travels in the Callejón de Huaylas in the Peruvian Andes.. I managed to capture most of my incredible journey by car on video!
Furthermore, maybe I can interest you in my Current Project ?(see above)
This is to build a Community Learning/Cultural Centre for the disadvantaged* in the
district of Villa María del Triunfo in Lima-Peru.
A very ambitious but worthwhile Project.
* Definition of "Disadvantaged"
In common usage "the disadvantaged" is a generic term for those "from lower-income backgrounds".
Lacking the normal or usual necessities and comforts of life, such as proper housing, educational opportunities, job security, adequate medical care, etc.
Objective
To build a state-of-the art Community Learning/Cultural Centre for the disadvantaged in the district of Villa María del Triunfo in Lima-Peru.
This will be built at a cost of US $1 million dollars (approx £666,000 UK) with completion estimated to be in 2012/13.
This Community Learning/Cultural Centre will be the first of a network of eleven Centres located in urban, disadvantaged but established districts in the nine largest cities of Peru.
Help us to achieve social change
through the
Performing Arts
The information is presented in date order, starting with my early years in Lima-Peru.
I was born in Lima-Peru in 1948 and lived there until the age of 11 when I was sent to England for education.
I went back to Lima a couple of times over the next 6 years for summer holidays, returning to Lima for a year when I was 19.
I then returned to England and remained there for some forty years; at least ten of which were in the London.
Besides family videos and pictures during my lifetime, there is also some interesting footage from:
2000 - 2007 7 years in the Dordogne, France.
2008 3 month trip to Peru.
Brief Summary
I was born in Lima-Peru in 1948 and lived there until the age of 11 when I was literally shipped over to England in 1959 for English education.
I then returned to England and remained there for some forty years; ten of which have been in the London boroughs of Hackney and Newham in the East End; great multi-cultural boroughs. These are also two of the poorest boroughs in London, measured by mean household income(L).
I have experienced the highs (used to be in top 5% of income earners in the UK) and lows (made redundant at 42) that life has to offer in the form of its many challenges!
On balance, I have been very fortunate in my life: access to good education, interesting and financially rewarding employment, nice property in London with a second home in rural France, great hobbies, good friends, and finally a great wife for 28 years, two wonderfull "kids", and now two gorgeous grand-children.
Education History
- 1959 Markam School in Lima-Peru (Primary - private)
1959 - 1963 Downs School, nr Bristol, UK. (Primary - private)
1963 - 1967 King's School, Bruton, UK . (Secondary - private)
1968 - 1969 Bournemouth, UK Technical College (State: 6th form)
Attainment: 6 "O" - levels at age 16.
I left formal education after the 1st Year of "A" Levels at age 19.
I had failed Pure Maths, (but passed Physics and Applied Maths).
I really didn't fancy having to re-sit the 1st year of all 3 again! - so I left college and continued my "summer job" as a bus conductor in Bournemouth.
Some 3 months later I realized that I wanted a more challenging/interesting job.
I was fortunate to be taken on as a Trainee Computer Programmer with Hampshire County Council - I scored well on their "logic test"!
EmploymentHistory - all in the UK
1995 - 2001 Inter-Pages Ltd (my own company)
Internet advertising business for Holiday Rentals.
1990 - 1994 Civil Aviation Authority (I.T. Project Manager)
1989 - 1989 ORACLE Corporation-UK (I.T. Consultant)
1979 - 1988 TSB Bank ( I.T. Computer Manager)
1976 - 1979 Schlumberger-Wireline ( I.T. Project Manager)
1969 - 1976 Hampshire County Council
(From Trainee Programmer to Project Leader)
Hobbies
I had always been fairly good at sport; tennis, cricket and rugby.
At the age of 24 I considered (un-wisely!) to turn professional at squash.
Instead, I took up hang-gliding - I have been quoted as saying that "it was better than sex"!
In my "latter" years I have returned to learning the piano - music such as "The Entertainer" by Scott Joplin - fabulous.
I have always been keen on motorbikes and am pleased to say that both of my "kids" ride motorbikes - and my two "little girls" (grand-children who are 7 and 8) also like them!
..... and I still ride.
(I borrow my daughter's Kawasaki GPZ 500cc or my son's BMW 800cc)
Personal Information
EmploymentHistory
Do please drop me a line using the "Contact Form" should you share any of my interests, especially if you are interested in my current project; to build the first of what I hope is ten Community Cultural Centres specifically for the disadvantaged.
The first is to be located in a disadvantaged district of Lima - Villa Maria de Triunfo.
