Jan Ford's Travels - The early trips

My post Jan Ford's Travels lists the 'Grand Tours' I embarked upon starting in 2001 but I'd had a number of trips abroad before then. I've now listed most of these earlier trips although details are rather vague, I'm afraid. Even dates are approximate until I find other evidence. I haven't all my old passports (one passport was stolen while current in Centraal Station Amsterdam).

If there's already a blog post, I've provided a link and, if I've found any photographs for the trip, they are also usually linked. There's also a post Jan Ford's Travels: Around the World in pictures.

Alternately, if there are sets of photographs, you can go directly to the list of all my collections here, where collections for each country visited are listed in alphabetical order (followed by 'special interest' collections on railways, charitable initiatives and similar).

France (1951)

My first overseas trip was a day trip to Boulogne with my mother around 1951. There's a short report here.

Republic of Ireland (1972-1973)

In 1972, my firm, Ford Electronics, undertook a railway project for Westinghouse Brake and Signal in Eire. Various staff from Ford Electronics, including the writer, made a number of trips to Eire during the installation and commissioning phases. It was an interesting time which I've not yet described and, at the moment, there are no pictures.

Germany (1976)

In 1976, Ford Electronics started design work on the Trunk Line Electrification Project in Taiwan for G.E.C. I made a couple of visits to Frankfurt, visiting the German consultants on the project. No report or pictures at present.

Holland (1977)

I made my first visit to Amsterdam with my mother. No report or pictures at present.

Taiwan (1977-1978)

In 1977 and 1978, I made three trips to Taiwan in connection with telecommunications equipment we supplied to G.E.C. for the Trunk Line Electrigfication Project. There's a short report here. No pictures at present.

Holland (1980)

In 1980, I became a weekly commuter for some months when carrying out consultancy work for Philips, briefly described here. Later, I visited a couple of times with my partner Daemon. No pictures at present.

Italy (1980)

My first trip to Italy was a visit to Milan in connection with consultancy work for Philips. Later, I made a trip to Venice. No report or pictures at present.

Korea (1980)

I visited Seoul with a team from Philips when they were engaged in tendering for a project in Iraq. There's a short post here. No pictures at present. I've only transited through Incheon since (on my Trip to Japan here).

Poland (November 1981)

The Soviet Empire was shaken in 1980 by the emergence of an independent trade union in Poland - 'Solidarity'. My mother was keen to visit and she and I spent a few (rather tense) days in Warsaw. The following month, Martial Law was declared. There's no report or pictures yet.

Paris (1982)

My firm was involved with an American computer company Dynabyte. A trip to Paris for a Dynabyte seminar gave me a little time to explore the city. No report or pictures at present.

Thailand (1988-1989)

I made 5 trips to Thailand in 1988-1989 in connection with the commissioning of the Train Despatcher Project for G.E.C. On the last of these visits, I took part in the 'Train Despatcher Project I & C Seminar' described here, with pictures here. No other report or pictures at present.

Switzerland (1989)

I visited the International Telecommunications exhibition in Geneva when it was known as the CCITT exhibition (from the French Comité Consultatif International Téléphonique et Télégraphique). In 1993, CCITT became ITU-T (for International Telegraph Union Telecommunication Standardization Sector). After visiting the show, I extended my stay to spend a couple of days dashing round the country by train, with a side trip to Italy through the Simplon Tunnel. Sorry, no report as yet and no pictures.

Thailand (1990)

I made a further trip to Thailand to assist in the opening of the Bangkok Railway Museum, described here.

India (1992)

My first visit to India was in connection with the commissioning of telecommunications equipment for the Delhi Ring Railway. I flew to Delhi in May 1992, returning almost seven weeks later. There's a post here, with a link to a continuation post here. The continuation post has a series of links to railway and travel photographs.

[Link to Jan Ford's Travels: Around the World in pictures added 12-Nov-2015]