Simon Calder

Simon Calder (born 25 December, 1955 in Crawley, West Sussex), is an English travel writer, currently the travel editor for "The Independent" newspaper.

Biography

Calder is the son of science writer Nigel Calder and the grandson of the late Lord Peter Ritchie Calder. In 1961, Calder joined the [http://www.woodcraft.org.uk Woodcraft Folk] , and took his first independent trip with the group to the Lake District. That same year after the USSR sent nuclear warheads to Cuba, Calder's parents decided that with Gatwick airport only two miles away they were in the line of a potential Soviet target. The family moved to Guernsey in the Channel Islands, for a short holiday while the danger passed. The school he attended compulsorily taught Russian, which Calder comments was not useful on regular school and family trips to France.

Calder's first job was a cleaner for British Airways at Gatwick, and later as a security guard. He began during this period writing budget travel guidebooks, starting with the "Hitch-hiker's Manual: Britain". He later studied for a degree in Mathematics at University of Warwick, while also perfecting his love of Hitchhiking around Europe. At one point he was the holder of the record for the quickest hitchhike between Land's End and John o' Groats [http://www.vacationwork.co.uk/calder.php]

After university, Calder wrote several books and series of guides including the "Traveller's Survival Kit" series and "Backpacks, Boots and Baguettes". His first broadcast as a travel expert was on Simon Bates program "Studio B15" on BBC Radio 1 in 1980 [http://www.classicfm.com/sectional.asp?id=9440 Classic FM: UK radio station of the year ] ] . Calder became travel editor for "The Independent" in 1994, and shortly afterwards began presenting for BBC 2's "Travel Show" until the programme ended in 1999, and continues to contribute to various BBC programs including "Holiday" and co-hosting "Departure Lounge". Calder regularly comments on as an expert on travel issues for national and local BBC radio and TV stations, presents "747" on BBC Radio 5, and presents one-off travel programmes for BBC Radio 4. He also presents a Saturday afternoon program on Classic FM called "Classical Journey".

During 2008, Calder will visit Peru and South America. He will visit Cusco, Puno Peruvian city near to Titicaca lake, Iquitos in the Peruvian Amazon, the most biodiverse zone in the world.

Personal life

Calder married Charlotte in Las Vegas in 1997 [ [http://www.travelcounsellors.co.uk/ezine/nov2006/las_vegas_destination.aspx Travel Counsellors, Independent travel agents, tailor made holidays, travel agent UK ] ] . Their first daughter, Daisy, was born in 2000; the second, Poppy, in 2003.

Trivia

In September 2005, motoring journalist Jeremy Clarkson caused offence by referring to Calder as 'that chap who looks like a cross between CNN's Richard Quest and Professor Stephen Hawking'.Fact|date=July 2008

His favourite composer is Bach

References

External links

* [http://www.simoncalder.com/ Simon Calder's personal website]
*imdb name|id=2173751|name=Simon Calder
* [http://www.classicfm.com/sectional.asp?id=9440 Bio at Classic FM]