User:Nick48

Nick Welch is a retired sales/marketing manager who has taken advantage of his early retirement package (January 2006) to travel the world with his wife (Sheila) of over 34 years.

Travel began in earnest in 1997(after the Children had left tertiary education), and over the years they have visited Sri Lanka, India, Bali, Thailand, Singapore, The Maldives, Mauritius, Malaysia, The Dominican Republic, Barbados, Cambodia, Brazil, Australia, Fiji, the US of A and most of the countries of the Europe (He worked for many years throughout the EU). They have visited most of the Asian countries on more than one occasion (Sri Lanka 8 times), and retirement has meant that the traditional two-week breaks are now expanded to trips of three, four or even more weeks.

Another of Nick’s passions is live Theatre, particularly 'legitimate theatre', whereas Sheila prefers 'musical theatre'. It’s not unusual for them to go to the theatre at least once a week when they are at home, and for them to seek out theatrical experiences wherever they may be. (A Touring Company in KL, a show in Perth, dancing in Bombay etc...) They count among their friends several key players on the stage, and will travel throughout the UK (and abroad) to support them.

Nick & Sheila are happy to comment on the places he has been, and the shows he has seen. You can read the comments posted by Sheila (mrfc169) in Trip Adviser (www.tripadviser.com). You can also read about the late, great, Malcolm Roberts on a web site created by Sheila, who ran his Fan Club until recently. (www.malcolmrobertsfanclub.co.uk).

Nick prefers Joan Baez, who he has followed since 1960. He has an extensive collection of vinyl LPs, EPs & 45s, as well as the more recently released CDs.

Nick is a keen reader, and collector of books. He enjoys an eclectic assortment of styles – ranging from the Comic Strip stories of Modesty Blaise through the modern & 19th Cent detective genre to Oscar Wild & WJ Locke. He does not count the majority of the classics among his preferred reading.

Nor does he agree with the sentiment that ‘everything is art’. Nick feels that there is an element of “The Emperor’s New Clothes” when the public is confronted by an obscure piece of ‘art’ and the ‘expert opinion’. To Nick if something needs an explanation it isn’t art.

Nick and Sheila have 2 children & 5 grandchildren: Paul & his wife Carol, with Lucy & Oscar; and Melanie with her husband Alex and Louis, Annie Mae & Daisy Georgia. When not travelling they like to visit the families & watch their grandchildren grow up. They also have friends in several of the counties they have visited, with whom they keep in touch by SMS, e-mail, and 'snail-mail'.

Nick is an active member of one of the Medical Colleges Patient Liaison Committees. This relatively new format is a medium by which a two way communication is being opened between patients and the Medical Profession, highlighting the needs of patients and concerns of the Practitioners. He is also the lay member on one of the NICE/ECS sub groups.

This is a new page & will be edited as time goes by.