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25th February. Bath FSB Breakfast Club
“Will delivered his psychological presentation with a huge sense of humour. His keynote was very interesting indeed!”
Angela Ladd, Chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses, Bath Branch
Keynote presentation: Around the World in 80 Handbags. I delivered my speech to 50 members of the Bath region of the Federation of Small Businesses. The event was held at Homewood Park, an exclusive 4 star hotel on the outskirts of Bath. My talk focused on my alternative perceptions of travelling around the world and aimed to inspire the Bath based entrepreneurs to consider creative ways to promote and market their businesses.
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1st Jan 2010 - A Maren Mende Book Review to start the new year!
When I was given this book by a friend I had no idea what to expect. Much like the author judges Lohrey’s ‘The Philosopher’s Doll’ by its title and cover, I was doing the same. I saw a girly travel journal, written by a man I had never heard of. I set out scrutinising every word, questioning the necessity of every paragraph, not caring what the author might think of my overly-critical review and correct-grammar-OCD.
However, as I read my way through the heart-warmingly honest descriptions of each day of Will Baxter’s journey, I began to feel like I knew him. I subconsciously found myself analysing his personality, making comparisons and finding similarities and differences between myself and the people described in this book. I found myself laughing at the first, naïve and fearful shower taken by Baxter in which he tries to avoid what he perceives to be certain death through the contact of a drop of water with his mouth, marvelling at his relationships (or obsession with the lack thereof), and becoming melancholic at the descriptions of the reality of poverty in India.
Yes there is a handbag on the cover. No it is not a book aimed at women. It’s not only the contents of handbags, which facilitate Baxter’s creation of new friendships and journey of self-discovery, but of shoeshine boxes, rucksacks and pockets.
This is not a book written solely for travel tips (although fear not- it is packed with practical advice you’d be pushed to find in many travel-specific publications) and it’s not a “What’s-my-personality” self-help book. What this is, is an honest description of a normal man’s journey around the world, insightful for anyone travelling and hoping to find out a little bit more about themselves (with or without the hippy clichés, male or female, gap-year student or career-breaker). Of course this book has flaws, but those are what make it just as real and sincere as every experience, person and discovery featured within its pages.
Maren Mende, 22, Student, University of Edinburgh
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18th December 2009 - Copies of the Second Edition NOW AVAILABLE
As a result of the book launch and associated marketing activities that included a BBC Wiltshire radio interview, attending the St.Catherine Street Artisan Fair and winning the Mere Chamber of Commerce new business award I have sold out the first edition. Copies of the signed second edition are now available. Order one today from this website and you’ll have it in your handbag within a few days.
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6th December 2009 - First Editions SOLD OUT
Thank you to everyone who has bought a copy of my book. All of the first edition have now sold out which is testament to the support of all my friends, fans and family.
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20th November 2009 - Wiltshire Business Awards
(L-R Dad, Lord Lansdowne, Mrs Nicklin, me and my handbag. Photo by Lis McDermott)
During the months of October and November I had a series of gruelling interviews to win the “New Business Awards” in Wiltshire. My business, to promote my talks and sell my books won me the 2009 New Business Award for Mere, Wiltshire. The award came as a delightful shock when I was awarded my £1,000 prize money at the Athenaeum in Warminster. Following this I went on to a glamorous awards evening at Bowood House, Chippenham. Here, 16 regional entrepreneurs met up and saw the fledgling company, Monkey Puzzle, win the grand award and a further £2,000.
Lord Lansdowne, who was guest of honour for the awards, told all 16 finalists from towns across the county that entrepreneurs were what make British business successful.
“It is you we rely on to create the wealth and drip that wealth down into the welfare system.” he said.
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22nd October 2009 - Mere Book Launch
On a blustery autumn evening, many friends of mine met up in the Old Ship Hotel, Mere, to attend the official ‘Around the World in 80 Handbags’ book launch. The evening started off with my brief introduction (during which I handed back my eighty-eight-year-old grandmother’s handbag - that she’d already lost on the evening!)
Soon the eclectic audience settled down to a four minute movie highlighting the findings of ‘Around the World in 80 Handbags.’
“What a very special evening last night was. I thought you pitched it perfectly!” Pip Scaramanga
The evenings formal entertainment finalised as I read a couple of pages from the book (Day 19 in Chennai).
After the talk, the singing and the reading, my friends queued up the length of the room to receive their signed copies of the book.
“Thanks for a great evening – it was fantastic and I loved it. I loved the movie especially since it was to one of my favourite pieces (Lakme) and the ending was perfectly timed, as the slides came to a close. Great speech and story telling. It was so entertaining all round.” David Plimmer
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18th October 2009 - Mere Literary Festival
Every year, the idyllic town of Mere (where I live and work) hosts an International Literary Festival. Now in it’s 13th year, the focus for 2009 was poetry. The open competition received over three-hundred entrants from across the globe as far as New Zealand. Although l didn’t enter the competition (not a poet just yet) they kindly provided me with a space to host my stand in the break out room just off the main stage.
I also had the great pleasure in meeting the head poetry adjudicator, author of ‘Captain Corelli’s Mandolin’ and himself an internationally acclaimed poet, Louis de Bernieres. Quite a funny story actually, after handing over a copy of ‘Around the World in 80 Handbags’ I had this photograph taken with him. Then Louis went back to the judging. An hour later as I was packing away my stand, Louie came up to me, telling me that he had lost his book and wondered if he could have another one. This time I had a little more time and managed to sign it for him.
I can tell you, iIt’s quite an experience writing ‘Louis de Bernieres’ on the first page of your own book!
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7th October 2009 - Book Review by Freddy Mead
I have to admit, when Will asked me to review Around the World in 80 Handbags, I was sceptical. Sceptical not only because to say I’m not entirely convinced by the whole ‘hippy’ ideal and the cliché of travel to ‘find oneself’ would be an understatement of biblical proportions, but because I simply couldn’t see the interest in the contents of a handbag or wallet belonging to anybody but myself.
It soon becomes clear that Will isn’t really that interested in the handbags either, but deeply in the people attached to them. Now, THAT is intoxicating. You, the reader, breathe a huge sigh of relief and start to allow yourself to become sucked into the whirlwind of the book.
Pages fly by as Will writes confidently with breathtaking honesty and a style of humour that render this book truly captivating from the outset. Short tales of compassion, mentorship and self discovery warm the heart and encourage you to probe at your own core values. Surprisingly, unlike many books that repeatedly ask such deep questions, due to the high pace, this never really gets boring.
That said, I cannot agree entirely. Various expressed opinions relating to capitalism and its effects are, in my opinion, flawed and others naive. However, I understand entirely why Will has done what he has done. On sharing with us his quest to discover the fundamental answers and how fate and a good mental attitude positively affect not only such a physical journey, but the journey of life itself, he has reminded us that, as Einstein said and is mentioned in the book, “the important thing is never to stop questioning, curiosity has its own reason for existing”.
For that alone, I am grateful.
Freddy Mead, 21, Student
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What would you like to do now?
a) Find out about upcoming events.
b) Read the News archive.
c) Own the book.
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