WHEN Jim and Beth Beveridge travelled to visit their daughters in Australia the journey became an adventure.
They travelled as far as possible by train.
They flew from their home in Cyprus to Moscow. Then they tookto the rails, spending nine days on trains which took them viaIrkutsk, Beijing, Xi'ian and Giangzou (Canton) to Hong Kong.
"An interesting trip," says Jim, meriting a gold award for understatement.
Jim was born in Bolton, Lancs, in 1929, moving to Huddersfieldin 1934. His father was a water engineer employed by Huddersfield Corporation, becoming the town's waterworks manager in 1936. Heheld the post until he retired in 1962.
The family lived in Lake House at Blackmoorfoot reservoir.
For a brief time, Jim was a postman in Linthwaite.
He was called up for national service in the RAF in 1948. Whenhe was demobilised he returned briefly to Huddersfield then tookup a post with British European Airways in London.
In 1954 he rejoined the Air Force, retiring in 1984 with the rank of Wing Commander. He was a flight controller and served in many parts of the world.
He met Beth while stationed in Middle Wallop, near Andover, Hampshire. She was teaching domestic science.
On retirement Jim and Beth went to live in Harrogate. In 1990 their home was burgled. They lost a large number of valuable possessions.
"We then decided to move to Cyprus," Jim says. "It's safer here, and much warmer than Harrogate. We're enjoying life."
Jim, though long retired, has an extremely busy life. He is secretaryof the SSAFA Forces Help branch in Cyprus. He is also the RAF Benevolent Fund representative on the island, a vice-president of the local branch of RAFA (he joined the RAFA in Huddersfield in 1949), and chairman of the civilian committee of the Air Training Corps, No 1 Overseas Squadron.
He is also a deputy chief warden, serving the British High Commission. Should the need ever arise he would assist in organising an evacuation of British citizens from the island. "Though that isn't remotely likely," says Jim.
There are between 15,000 and 20,000 Brits living in Cyprus. Jim is chairman of the UK Citizens Assocation branch in Limassol, where he lives. He edited the Association's magazine, UK Catalyst.
"You could say I'm a workaholic," he adds.
The Association runs a very active club. There are activities on every day of the week, ranging from Tai-Chi and line dancing to bridge and 10-pin bowling. Activities begin at 9am, continuing throughout the day.
"Life here is excellent," says Jim. "There's good walking, both along the coast and in the mountains."
Living is also inexpensive compared to the UK.
Income tax is levied at 5%. VAT is currently 8%. Water - 12 pounds a quarter. Heating is only required in an evening in January, February and part of March. Average weekly cost for bottled gas, the heating source £1.20.
The Beveridge's son, Richard, worked in South Africa for fiveyears, and Italy, also for five years. He now lives and works in London.
Daughter Linnea works for the RAC in this country, having returned from Australia. She presents road reports on local radio.
Daughter Bethea and her husband are living on a yacht anchoredoff Hamilton Island, Australia. He worked as an electronics engineerfor the BBC, then emigrated to Australia to join Australian Telecom.
However, as an experienced scuba diver, he found there was more money to be made and more fun to be had as a professional diver.
He is now employed by Royal Dutch Shell, investigating the spread of mussels which are commandeering the sea bed and threatening an oyster catch.
Jim's impressions of that epic rail trip on the way to Australia?
"Of Russia, the grandeur of Lake Baikal and the friendliness ofthe population of a village at the side of the lake. Snow in June in the hills of Siberia. The evident poverty of a high proportion of the population contrasted with the obvious wealth of a small section.
"Of China, the way people squat when they want to rest (one used to see the same habit among the miners of Yorkshire). Chinese women wearing their stockings rolled to just above the knee, no matter the length of their skirt. Men carrying a screw-topped jar containing cold green tea."
As Jim walked across Moscow's Red Square and Beijing's Tiananmen Square he reflected:
"I had spent the majority of my working life as a member of the armed forces of Britain. Now I was able to walk here, holding my wife with one hand and a video camera with the other, and with no fear, no looking over my shoulder."