A retired headteacher from the Market Rasen area has penned his second book of memories based on significant road trips he took across the USA some years ago.

Paul Strong, of Claxby, has written two books about his travels with friends over the years. The first, released five years ago, was called Route 66 And All That: Travel in a Foreign Country.

He says the title was inspired by the popular history book, ‘1066 and All That’.

Born in Perivale, Middlesex, ‘Behind the Hoover Factory’, in 1946, Paul has been married to Christine for over 50 years with two children and three grandchildren.

Paul Strong and pal Danny Wise on Route 66, the cover of his first book on his travels.

placeholder image — Paul Strong and pal Danny Wise on Route 66, the cover of his first book on his travels.

After graduating in 1968 he spent 43 years in education teaching in a wide variety of schools and locations. He was also a Chief Examiner and served on a number of national committees.

His final 25 years was spent as headteacher of the successful William Farr comprehensive school in Welton where he oversaw its growth from 800 to 1,600 pupils. He was namd Headteacher of the Year in the 2007 Teaching Awards and given The Ted Wragg Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010, as well as welcoming Royal and celebrity visits and earning an OBE. On retiring he moved to the Lincolnshire Wolds and is also the writer of a collection of short stories under the title ‘Wolds Tales’.

However his road trip book harks back to the early days in his teaching career when he stepped in and received twinning visits from a party of American students in the early 1970s after their original arrangement with a school in Lincoln fell through.

Paul said: “From then on, every two years they came over to us and then we travelled to them in Orlando, Florida.

"I became friends with Danny Wise, their teacher in the States. We both retired and promised ourselves we would do a road trip along the famous Route 66 across America. His wife was a travel agent and organised all the stops. Our wives went to Las Vegas and we went along the route, venturing off the interstates and coming across some pretty hostile country, as well as Native American reservations.

"We have had quite a lot of travels in the US thanks to our friends and so my second book is about four road trips I did through the likes of the Louisiana Bayou and Monument Valley, Utah, as well as visiting Nashville.”

His second book is called ‘Further Memories of Travels in a Foreign Country’ and is available at £10 from most book sellers.

The cover photo is of Paul with his wife standing in Winslow, Arizona, on Route 66, and made famous by The Eagles’ song, Take It Easy’.