Toni the Maldive Lady
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Memorable Muscat

From the Great white shark to the smallest blennies
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Paul Morrall   Padi  Master Instructor at the Oman  Sheraton  Hotel - Muscat.  Sultanate of Oman
28th July, 1989  Fax in from  Paul Morrall - Muscat
" We would be delighted if you could find time to dive with us during your forthcoming visit to Muscat? "
Panic! - All my wonderful trendy diving gear was in the Maldives! How can I possibly dive if not All IN THE PINK! 
A fax to Ray Mckee Tabata in Hull - Help!  Next morning on my doorstep a brand new set of equipment. Jacket, regulator, fins, mask, snorkel, booties and knife ALL IN THE PINK! How's that for service!

29th July Airborne.  KLB - Amsterdam -  Seeb  Airport - Muscat.
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potlessly clean, My NOC ( No objections Certificate ) awaiting my collection, You must have this certificate to enter the Sultanate. Customs brief and painless. Butterflies in my tummy! New country, new faces, new Dive. Only here for 4 days.

The next day a car picked me up. I was to be interviewed by  the celebrated  Judith Razek on Radio Oman's FM Service (English Language)  I was Guest  of the Week. The programme was called 'Words in Action'. This went out  live for an hour!  I was so blessed to have Judith interviewing me. She was so inspired by my role with the Maldive Islands and the information I was able to relate     
My title Toni The Maldive lady. Next day more interviews with the two Muscat  English language news papers.  The State sponsored 'OMAN DAILY OBSERVER ' and the privately owned 'TIMES of OMAN'. During my short time in Muscat, I had already more than caught the magic of this arabesque Islamic country

Wednesday 8am Oman Sheraton
I met Paul and his most attractive diving instructor Christine Harrison and Alan a young lad out from the UK  who helps Paul.
They all laughed over my log book, its like a glorified scrap book, pictures of various Maldive dive masters and their comments. Alan loads our gear into the land rover, and we all pile in. A ride of some fifteen minutes taking us along Oman's dramatic coast line. Towering mountains rise behind us.  We turn into the Yacht Club and I get into my dive gear. Into a cradle goes our boat 25 foot open-hulled fibreglass, we pull into the water and soon its floating. Not long we creep into a small bay and drop anchor. Paul and I tog up and we start to descend, leaving Alan on the boat.

As we slowly  descend  surrounded by all colours of a fishy rainbow. Inquisitive and so welcoming.  Forty five minutes of total bliss. No one could ever be bored. New to both of us what a lucky man!.

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My visit also had a personal touch in that in a particularly hospitable welcome was made by Richard and Joanna Owens. Richard was General Manager of a prominent Oman based company that traced it's origins back to my Father's Company Smith Mackenzie in Kenya, which guaranteed a dinner of very special reminders of a past long gone. 

Oman remains for all those who seek to visit a land of both beauty and mystery, a land where, guarding the desert passes, ancient Forts and Castles continue to do duty and peopled by a welcoming and liberal cast-list of delights,  a people who have so accurately been described as the Aristocrats of the Arab world, the Gentlemen of the Gulf.
*Arabia awaits!

The Maldive Islands


Ariyadhoo, Himithi, Mini Mas,
Gali & Maamigili
Fuah Mulaku

GAAFU ALIFU ATOLL SCHOOL
Gan and Feydhoo
Hanimadhoo & Uteemu
Ihuru
Kuramathi
Kurumba
Laamu  Atoll
Lhaviyani
Niyama - Dhaalu Atoll
Rashdoo & Noonu Atoll
Villingili

Holiday Of A Life Time:
Maldives, Sri Lanka & Dubai

New


MY ISLAND STORY

On My Way To Happy Days

Passenger Flying Log Book

My Very Good Looking Father

Through a Zanzibar Doorway

Lion Sands

Cape Town

A Night At The London Zoo

Wild Reef Child

Ashley

Flying With Hunting Clan

Love At First Sight

The Queen Mother

Romy Has a Surprise!

GEORGE

My Talk 2018

My Flying Diary

The Maldive Lady, by Jo Foley

LiveWire: First Lady of Leisure

Kunfunadhoo

The Lady In The Loo

First Round The World Flight

Tehran

PHINDA

Rat Story

Visha & Maya

Saint Helena

A Flight of a Lifetime

Diving Bangaram Island
Shark Circus
Richard Harley
Yusuff Moosa

I Dived To Victory
Memorable Muscat
You Must Not Wear Any Weights Or Life Jacket


A Magic Boat Launches

Angkor, Cambodia

Champneys

Country Life

Crown of Thorns

Having A Whale Of A Time

​Hurlingham Club Magazine Summer 2016

Kenya

​KASHMIR 1959

Lady Rose

Love of Skiing

My Magic Beans

My Outstanding Award
My Sandbank
Museum of Mankind
My 86th Birthday
Classic Wings: My 87th Birthday
My 88th Birthday
Magic Yellow File
RACEHORSE
Seychelles
South Africa
The Haute Route
Thrills & Spills - Dhoni Mighili
Underwater Ireland
Welcome To Stanford Bridge
***WEST OF ZANZIBAR***

Helicopter Bride
SCHOOL / FLYING
World Travel Mart
My Adopted Maldivian Family
Life Threatening Thalassemia
Himmafushi - The Young Offenders
Villingilli Orphanage
The Tsunami
Commemorative Coins

1986 Commonwealth Games
Guest Speaker of the Canberra
My Cocktail
Love & Marriage in Sri Lanka


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Flags
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A Maldives Symphony -
My Swan Song:

- Velassaru & Kuramathi
-
Colombo

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