THE WIFE of an explorer has written an autobiography giving readers a taste of the highlights of her colourful life.

Pat Fowle, who lives in Haslemere, has assembled those exciting bits into a book called Glimpses.

She said: “Most of one’s life is not always memorable. I spent a fair amount of my past just chasing the wind. However, I can recall certain events, some of which I will share. I’ll stick to glimpses.”

Pat spent a great deal of her married life travelling the world, meeting many interesting people. Having had this opportunity to do so was because of her husband’s exploration work. It enabled them to visit exotic as well as outlandish places.

Intertwined with “mystical experiences” along the way, life has been far from dull for Pat, who has now retired.

She said: “This is what could be described as a fragmented autobiography, a story told through noteworthy events that have occurred during a colourful life. Some are mystical, some inexplicable. Short stories that involve humour, but most of all love, like threads of gold that run through a lifetime.”

Pat took the plunge and created her book through self-publishing company Matador.

She said: “I think advancing age motivated me to get on with writing about my past life. An awareness of the passage of time and the promptings of my family all had a hand in getting me into a reflective mood.

“I really enjoyed it! It was never a labour. It was easy to remember past events that were significant to me. I feel a certain satisfaction that I have not magnified any account beyond the truth. It was written without need for exaggeration.

“In the amazing pattern of life, my experiences are just one small piece of a vast jigsaw puzzle. To me, they were special happenings that shaped the way I think today. I’m grateful for a loving family, long life and, most important of all, that I have known love.”