A Fulham man who suffered ill-health since childhood has written a book about 30 years of travel experiences around the world.

Patrick Daly, 53, a compliance officer for ITV, grew up in Fulham where he suffered prolonged bouts of bad health, including chronic asthma and arthritis of the spine.

"I spent more time in Charing Cross Hospital than George Best when I was growing up and I missed lots of school," he said.

When well enough, Mr Daly attended St Thomas's Primary school in Rylston Road and later St Edmund's Secondary School, in St Dunstan's Road, Hammersmith.

Although medical problems prevented him from travelling as a child but he began to make up for lost time as an adult and has now traversed the world many times over during three decades.

His travels have taken him to the tunnels of Vietnam, to meet the mafia in Hawaii and to South Africa.

"Someone told me I should write it all down and the idea appealed to me because it would be something I could hand down to my 12-year-old son, Patrick," he said. "I didn't think it would ever get off the ground."

Despite still suffering from his spinal condition, that has not prevented Mr Daly from taking part in gruelling marathons and the new author said he hoped the book would help others who have had bad health, as well as being a good read.

"Hopefully it will do both. I have seen a lot of people go into depression because their health has prevented them doing things."

Mr Daly, who now lives in Putney, finds it hard to pin down some of his favourite anecdotes from his book.

"There was the time I was mugged in South Africa, or when I was detained by the secret police in Laos," he said. "One of my favourites though was being in the Philippines when a military coup went off.

"My taxi driver said he knew the rebel leader personally and would take me to meet him. I thought he was joking but he really did."

The author lived in Mimosa Street until 1995 and returns to Fulham every weekend to visit his 95-year-old mother.
His book, "Health Traumas and Global Dramas", is available from leading bookshops or online.