Patrick
Keen
Patrick is a guest speaker who specialises in talks about his various life adventures and experiences, including: Leading the first expedition overland to the King George VI Falls in Guyana, racing and dealing in classic cars plus winning the British Thoroughbred sportscar championship in the Morgan TOK 258, adventures in Vietnam during the war, and sailing reminiscences oonboard Baltic Schooner Helga & Thames sailing barge Kitty.
Patrick regularly gives talks on cruiseliners, to companies, clubs and charities around the country. His talks are lively, entertaining and informative.
About
Since his early years in Quetta, to a childhood growing up amongst the hills of Herefordshire, Patrick has lived a life filled with adventure. Being the son of an MI6 spy, and with generations of Brigadiers before him meant an ordinary life was not on the cards.
Patrick's days of adventure properly began when he joined the Royal Hampshire Regiment (The Tigers) in 1962.
His first posting was to Georgetown in Guyana where he helped quell the riots on Black Friday. Following this Patrick lead an expedition through the Amazon rainforest and was the first team to reach the King George VI Falls over land, thought then to be the highest waterfalls in the world. While a soldier Patrick qualified as a Tigermoth pilot, completed the free fall parachuting course and survived an SAS outward bound course in Norway.
He represented G.B. in NATO & CENTO rifle shooting competitions and after leaving the Army he travelled worldwide demonstrating the Singlepoint gun sight. In Vietnam, at the height of the war, he worked closely with the New Zealand and Australian Special Forces.
He was a founding Director of Gunmark (GMK) which imported Beretta shotguns and specialised in selling shooting equipment.
He took up motor racing in Morgans and was in the team that won the 24 hour race at Snetterton. He went on to win the British Sports Car Thoroughbred Championship. Later on in life Patrick worked with classic car Auction Houses including Coys and Bonhams.
Patrick qualified as a Trinity House Pilot. He and his wife, Caroline, a first class cook, ran a charter business on the Thames Sailing Barge Kitty and Schooner Helga in the Solent.
Patrick & Caroline now live in Cowes on the Isle of Wight and enjoy spending time with friends, their four sons & their grandchildren.