Wednesday, 12 September 2018

EXPLODING THE MYTH: JOHN WYATT TALKS ABOUT HIS LIFE IN EXPLOSIVES

Topped and tailed by plenty of wine, John Wyatt (W, 1963) spoke last night to an enthralled group of 25 ODs and guests about his life in explosives (in which field he earned his PhD) and counterterrorism. He has captured his hugely dangerous and on-the-edge career in a book he's just published called Exploding the Myth.

John, using some very graphic slides (including that shown on the cover of the book), clustered his story into four categories: bomb disposal, bomb destruction, terrorism and conspiracy. 

Prior to starting his own consultancy, which he still runs and which is, unsurprisingly, in great demand, John was commissioned into the Royal Engineers upon completion of his training at Sandhurst, later moving to MI6. Many of his experiences and projects are subject to the Official Secrets Act yet still much of what he spoke about (and what the book covers) debunked many myths and false information (probably now known as fake news) released publicly. Not everything is as it seems. The world of political "cleansing" at the highest levels and across the globe are sensitive and provocative and in all cases present major global risks.

From unexploded mines across the UK to airline terrorism, to political assassinations in Colombia and training of agents in Hungary, John spoke engagingly and with authority about a world completely unknown to any of us. We live in a dangerous world, and John's approach and involvement are obviously expert and experienced, and also fearless. We are all the safer for it.

The book is for sale through John and he donates all proceeds to the Royal Engineers Association which is a charitable trust for needy soldiers.

Below are the photos from the event which were held in the lovely offices of Stonehage Fleming courtesy of Hamish Sinclair (S, 1992), who is a Partner of the Company. Our thanks go to him.

A list of all the guests appears at the bottom of this post.


Please click on the photos to enlarge.


John Wyatt
Caelim Parkes and Anton du Plessis
Matthew Golesworthy and Rupert Tripp
Waine and Liz Lawton and John Wyatt
Francis Eliot, Hamish Sinclair and Richard Silberbauer
Gordon Robinson, James Stewart, Megan Coomer, Richard Montgomery and (partially hidden) Anton du Plessis
Rupert Tripp, Stephen Ryall, Caelim Parkes, Byrne Baister and Greg Baldwin
Francis Eliot, Hamish Sinclair, Richard Silberbauer, Waine and Liz Lawton and John Wyatt (with Exploding the Myth on the table)
Margit and Rob Campbell, Tony Jones, Choppy Bands, Gordon Robinson and Richard Montgomery
Megan Coomer, Anton du Plessis, Robert Goode, Nicholas Olds, Rupert Tripp, Stephen Ryall and Byrne Baister. Caelim Parkes in the foreground
Robert Goode and Nicholas Olds
Richard Silberbauer, Waine and Liz Lawton