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Tony Allen - Cecilia Allen

In 2004 I began my "fourth career" as a freelance writer.

In my first career, after training at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, I served for thirty years in the British Army‘s Royal Tank Regiment, with tours of duty in Britain, Europe, Arabia and Canada. During this time I visited over 30 different countries, inspiring my enthusiasm for travel, and my fascination with wildlife around the world.

On leaving the army, I spent four years managing the National Health Service Hospitals in Herefordshire, England, before resigning to fulfil a lifelong ambition to create a business of my own.

Next, with my wife, Cecilia, I created and built up a successful commercial tourist attraction. Over a ten year period this grew to include a retail garden centre, a tropical butterfly garden, a falconry centre and a 15 acre woodland/wetland conservation and wildlife area, together attracting over 50,000 visitors annually.

Having successfully sold this business, I began to write, drawing on the interests and experience I’d developed in these diverse previous careers. My subjects have included travel, wildlife and conservation, mountain walking, gardening, history, business and biographical profiles. Researching these articles provides an excuse for doing things I really enjoy.

Since beginning to write, I’ve published articles in many British national and regional magazines, and in English language magazines in Spain, where I write a monthly feature on mountain walking for Soltalk magazine and publish walking guides.

I now divide my time principally between Norfolk in England and Axarquia in Spain, exploring the coast, walking in the mountains, and studying and photographing wildlife and flowers.