charley boorman accident south africa 2018 charley boorman accident south africa 2018

Charley will be leading a pack of Adventure You're looking at your GPS for the actual mileage left and you're looking at your bike which is telling you the projected mileage based on within the parameters that it's experiencing at that point in time and you're trying to keep those fingers together, so it adds a certain element of artistry to it. Long Way Uppremieres on Apple TV on Friday 18 September. JAG: Why the long pause between the trips and the shows? JAG: How do we get people more interested in motorcycles? There were moments towards the end of this trip that I said to Charley, that I could do this forever, I feel like I could keep going. You'd be doing 100km an hour on this dirt road on your bike and suddenly this truck would come past you at 130km an hour and leave you in the dust. With equity release you could access a lump-sum of tax-free cash which can be used to enhance your retirement income, make home improvements, or even enjoy a memorable holiday. [Chuckles]. Im not a big fan of regrets. Every time we found somewhere to plug that bike in was like a little mini-triumph, said McGregor. The series was added to Apple TV+ on 18 September 2020 along with the first iteration Long Way Round (2004) and sequel Long Way Up (2020). . I mean, one time it was so cold outside that the batteries would just turn off and they wouldnt charge. People should at least wear a helmet, gloves and ankle riding boots. Besides the 'Long Way' series, Charley has been actively working on his own projects. Here's what 'long way' series' stars Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman have been doing today. Boorman was involved in a serious accident whilst test riding a motorbike with journalists in Portugal in 2016. A division of A07 Online Media, LLC. He was in a wheelchair for a while before recuperating and getting back on the motorbike. The team anticipated problems at the various borders crossings, particularly in Africa. A division of A07 Online Media, LLC. Charley is a much-loved and frequent visitor to Australia where he leads Outback tours with Compass Expeditions. Every 20 minutes, you were just about to crash. I just love seeing Mother Nature like this, watching the land change as we go by. Well also do one on Scramblers in Morocco on light gravel and tar. Last year, he was involved in a horrific accident in Portugal, in which he nearly lost his leg, when he was clipped on his motorbike by a car and ended up slamming into a wall. He grew up on an estate in the Wicklow mountains his dad had bought on a whim, and also on film sets, making his debut in his fathers brutal 1972 thriller Deliverance, aged six. The new bikes featured a 2-cylinder boxer engine, a six-speed gearbox, and generated 109 horsepower with 89 pound-feet of torque. It's such fun to ride and they are so fast. Im lucky enough to have a few. Details area bit vague at the momentandthere is no word on whether he was riding or driving. She likes riding (pillon passenger) too, after she start doing it, the first time with me. When one of the crew gets an awful bout of altitude sickness, near Salta in Argentina on their way to ride Tren a las Nubes (Train to the Clouds), McGregors concern is visceral. Then I noticed the guy beside me and then he wasn't in a very good way at all and it was at that moment that I kind of realized that actually, these are just some broken bones and I'll get through this. The problem is that riders are very individual and not part of the scene or a club. JAG: Ewan, you're a big movie star, as I was pointing out to my daughter when we were watching the show. The Mayor of London is not doing bikes any favours. Previous iterations of the episodic documentary series were Long Way Round, an eastward journey from London to New York City in 2004, and Long Way Down, a southward odyssey from John o Groats in Scotland to Cape Town in South Africa, in 2007. I first met him in London at a restaurant. It took 10 operations over two years and a year and a half to start walking again. I wish you all the best, Charlie. Because of congestion and over-population, scooters and motorbikes should be a big part of the solution but we just need to get people to be more aware and positive towards bikes. Were also starting to do short tours to Spain with The Bike Shed, mianly on hipster bikes like the T120s and Thruxtons. Will After visiting the pyramids, they boarded a ferry to Sudan, continued into Ethiopia and then into Kenya, where they crossed the equator. You could get a quiet little electric trials bike and ride around in your back yard and no would would know until they saw your head pop up above the fence when you did a jump. You can watch a snippet of my interview with Charley below, and you can read it in full in issue 59 ofAdventure Bike Rider magazine, out now and available to buy from our online store with free UK shipping. My waterproofs because, you know, London and my Arai adventure helmet and my injection-moulded earplugs. South America. That meant electric bikes (Harley-Davidson supplied prototypes) that could withstand myriad environments snow, ice, altitude, wind, rain and very few charging stations. I think this scene (The Bike Shed) has brought younger riders back into biking. The two friends will travel through such places as Siberia, That's very confidence-inspiring riding the canyons on an electric bike, as we both found out here riding in LA. So, why has it taken more than a decade for the pair to reunite for a motorcycle adventure? When I broke my legs badly I sat there for a little while and thought what if Id just left the hotel a little later But the reality is that its happened and there is nothing you can do. They went from there to Tanzania and then into Malawi, where they were joined by Ewan McGregor's wife Eve. ", "I remember Ewan and I were on the side of the road in Long Way Round (a TV series in which they rode 32,000km around the world) in the Ukraine or Kazakhstan and a white Lada stopped and these two big guys got out and started walking towards us. ), We sort of looked at each other, and walked away, and thought if were quiet, theyd keep on charging. This kind of thing happens a lot in a Long Way Up. . The quality of road surfaces throughout east Africa were surprisingly smooth, but sections were rough, bumpy or had sandy terrain, with some travel through a small river and mud wallow. I remember having the door open and contemplating whether I'd have to jump. It doesn't happen to me that often, you know, to be sort of holed up in a restaurant with a mob outside. It really is close now. I mean you could cross America back and forth on an electric motorcycle without any worries as there are so many fast chargers now. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Charley also gave us the inside scoop on what it was like to travel from the tip of South America to Los Angeles on electric Harley-Davidson motorcycles, and what plans he and Ewan have for their next adventure. From Kenya, they rode to Uganda and then Rwanda, where they had an audience with President Paul Kagame. The bikes had a 1,130cc engine and a six-speed gearbox that was good for 85 horsepower and 75 pound-feet of torque. Within the first three episodes of this series, the duo visit: Parque Pingino Rey in Tierra del Fuego, Chile, at the tip of South America. The truth is you just have to have a go. For other uses, see, "Ewan McGregor secures sponsorship deal for South American road trip", "Long Way Up is go! Great story. recovery, on all fronts!.. It was a surprise though, it's not an everyday occurrence for me! You've got apps that let you know as soon as you get three-quarters empty, you just hit a button and it takes you to an EV charger you can fast-charge easily. Weve had our share of spills and thrills (riding, all our lives), but this is -pretty- unbelievable; so unfortunate! Harley-Davidson provided them with their prototype LiveWire motorcycles that had a range of around 146 miles with its 15.5-kWh battery. I broke both my legs, broke and dislocated my right ankle and smashed my left tibia and fibula. McGregor and von Planta also came off and damaged their bikes' bodywork, with von Planta involved in the more serious incident on a motorway in South Africa. During the trip, the pair visited three UNICEF facilities to promote the work done by the organisation. 1 bestselling author is back! See our review policies for more information. Holiday? In 2019, Ewan and Charlie reunited 12 years after 'Long Way Down', this time hoping to journey from the city of Ushuaia at the southernmost tip of South America to Los Angeles, U.S.A; a journey of over 13,000-miles. It was sort of like a dream come true., Boorman recalls riding by a solar farm in Costa Rica and knocking on the fence to ask to check it out. Id love to the do Simpson Desert. Its A Honda!: Automakers Pursue VTOL Dreams, These Are The 12 Greenest Cars In The U.S. For 2023, reportedly begun production of the third entry. The result is my recent book the Long Way Back. ADVPulse also reported that a pair of Mercedes Sprinter vans may be providing support; both previous Long Way series had prodigious support for McGregor and Boorman, so they werent exactly roughing it. Another interesting development: It appears electric pickup truck maker Rivian may also be in on the epic adventure, according to a post on popular off-road riding site ADVPulse. Published: Monday, 8th May 2017 at 10:40 am, Long Way Round's Charley Boorman: Even if I lost my leg, I would never give up motorcycling. He did lose a lot of work: a planned TV show about a bike trip through the perilous Darien Gap in Central America that had taken a year to plan, and commercial tours with bike fans in Australia and Africa, a lucrative offshoot of his celebrity. I thought Id broken my hip just for the sake of going down the shops! Hopefully just riding dirt bikes with mates. I think its too difficult and expensive to get your licence now. And then theres the charging. Having ridden with Ewan McGregor all the way round the world, and on an extraordinary trip through Africa, he is now taking on Canada, South Africa and the USA. Will update U., The funny man followed up with:@charleyboorman is now in surgery but was in good spirits before going in. To let that friendship dwindle or drift, I realized, was a mistake. An accident in Portugal left Charley Boorman fearing his leg would have to be amputated but now hes ready to ride again. For Long Way Up, which debuts globally on Apple TV+ on September 18 with the first three episodes, McGregor and Boorman reunite to ride 13,000 miles from Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, to Los Angeles, California. The answer was the pair drifted apart over the past decade and its only thanks to two broken legs and a barbecue that they reunited for their latest adventure,Long Way Up. But, in February last year, Charley was involved in motorcycle accident while in Portugal for the launch of the Triumph Tiger Explorer so bad that he almost lost his left leg. As I approached I heard him say, So, Olivia, youre a beautiful girl, do you want to come to Australia with me?. The following year, Charley and Ewan did another motorcycle adventure trip, this time known as Long Way Down, where they travelled from Scotland to Cape Town, Ive pretty much broken everything but you cant fix your head. (Charley crashed on a Triumph launch in Spain a couple of years ago.). In 2013, riders started their amazing journey based at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel. I love them all. I don't want to give anything away, but one of the funniest moments of the trip as a viewer was that time in Ecuador when you basically couldn't leave a restaurant because of how many people wanted to see you. Up In The Air! WebDoubleTree by Hilton Cape Town, Upper Eastside Hotel will once again host Charley Boorman for this years Motorcycle Adventure that begins and ends in Cape Town, South Africa. I have a crash there. What do his doctors think about that? A Warner Bros. Updated I put the question to Charley during the making of the latest issue ofAdventure Bike Ridermagazine (issue 59). It was assumed this would become a regular occurrence while travelling through Africa. [6] In June 2019, it was reported that Boorman confirmed that the filming of a third installment would begin "in a few months". I found Africa's landscapes stunning to the eye, it's people vibrant and welcoming, it's food diverse and exotic, and it's history fascinating and complex. Dealing with things such as insane cold meant moving bikes indoors overnight and wearing all the clothes. They traverse 13 countries, zigzagging between Argentina and Chile, then northward through Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, up through Central America (Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala), then finally into Mexico and ending in Los Angeles, California. Each bike weighed about 505 pounds. It was exactly what the doctor ordered.. CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA - AUGUST 04: Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman mark the finish line of The [+] Long Way Down at the Lagoon Beach Hotel on August 4, 2007 in Cape Town, South Africa. The road through the Calchaqu Valley in northwest Argentina. Its to do with the freedom you have.. When he came to rest, as he casually puts it, my leg was all flippy-floppy, bending in the wrong places and (Photo by Michelly Rall/WireImage). Im crazy about bike riding for now 39 years. Forbes.com has reached out to Harley-Davidson for comment on the news. Charley Boorman is riding again after his major motorcycle crash in 2016 and ready for his big African adventure later this year. I just find myself thinking about it a lot. Half of the road stays in the shade. Boorman admitted he had been "putting on a show" for a roadside garage and braked sharply as part of a maneuver. But they arrived in Ushuaia after we did. Ewan went on to talk of how it wasn't until Charley had a motorcycle accident in 2016 that he and Charley settled their differences. Charley Boorman and Ewan McGregor spat: Charley nearly lost his leg after his motorbike accident in 2016. (Image: GETTY ) A bike tour with my wife. And that happens regularly. Can you put an off-road suspension on it? So I thought Im British and I would be promoting my Britishness. In June 2015, McGregor indicated that the long-discussed South American trip was still at the planning stage, but he expected that an excursion through Baja California Peninsula would take place first. John thought acting might help his dyslexic son to express himself. Upon arrival in Tunisia, the team bribed the local authorities with a few bottles of vodka to aid their passage into the country. No matter how much support the riders have, this looks to be a monumental test for Harley-Davidsons Livewire bikes, which are its first foray into the electric motorcycle space. Related: Youve Never Seen A Harley-Davidson LiveWire Like This. You join the family theyve created under these particular conditions, and you feel how much they all mean to one another. I fell off that as well. JAG: The crazy part was it wasnt only the bikes, you guys had the Rivian pickups too. Rivian also installed charging stations along the more desolate parts of the route. Enter your email address below we'll keep you up to date with everything that's happening in the world of adventure motorcycling. according to a post on popular off-road riding site ADVPulse. They just got back in the car and drove off. Boorman broke both legs after colliding with a wall whilst avoiding a car that pulled out in front of him. I just think it was about time, you know. [1] They were accompanied by the same key team members from Long Way Round, including cameraman and director of photography Claudio Von Planta and cameraman Jimmy Simak (who also oversaw music supervision and soundtrack production), and producers Russ Malkin and David Alexanian. The soundtrack features music drawn substantially from the catalogue of Real World Records, which produced the accompanying album. WebEwan McGregor and Charley Boorman are getting back on their motorcycles for a new adventure in Apple TV+'s "Long Way Up". It's a different way of thinking but it's totally doable in America. Even though it was touch and goI thought Id lose a legbut that seemed ok but I kept thinking, you know what, I just want to get back on the motorbike. The video series was a hit both with riders and non-riders (celebrity helps) and it resulted in a well-received 2008 sequel, Long Way Down, which saw the pair ride from their homes in England to Cape Town on the southern tip of Africa. Their daughters - Doone and Kinvara, 21 and 20 are both at university, but Doone also had to be flown home last year after breaking her jaw on a skiing trip. And then we just got used to it and we began to understand how far we could go and how far we could push the parameters and you kind of like all of our trips, eventually you just settled into it. Youre sort of ready for it to end. I love Africa and returned last year to guide a tour, but I felt quite vulnerable dabbing my feet off road in case I broke my legs again. They decided the Long Way Up would be an electric voyage a way to see the world without aiding its decay. He also has a penchant for all things F1, occasionally catching up on WRC. With the limited range of both the bikes and the Rivianapart from bringing backup generators like you guys did, how does the average motorcyclist enjoy a cross country trip on an electric motorcycle when the technology is still on the fringe? Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. It was six months before I could walk on one leg. If I'm at work or I'm sitting there between takes, or I am sitting in my trailer or whatever, I find myself daydreaming about a ribbon of road coming at me from somewhere. When I was getting a little bit better, and Ewan came to London to stay with me we started chatting about that third trip that we really wanted to do. That was my therapy, to get back on the motorbike. Charley and I talk a lot about it, about how you hear people who should really know better dismissing electric-powered vehicles. We have a series of challenges throughout our lives. 1:41 PM EDT, Thu September 17, 2020, Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman take on a 13,000-mile e-bike journey in the Apple TV+ series, "Long Way Up.". I was just coming back from the bathroom and he was sitting in my chair chatting up my wife. EW: [Laughs] You just have to ride, people just have to have a go. Id love to see the Dakar but I would just want to race it again, so I better stay away. In 2016, Charley met with a serious accident when test riding with motorbike journalists in Portugal where he broke both his legs. Ewan and I didnt really know what we were doing. All Rights Reserved. You dont have to do a six-month motorcycle adventure, just a day can be an adventure. WebHome / Uncategorized / charley boorman accident south africa 2018. santos executive team. This one: Ewan McGregor (aka the young Obi-Wan in the Star Wars prequels and soon a new back-story Disney series) and his wingman, Brit TV personality Charley Boorman, have reportedly begun production of the third entry in their popular Long Way motorcycle road trip TV series, and are set to travel from the southern reaches of South America and ride the long way up to the United States. In Malawi, they visited care centres for children orphaned by AIDS. The visuals satisfy an increasingly unbearable wanderlust that has become more acute during this year of coronavirus lockdown. He then broke his hip riding a Vespa whilst still in recovery. The start was nearly delayed after Boorman, frustrated by an official at Gatwick Airport, made an off-the-cuff comment regarding bombs and was detained for questioning. Traversing through cities, mountains, deserts, and snow, they documented their trips using special helmet cameras whilst riding their bikes, had a cameraman ride on his own bike accompany them, and had a production crew that provided them with additional support and rendezvoused with them at border crossings. I dont have anything to hide. Drifting apart from your mates can be a sad fact of life as you get older. The bone came out of my skin. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Electric bikes are brilliant. The torque is unbelievable, its fun to be sort of silent and it's just a different riding experience. Im working away from home on average about five to seven months a year but my wife knows Ive always travelled, even when I was doing films. I agreeI do not agree. And our bikes were being charged directly by the sun., In the end, after three months on the road, both men were ready to end the trip, though Boorman says, You always talk about the possibility of another one, so youve got that in your head, so its not so bad that this ones finished., Theres an arc, these trips that weve done, says McGregor. Billy writes on his Twitter account: CB had accident today in Portugal @ Global launch of Triumph Explorer.In hospital but OK. Full Name Charley Boorman Occupation Actor and Television Personality Nationality British Birthplace Wimbledon, London, UK Birth Date Aug 23, 1966 Age 56 Years, 5 Months Co-creator of Documentary Series 'Long Way Round' with Ewan McGregor Charley Boorman | Biography Child Actor in Film 'Deliverance' Theyre already talking about making it harder. He is also properly appreciative of Olivia, whom hes been with for 30 years and married to for 25. In 2008, he did a show called 'By Any Means' where he traveled from County Wicklow, his hometown in Ireland, to Sydney, Australia using only appropriate public transport and flying whenever necessary. Its really touching me, and what I was looking for in terms of feeling closer to the world, the Earth, appreciating the beauty of it as we ride along.. And then I obviously had to have the second one, the second accident, where I really smashed myself up in South Africa. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. :) Really, its a -big- shock and so, just to drop a comment; & once again, all the best!! When James isnt riding motorbikes, he can usually be found reading or writing about them. This is a BETA experience. I thought to myself, this is crazy. It's a dangerous hairpin trail on this treacherous road and I went up in winter. Oha! Scottish star Mr McGregor, 49, first rose to prominence in Danny Boyles cult classic Trainspotting and subsequently starred in blockbusters including Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker and DC But the LiveWire wasn't even being sold yet, so we were so lucky that they built us these two beautiful bikes. During this time, he got an acting job on The Serpents Kiss in 1997, where he met McGregor, and they talked about bikes, because thats what bikers do, and cooked up the idea of a 19,000-mile, two-wheeled journey from London to New York that became 2004s Long Way Round a TV series, book and DVD. So far, theres no word on when the new series will be released. The shock absorbers bore the brunt, with both McGregor's and von Planta's bikes suffering broken springs. My agent said why dont you use your recovery time to start writing a book about your life, your bikes and your crash, starting where youre sitting on the tarmac thinking what has just happened?. Me and my father (our whole family, actually) have been following Charleys adventures for a decade+ now This accident is HORRIBLE news (omg!) Charley had just returned from a Compass Expeditions You may opt-out by. Didn't think you were that famous? I taped him on the shoulder and said, I dont think my wife wants to go to Australia with you but I do. He looked me up and down and simply said No and then walked off. Billy Ward. No, not THAT twist. But once they start to put real mileage between themselves and Ushuaia, a relatively predictable rhythm sets in that propels the journey forward with fewer headaches and anxieties. In Ethiopia, they visited a land mine awareness project and met children injured by mines. And those beginning few weeks were super cold. It was hours and hours and hours later that I actually woke up, but again, I wanted to get back on the motorbike. Im slightly deaf in one ear from riding and have a bit of tinnitus. I rode all the way to my front door from Ushuaia it was a pleasure, that.. It could generate 105 horsepower, 86 pound-feet of torque, and had a top speed of 110 mph. I get in trouble with her for silly things - but I can't talk about them. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much TV presenter and adventurer Charley Boorman, who motorbiked around the world with his pal Ewan McGregor for the series Long Way Round and Long Way Down, has had plenty of scrapes in his time. WebCharley Boorman has been riding motorcycles since he was seven years old. Charley, besides being an avid motorcycle enthusiast, is an actor, TV presenter, and travel writer. The team took four days to ride from John o' Groats back to London, via the McGregor family home in Crieff and the Silverstone racetrack, where they camped in the middle of the circuit. Once youve been around the world and down its length on a motorcycle, there really isnt anywhere left to go but up. Send him yor best. I did a movie wth my father called The Emerald Forest in South America, but thats the only time Ive been. EM: You just have to change your mindset. Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman reunite to ride 13,000 miles from Tierra del Fuego to Los Angeles in the Apple TV+ show "Long Way Up" -- the third journey However, given the pairs typical journeys through distant lands where it might be a challenge to find gasoline or food, let alone a Level II electric vehicle charger, its suspected the sprinter vans might be ferrying generators for the Livewire bikes, which will need to top up about every 100 miles under favorable conditions. You really feel the ground because there's no mechanical vibration between you and the ground - there's no mechanical movement, other than this the electric engine which is spinning around and so you can really feel the road. Ahead of that, The Drive had a chance to talk to McGregor and Boorman about their trip. He smiled and nodded his head. All good. In Long Way Down, they share their 15,000-mile WebWild at Heart Season 6 Episode 4. Im just going to crack on., Try 12 issues for 1 today - never miss an issue. By entering your details, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions and privacy policy. The wheels were spinning forward, but we were shooting backwards towards a cliff. Poring over a map of the world at home one quiet Saturday afternoon, Ewan McGregor - actor and self-confessed bike nut - noticed that it was possible to ride all the way round the world, with just one short hop across the Bering Strait from Russia to Alaska. I consent to allow Adventure Bike Rider to collect my contact information (required), Charley Boorman confirms the Long Way Up will take place within months. I ride full time now because of LWD and LWR. It is a follow-up to the Long Way Round of 2004, when the pair rode east from London to New York via Eurasia and North America. Once youve been around the world and down its length on a motorcycle, there really isnt anywhere left to go but up.So it goes with Ewan McGregor and Charley And because the Long Way Up route terminates in Los Angeles, where McGregor lives, his 13,000 mile journey ended on his own driveway. In a video interview with CNN Travel, McGregor explained, We drifted apart somewhat. That was the case for Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman, who ended their last biking adventure 13 years ago at the end of the Long Way Downtelevision series. Weve joined selected affiliate programs which will allow us to place advertisements for select motorcycle and motorcycle-related product retailers on the site. Can you do this, that and the other?" In one of my classrooms when I was at school, there was a poster of Machu Picchu. His close friend and partner on the road Charley Boorman, a fellow actor turned journeyman writer and TV presenter is similarly moved by the scenery. I had three big casts on three limbs of my body and I was feeling really, really, really very sorry for myself and thinking, if only I had this, or only I had done that. The European leg ended in Sicily, where they caught a ferry to Tunisia. Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman will film in coming months", "Charley Boorman confirms the Long Way Up will take place within months", "Apple TV+ now includes all classic Fraggle Rock episodes, orders full season reboot [update: official]", Right to the Edge: Sydney to Tokyo by Any Means, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Long_Way_Down&oldid=1110182313, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Galaxy British Book Award 2008- Best Popular Non Fiction, This page was last edited on 14 September 2022, at 02:52. The scenery is breathtaking, and while the relationship between McGregor and Boorman is the predominant one, seeing how this group navigates the trip, together and separately, is also powerful stuff. And so we found each other again and decided to do this trip.. I'd had a lot of surgeryboth my legs were smashed up, my right hand had broken bones. Badar enjoys driving cars, writing about cars, watching movies and anime about cars; basically, he loves cars! As with their previous trip, and Boorman's Race to Dakar, Russ Malkin's company Big Earth produced the series. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. From abseiling down Cape Town's iconic Table Mountain, to learning how to rodeo in Canada, prepare for a non He was in a wheelchair for a while It's the longest trip ever attempted on an electric motorcycle, one that required Rivian to install a new string of fast-chargers along the planned routea rural charging network that will now serve the people of the region, as McGregor pointed out to me.