The Accidental Survivor

the accidental survivor

The Accidental Survivor is an amusing, honest memoir about accidents, near misses and surviving mostly by luck.

This is an autobiography describing Gavin Teakle‘s history of lucky escapes throughout his eventful life.

From having to call out the emergency services several times in a week as a kid to using them on a regular basis for other visits to hospital. Rugby injuries, falls off cliffs, motorcycle crashes, muggings in Rio and Jo-burg, high speed motorcycle crashes in the middle of nowhere, rogue goats and pot bellied pigs, hyper kiddos and multiple stents. All play a role.

One man who repeatedly found himself thinking: “Well… that could have been a lot worse.”

The Accidental Survivor is a dryly humorous memoir covering six decades of work, travel, family life and perhaps some questionable judgment. From growing up in England to building a life abroad in the Netherlands, from interesting engineering projects to ADHD parenting chaos, this is a story filled with narrow escapes, unexpected detours and moments where lady luck quietly stepped in and helped out.

  • This is not a story of triumph or self-improvement.
  • Not much wisdom is dispensed. No life hacks are offered.
  • Several lessons are learned far too late to any use.

Instead, it’s a fast-paced, laugh-out-loud account of a life lived enthusiastically, occasionally recklessly and yet somehow survived.

The Accidental Survivor is perfect for readers who enjoy:

  • Memoirs about real life disasters and survival
  • Funny true stories
  • Travel anecdotes and disasters
  • Workplace chaos
  • Real life stories of accidents and endurance
  • Expat life memoir
  • British humour
  • Stories where everything almost goes wrong

Not a self-help book. Definitely a how-not-to.

Get your own copy here:

Kindle Edition. £8.99.

ISBN: 978-1-0676357-0-1

Buy on Amazon. ASIN: B0GT6C1JFM.

the accidental survivor
Paperback. 6″ x 9″. £14.99

ISBN: 978-1-0676357-1-8

Buy on Amazon.

ASIN: 1067635718

Hardcopy. 6 x 9″. £19.99

ISBN: 978-1-0676357-2-5

Now out on Amazon.

9.99 Euro

Scroll down for some pictures.

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Here are some photos related to stories in the book, just to give an idea of some of the content:

broken ankle
A broken ankle in Turkey
Blues Brothers outfit on cruise boat
Blue Brothers kit on Alaskan cruise
skin damage after very fast motorcycle crash
Bike crash in Alaska
broken R100 after crash
One total loss BMW
lying in hospital bed after heart attack
Another random hospital visit
sitting on CJ250 all laden up to tour
Alone on a bike alone for the first time in OZ
Patrick carrying fishing rods and Gav on crutches holding shotgun
Near the bears in Alaska
headframe of Warrego mine near Tennant Creek
The headframe at Warrego mine in Australia
very bad sunburn
Two hours on the Copacabana
Frank and Phil Wallis with a shark fishing group
Fishing for blue shark in Cornwall.
Gav the miner
On the mine
pebbly beach kangaroo
Pebbly Beach
culdrose chopper
A Culdrose rescue Chopper in front of the cliff where I fell off.
horsefly sting
Ever been stung by a horsefly?
skin damage after bike accident
Ouch
Gav in front of Grand Tetons
With the Grand Tetons in the background
With an oxy-acetylene set up the headframe
On the mine in Warrego, 1981
Gave in bar with a stuffed Kodiak Bear
With a Kodiak Bear
Gav and Thass
First trip to Brazil in 2008
Brian with Pat and salmon
Pat with my Dad with a salmon
Renault 15 called Irene
Irene, 1984
on R100 before the trip to Alaska
Schaumburg Illinois, 1987
Copacabana
The Copacabana, 2008
Abrãao, Ilha Grande, 2008
Abrãao, Ilha Grande, 2008
Toby with grasshopper
Toby with grasshopper
Jason as father Xmas
Jason as father Xmas
Jason in his favourite clothes
Toby and Gav with the Paso 750
A day out on the Paso 750
Toby after catching himself with his fly
Toby after catching himself with his fly
Toby on the pond
Another visit to hospital
cricket at Gouda
Playing cricket again in Gouda
toby and jason on the eiffel tower
Having found the boys again after I lost them on the Eiffel Tower
toby and jason in fatigues
My little warriors
a pike in the trailer
Jason with a large pike from our pond
the boys at eiffel tower
Toby and Jason in Paris
frie alarm
A ‘frie’ alarm in China on the Canton Tower
on the mine
On the mine next to the shaft
on the ice in ouderkerk
On the ice in Ouderkerk
jensen healey
Jensen Healey
Ducati 916
Ducati 916
VLCC in China
Next to a VLCC on Chinese shipyard
Jason found the sudocrem
Jason found the sudocrem
at nossa senhora de penha in vila velha
First trip to Brazil in Vila Velha (Nosa Senhora da Penha)
mum and dad
A rare photo of Mum and Dad on the beach
Ouderkerk garden
The Garden in Ouderkerk
Ouderkerk house
Ouderkerk house
cherry tree in ouderkerk
My favourite tree
porth chapel
Our beloved Porth Chapel Beach
Toby diving in Turkey
Toby diving in Turkey
Crashed R100
Totalled R100
Jason porth chapel
Jason on Porth Chapel
Jan and Janus in Temple Bar
Jan and Janus in Temple Bar
After exploring the beach on the IJssel
After exploring the beach on the IJssel
Cidade de Ilhabela
The deck of Ilhabela during conversion
Oil tanks on Ilhabela during conversion
Oil tanks on Ilhabela during conversion
Some tasty menus in China
Some tasty menus in China. ‘Dry face burned Iraq
jason and vicky
Jason proudly showing his new sister off at school
jason and vicky
Best mates
burn
Another burn injury

2 thoughts on “The Accidental Survivor”

  1. Looking forward already to humorous adventures to come. Life as a modern combination of Dik Trom & Pietje Bel?

    Reply

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