After leaving Haileybury (Allenby, 1953–57) and completing his studies at King’s College, Cambridge, Nicholas Asheshov set out on a journey which would take him well beyond the lawns of East Herts – to the backwoods of the Andes and the Amazon.
In a autobiographical piece published by the Peruvian Times, Nick recounts formative early adventures in South America during the 1960s. What began as filling in gaps in his education became a lifelong connection with Peru, where he now lives “up the river from Machu Picchu”.
Before settling in Peru, Nick worked on Fleet St and in Johannesburg for the Sunday Times during the black and white mid-sixties – “the days of Verwoerd and the wonderful Nelson Mandela”. His sharp observations of that era still inform his writing today.
Nick also had a creative streak from an early age: he founded the Haileybury Dixieland Jazz Band in 1955, at a time when jazz was very much discouraged – a small act of rebellion that hinted at the independent spirit to come.
Nick fondly remembers his Haileybury days, his old Allenby study mate, Dr Mark Fraser, and a tense summons to the study of then-Master CPC Smith. From Allenby House to the Amazon basin, Nick’s story reminds us how far the Haileybury spirit has travelled – and how deeply it continues to take root in unexpected places.
Nick has begun a new venture, this time as a novelist. He, together with Planeta, Madrid have published the first volume of his political adventure trilogy, Forgotten Secrets. The trilogy is to start publication later this year in England as The Battle Of Wild Goose Lake. It features a rich lost tribe led by a 29-year-old priestess-scientist. Many in the tribe have PhDs from Harvard, Oxbridge, La Sorbonne et al. They declare Independence “to save the Amazon”.
You can find out more about Nick and his adventures on his website here