Bruce Parry, 38, was a Royal Marine and an expedition leader before moving
into television. He is best known for the BBC2 programme Tribe, which sees
him living with remote communities for up to a month at a time. Single, he
lives in Ibiza. The book Tribe (Penguin £20) is published on September 20
and the six-disc DVD of the first three series is released on September 24
by BBC DVD
‘I HAD a very privileged upbringing, in that I was given considerable freedom.
Mine was a military family and we moved around a lot, but the majority of
the time was spent in the West Country: Devon, Wiltshire and so on. When I
was a teenager, I would snaffle a supply of dog food from the family larder
and some rations for myself and just disappear with the dog for a holiday.
I’d go to places such as the Lake District and explore. Because I had so much
tinned food, my rucksack weighed a ton and I couldn’t climb any mountains
for the first few days, because I couldn’t get up them. I didn’t have a
tent, just a bivvy bag, and I’d sleep under the hedgerows or in shelters
with the dog to keep me warm.
Looking back, it was wonderful to be able to do that. I’m not a parent and
wouldn’t presume to preach, but the atmosphere is such that I doubt many
kids get to do that kind of thing in this country any longer.
I joined the marines young, at 18. I enjoyed it but, eventually, I had the
sense that I was getting institutionalised. I’d been to public school and
then into the forces: my horizons needed broadening. When I left, I went
straight out to join a friend who was leading an expedition in the jungle on
the island of Sulawesi. It was the first time I’d been in jungle: although
I’d travelled with the marines, I always seemed to end up in the Arctic and
I make no bones about the fact that I don’t like the cold. So it was a
wonderful change. After assisting on that expedition, I became a leader for
the company. I led expeditions back to back in Java, Borneo, Bali, Sumatra,
all over Indonesia. Great job.
I know the sort of companies that organise expeditions have come in for some
flak recently, especially where gap years are concerned. All I can offer is:
going on an expedition is not something you should do without a lot of
research. What do you want to do? Why? Who will it benefit? Where does the
money go? I chose our projects carefully, finding out what the scientists,
biologists or the community wanted before embarking on them. But I do think
that just because of some bad reports you shouldn’t dismiss those charity/
conservation trips altogether.
My main holiday now consists of going home. I’m hardly there, because I’m away
filming so much. But then, I’m lucky with where I live, in a 200-year-old
farmhouse on Ibiza, which is a wonderful island. It was always the poorest
of the Balearics, but it was on the trade routes, so they had Phoenicians,
Greeks, Carthaginians and Romans stopping by, and because of the exposure to
different races and cultures, it has always been very tolerant. It seems to
welcome the persecuted and the nomadic. I know we have a rather different
image of Ibiza because of parties and drugs, but that’s such a small part of
the island; in reality, it’s a magical, intense place.
I stay in quite remote and extreme locations for the series, but I don’t
suffer from culture shock. I can be living with a tribe in the jungle
wearing nothing but a leaf for a month and be back on the Tube from Heathrow
within a day or two and it doesn’t bother me. The only time I felt
dislocated was after filming Race to the Pole in Greenland. We went there to
recreate how Scott and Amundsen dragged sleds, in the same clothes, eating
the same food – everything identical apart from the fact that we weren’t in
Antarctica, because you can’t take dogs there these days. It was grim and,
of course, freezing cold. But you also suffer because it is just so monochrome
and featureless, with no trees and no animals. Every day is Groundhog Day,
the same constant whiteness. I remember after getting back to Reykjavik I
was overwhelmed by sights, sounds, smells, colour and the fact there were
women.
If I had to pick one tribe to go back and live with permanently – and I hate
doing this, it’s not a contest – it would be the people of Anuta, in the
South Pacific. It’s got white beaches, blue seas, good food and gentle,
friendly people who have a wonderful philosophy of sharing. And it’s warm.’
Bruce Parry talked to Rob Ryan
Excellent viewing, Parry makes the programme interesting - he is a natural anthropologist, and his respect and lack of judgement - at least on show to the Tribe he is with, seems to earn *their* respect. You get the impression that he would honestly be welcome again with each of the tribes he has spent time amongst.
Will miss the programme Bruce - and you! Hope you find something simarly challenging and rewarding, and that we are lucky enough to be privy to it.
Dave Carr, Portsmouth, Hants
bruce parry has given me the best tv viewing i could wish for. his sensitive way with tribal people is moving. he presents bad problems for us all to understand. the recent borneo programme was my favourite. i think his presentations are improving at each time. i will avoid all products containing palm oil for ever more.
margaret parsons, newtownards, northern ireland