A FORMER Clydebank High teacher who shared his world travels with Bankies back home is preparing a fund-raiser in aid of a growing local charity.

Roger Clifford had already been planning a gig after returning home, but the success of Golden Friendships and its purchase of the 543 Club prompted him to direct his efforts there.

Roger told the Post: “What a job Jim McLaren is doing in organising events for the people of Clydebank and communities near and far.

“This is a fantastic organisation to support. It’s right here on our doorstep.”

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Roger left his teaching job last June to take the trip of a lifetime, taking in the US, Singapore, New Zealand, Thailand, Australia, Fiji and Malaysia among others.

Now back teaching at St Andrew’s Secondary in Glasgow, Roger said: “When I set off travelling, I took photos everywhere I went. Then I started to write stories of things I came across, some of which were quite amusing.

“Messages started to come to my social media of the enjoyment people were having watching where I was going.”

In one case, his future daughter-in-law was visiting her gran in a Clydebank nursing home and she was asked when she was getting married and to whom. When she said Roger Clifford Jnr, they admitted they were already following his dad’s adventures.

Roger said some of the most beautiful scenery he saw was in New Zealand, where he stayed for seven weeks, visiting places used to film Lord of the Rings and meeting his grandson, Griff Lewis Clifford, for the first time.

He admitted he had never walked all over so many cities in his life – buying a pair of trainers in New York and wearing them out by the time he reached Kuala Lumpur.

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Roger said: “You can travel all over the world, but there’s no place like home.

“People talk about the warm climates and gorgeous heat but when you’re sometimes travelling in the dead heat, with no atmosphere, it’s nice to come home to that cool westerly breeze. In fact, it’s a tonic to the lungs.”

Over the past three years Roger has raised cash for charities including Children in Africa, St Margaret of Scotland Hospice, Alzheimer Scotland and others.

A charity licensed dance will be held at St Stephen’s Hall in Dalmuir on April 27, from 7.30pm, with music provided by Irish band Quigley’s Point.

Tickets cost £8 and are available from Roger Clifford on 07855 890152 or from his son, Roger junior, on 07825 750124.