A well-known Norfolk farmer, broadcaster and journalist has published a book of light-hearted anecdotes and adventures from his travels around the globe.

David Richardson, who lives near Wymondham, took six weeks to write "Around the World in Many Ways", inspired by his own memories and illustrated with many of his own photographs.

The book charts the 86-year-old's lifetime of travels around Europe, Russia, China, Japan, the USA, South America, Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

Its pages reflect historical changes in society and farming, in landscapes ranging from the Andean mountains to the African plains, and from American cattle ranches to Asian paddy fields.

Wymondham & Attleborough Mercury: Images from David Richardson's book, 'Around the World in Many Ways' - the author in ChinaImages from David Richardson's book, 'Around the World in Many Ways' - the author in China (Image: David Richardson)

He also toured famed landmarks and met "larger-than-life" characters including a bull-fighting Spanish count and a vodka-loving Russian commissar.

"I have been one of the luckiest people in the world to go around and see all these things," said Mr Richardson.

"The book is full of light-hearted anecdotes and insights that I have picked up as I have travelled around the world.

"I have only written about half as much as I could have done. Ernest Hemingway said: 'Never write all that you know', otherwise you become boring. So I picked out the highlights - and there is a bit of humour in it as well."

Wymondham & Attleborough Mercury: Images from David Richardson's book, 'Around the World in Many Ways' - a touring party in Japan Images from David Richardson's book, 'Around the World in Many Ways' - a touring party in Japan (Image: David Richardson)

Mr Richardson caught the travel bug after school trips to Switzerland and Austria in his teens, but after hiring the 260-acre Whiterails Farm in Great Melton, he feared his new responsibilities meant he would "never get a chance to travel again".

But that changed after he was asked to lead a tour of Young Farmers to the Netherlands in 1962, followed by trips to Paris and Brussels after he began broadcasting, and he was eventually asked to lead a party to China by his friend Jill Lewis, who ran the Agricultural Travel Bureau, now Field Farm Tours.

The memorable characters he encountered on his subsequent travels include a man named Leopold Il Conde de la Maza - a charismatic Spanish count who was mayor of his local town and also kept a herd of fighting bulls on his 2,000 acre farm, which he would "performance test" himself by "swinging a cape and wielding a toy wooden sword".

Another favourite tale involves a trip to the former Soviet Union during leader Mikhail Gorbachev's "glasnost" political reforms in the late 1980s.

Wymondham & Attleborough Mercury: Images from David Richardson's book, 'Around the World in Many Ways' - the author in Red Square in Moscow Images from David Richardson's book, 'Around the World in Many Ways' - the author in Red Square in Moscow (Image: David Richardson)

"I used to like going to places where there was a change happening," said Mr Richardson. "We went to Russia, Ukraine and Moldova just after Gorbachev had come into power and was talking about glasnost and perestroika (openness and restructuring).

"The commissar of the area had arranged a party in our hotel in Russia and he had loads of vodka.

"We had this meal, and after the first course he stood up and proposed a toast, and the interpreter said I was supposed to respond, so I thought of something to say and did a toast to him, and this went on for eight or nine courses.

"It got to about midnight and he stood up again. By this time I was pretty pie-eyed. But I got up and, in my befuddled state, I said: 'In our country we had a prime minister who coined the phrase to explain the relationship between our two countries. He said there was a Cold War going on between us - but now, comrades, the Cold War has warmed up!'

"He got up and kissed me. It is the first time I had ever been kissed by a man. That was quite an occasion."

Wymondham & Attleborough Mercury: Images from David Richardson's book, 'Around the World in Many Ways' - female lions in Africa Images from David Richardson's book, 'Around the World in Many Ways' - female lions in Africa (Image: David Richardson)

Mr Richardson's previous book in 2016, entitled "In at the Deep End", was an autobiography about a farming life which saw him leading many industry organisations, and a broadcasting career which included presenting TV and radio programmes for Anglia TV and the BBC, and later writing regular outspoken columns for Farmers Weekly.

But he described the new publication as "a more light-hearted coffee table book", which "would make an excellent Christmas present".

The book costs £25 and is available online via Waterstones.com or by contacting Mr Richardson directly on 07831 102420.

Wymondham & Attleborough Mercury: Images from David Richardson's book, 'Around the World in Many Ways' - people in South AmericaImages from David Richardson's book, 'Around the World in Many Ways' - people in South America (Image: David Richardson)

Wymondham & Attleborough Mercury: Images from David Richardson's book, 'Around the World in Many Ways' - the Great Wall of ChinaImages from David Richardson's book, 'Around the World in Many Ways' - the Great Wall of China (Image: David Richardson)

Wymondham & Attleborough Mercury: Images from David Richardson's book, 'Around the World in Many Ways' - Iguazu Falls in South America Images from David Richardson's book, 'Around the World in Many Ways' - Iguazu Falls in South America (Image: David Richardson)

Wymondham & Attleborough Mercury: David Richardson's new book, 'Around the World in Many Ways' David Richardson's new book, 'Around the World in Many Ways' (Image: Chris Hill)