Dean Marriott was born in London and educated in the UK and Germany. He retired from a career in finance, aged 33, and subsequently retrained as an actor and teacher. From an early age, his passion for languages and the arts has underpinned both his professional and social lives. In his quest for leisure activities, Dean keeps one key thought in mind: if Shakespeare’s words are true and ‘All the world's a stage’, we shouldn’t have to look far in order to be entertained. We just have to make the time to appreciate it.
If you are searching for an element of entertainment in your leisure pursuits and have a desire to look beyond the obvious, then Dean will use his artistic eye to point you in the right direction.
Dean left Switzerland in July 2017 and is currently studying towards a Masters in Film Directing in Berlin, although he is still managing to squeeze in some acting, where possible.
By Dean Marriott
Staying in university accommodation may not have you immediately chomping at the bit, however, when that accommodation forms part of one of the most prestigious and historical universities in the UK, you may want to have a rethink.
The University of Cambridge is the second oldest university in England and was founded in 1209. Its 31 colleges are steeped in history with a seemingly endless list of world-renowned alumni including Sir Isaac Newton, Stephen Hawking, Charles Darwin, Alan Turing, John Maynard Keynes, Christopher Marlowe, A. A. Milne, Rupert Brooke, Sir Ian McKellen and John Cleese. Being located in the East of England, it is easily accessed from most major airports, with Stansted and Luton being by far the most convenient.
Last week, the GEMS World Language Learning Centre was a finalist in the global Cambridge English Preparation Centre awards which took place in Cambridge, England. I was fortunate enough to be flown to England and to spend four nights at King’s College, Cambridge to participate.
By Dean Marriott
Trying to keep children entertained is a challenge at the best of times, so with the summer holidays fast approaching, many of my friends and colleagues are starting to go into panic mode. So much free time, but no idea what to do with it!
Not every parent can take their holidays to correspond with their children’s school holidays, so finding daytime care is a constant worry. Local day camps may be limited in your area, as most of the bigger providers focus on the more lucrative residential programmes which draw on a global pool of students.
Whilst many children just want to have fun during their holidays, adding an educational element could maximise the benefit derived from attending a summer day programme. Finding the right combination of education, fun and price is a challenge, but one which could be worth seeking out.
Guillaume Hersperger – Artistic Director of the festival
By Dean Marriott
The clocks have sprung forward, the daylight hours are rapidly increasing and the good weather will hopefully join us soon. As the trees reawaken and the blossom begins to appear, so too does the Swiss music festival circuit. Throughout Switzerland, numerous festivals are in the throes of preparation and shortly websites will go live for this season's ticket sales.
If you are looking for a gentle and inexpensive way to re-emerge from your winter cocoon, then I would suggest looking no further than the Pully Week-End Musical. This classical music event offers free entry and a programme to appeal to all ages.
This week, I spoke with one of the organisers, Benjamin Décosterd, President of Association Applause, to find out a little more about this locally-funded event.
By Dean Marriott
Being an expat in Switzerland has given me a wonderful opportunity to discover and experience this country. Fortunately, it is blessed with a relatively efficient and reliable transport network which makes this even easier.
Whether you are looking to escape for a week, a weekend or simply for the day, why not start your excursion by sitting back, relaxing and travelling by train to your final destination. If you holiday with pets, as I do, train travel in Switzerland is extremely straightforward and our smaller four-legged friends travel free of charge. The general criteria for free travel is that your pet must not be more than 30 cm high (up to their shoulder blades) and is transported in a carrier, basket or other suitable container, although I have never been asked to put my dogs in containers when they are travelling with us.
One of the first and best purchases that I made when arriving in Vaud was the Half-fare travelcard (Abonnement demi-tarif). This can be purchased for 1, 2 or 3 years with prices starting at CHF 175. If you travel regularly by public transport, you will recoup the cost in no time. In addition, this also enables you to purchase the 1-day travelpass (carte journalière), as well as the 9 o’clock travelpass. Both of these allow unlimited travel throughout the whole of Switzerland for one day, with the latter being after 9am and only from Monday to Friday. Price details can be found here: http://www.sbb.ch/en/travelcards-and-tickets/tickets-for-switzerland/1-day-travelpass/1-day-travelpass-for-the-half-fare-travelcard.html
By Dean Marriott
Living on the Swiss side of Lake Geneva, it’s difficult to avoid the lure of Mont Blanc, or La Dame Blanche, the awe-inspiring supermodel of the Graian Alps, standing tall at 4810m above sea level. After one year of exchanging glances from a distance, the time had come to get up close and personal, so my partner and I headed off to Chamonix in Haute Savoie.
When I first worked in Geneva 8 years ago as an actor, contractual obligations prevented me from partaking in winter sports, so I grew to envy the locals who would disappear to Chamonix to indulge at the weekend. They would go tired and exhausted, only to return fresh-faced and fully energised. After my short break in Chamonix I can see why.
