AS we face a new period of lockdown restrictions, one South East Cornwall man is offering a little escapism via photos on the pages of a travel book.

Malcolm Blake had dreamed of Canada since boyhood: after his wedding to Pam, their honeymoon trip was the first of what would be 16 visits to the country.

Now Malcom, from Liskeard, is offering an e-book of his extensive travels for free to readers.

Malcolm’s wanderlust was first inspired by a jigsaw puzzle he had as a boy in the 1950s.

“Being interested in railways,” he said, “I acquired a jigsaw puzzle entitled In the Canadian Rockies, which pictured the then new Canadian Pacific’s domed car train The Canadian rounding Morant’s Curve, a few miles east of Lake Louise Village.”

Alighting this train and travelling through Canada was no more than a daydream for Malcolm as a child: as a young man, during the era of post World War Two rebuilding, such long-haul trips were the preserve of the wealthy or the business elite. But Malcolm held onto his dream, vowing that he would visit the country on his honeymoon.

His long-held wish was realised in 1983, when at 35, he married Pam, who herself had relatives in Canada, and took her across the Atlantic to the prairie province of Manitoba.

In the years since, Malcolm, now 72, visited 15 times more with Pam, often accompanied by friends or family members. He has stopped off in every province and territory of this vast country, charting everything from the snowy Arctic and the rugged mountains to the cosmopolitan cities and sites of historic interest in his photographic diaries.

Having written the introduction to his book during his first trip in 1983, Malcolm added content as he returned each time to the country, including accounts of humorous or alarming moments on the road, descriptions of each of the varied Canadian provinces, and tips for fellow travellers; the book was completed in 2013.

Within its virtual pages are more than 3,000 colour photographs to browse.

“I thought that during these times, it might be something quite nice for people who are inside with these restrictions,” said Malcolm, who lives in Liskeard.

“The book is in DVD and USB formats and if you have Adobe reader or something similar you can then read it and turn the pages like a book.”

Anyone who would like a copy of the book is welcome to have it free of charge to enjoy, says Malcolm – but it is his wish that people make a donation directly to a charity of their choice in lieu of a payment.

“Making money for myself through selling the book is of extremely low importance to me; the happy experiences and memories within it are millions of times more important,” he says.

“I hope that it will bring people hours of happy reading. Even if one is not an avid reader, I am sure he or she will not fail to be immersed in the book’s numerous photographs.”

Malcolm’s book “Canada – My Dream Forever” can be obtained by contacting him on 01579 343624.