SOMEWHERE in North Hamilton there sits an old yellow house in the peaceful shade. From the roadside, it looks as far removed from the vast fields of Africa as any other building in this little island of ours.

But walk inside and you will likely meet Lloyd Webbe ¿ photographer, tour-guide and a man who counts among his "extended-family" chieftains of several African tribes.

Mr. Webbe (pictured right) is a soft-spoken gentleman with an easy humour and a ready smile. Yet there's something of the adventurer about him. He regards the unknown only as the unexplored, and spends his days planning his next journey.

And if you think that he's not entirely there, it is because there's a large part of him in Africa.

The Mid-Ocean News caught up with Mr. Webbe last week to discuss his life, his work and his passion for Africa and her people.

He is dressed this day ¿ as every day ¿ in a beige shirt and dark green slacks, the attire of a safari tour guide. Surrounding him in his office are examples of his stunning photography. A quick glance at them, and one could be excused for thinking he had just made acquaintance with a contributor to National Geographic.

Yet Mr. Webbe, with his characteristic modesty, brushes aside praise and notes that his work has only appeared "once or twice" in the RG Magazine.

"I discovered photography by accident really," he says of his hobby.

"I happened to acquire a camera many years ago and started playing around with it. I used to take pictures of dead cedars superimposed against the sky, or else of the waves crashing on the beach.

"I didn't have any mentors exactly, except for the older photographers who let me hang around their studios asking stupid questions!"

Yet photography was hardly the calling envisioned for young Lloyd by his father. James Webbe ¿ an upholster of West Indian stock whose store was once in Washington Lane ¿ thought his son should join him in his trade.

So once his schooling finished at the old Central School (now Victor Scott) Mr. Webbe was given an apprenticeship.

After leaving his father's business he worked some odd jobs, at one point even starting his own upholstery business.

But the calling of photography proved too strong. In the late 1970s, he opened his own studio in Hamilton specialising in wedding and passport photos.

Yet, it would not be until the mid-'80s that Mr. Webbe's prodigious talent with camera would be fully realised.

"I had always wanted to visit the African continent but could never afford it. But in 1986 I got together 16 people and we set off for Kenya and Tanzania. I didn't know anything about those countries at the time except for what I had read in brochures and, unfortunately, the news."

He was immediately taken with Africa. Since his first visit, Mr. Webbe has led over 40 safaris to the continent making networks of friends wherever he goes. There's a hotel in Nairobi, for instance, whose management will ask any visiting Bermudian if they know a certain "Mr. Lloyd".

"In these countries people now recognise me and open their doors to me. There's a village where I keep some of my clothes so I never need to pack. I can walk in at any time and would be expected to cook and live with them. I've been invited to live there many times, and many ask me why I don't!"

His safaris have become so immensely popular among Bermudians that what little advertising he does place seems entirely unnecessary. The word-of-mouth effect has certainly helped Mr. Webbe, but the man himself is a walking advertisement.

"I can walk from here to Front Street and I guarantee someone will ask me when my next safari will be!"

He has already made his itinerary for the new year, which includes a motorcycle tour and a journey on a vintage steam rail which makes the famed Orient Express seem "boring", according to Mr. Webbe.

"There's so much Bermudians can learn from Africa. I once took a group of young people on a safari. There all adults now, but they will still come up and remind me about their experiences. I'd love to take a group of school children one day."

Of course, with more than 40 trips to Africa behind him Mr. Webbe has a volume of fascinating tales to tell. One such story is of meeting an elder of the Masai tribe who has been featured in two television documentaries to date.

In his travels, Mr. Webbe has picked up a few words and phrases in Swahili ¿ just enough to get out of trouble, he says. But in over 20 years, Mr. Webbe has found the image of Africa as a dangerous place to be a misconception.

"I have never had any bad experiences. Of course, we don't go to any of the questionable areas. Tanzania, for instance, is a very vibrant and safe country."

With all his fascinating African adventures, Mr. Webbe could be forgiven for finding the sub-tropical ennui of island life, well, a little boring. However, Mr. Webbe is quite content with Bermuda ¿ so long as he is planning his return to Africa, an occupation which takes up much of his time:

"No, coming home is always great! I'm comfortable here. This is my base. Of course, I've been invited to live elsewhere but I'm very happy here as long I can visit Africa at least once a year."

Of his two great passions ¿ Africa and photography ¿ it is easy to see which lies closest to his heart. Yet he readily admits that the fascinating life he has lived is due, in part, to his gift with the camera.

"Photography has really been the catapult for every journey in my life. I've flown the concord for free because of it and in a few weeks I'm going on a cruise to Panama as an assistant photographer."

Of the future, of course, nobody can be entirely sure. But Mr. Webbe has some idea of what his entails: "Oh, I'll keep going to Africa as long as I'm able. People ask me if I'll ever retire, and I say 'not until I'm horizontal'!"

Anyone interested in booking a Safari can contact Mr. Webbe at uniquesafarisnorthrock.bm, by phone at 295-7611 or can visit his website at www.safaris-by-design.com.