"I'm eighty you know!"

Climbing Sca Fell with Steve Hartley....

30 years before, I climbed this mountain when visiting the Lake District for the first time with friends from Newcastle University.  It was December 1980, 2 months into my course, and the weather was snow, ice and practically a "whiteout".  I had none of the proper gear, and wore army issue boots and clothes, borrowed from the Officer Training Corps, which I had joined (but was soon to leave).  I had borrowed an ice axe as well, at the insistence of a climber at Uni who taught me how to use it.  This was fortunate, as I needed it.  I slipped and fell down an ice and snow covered steep slope, after 200 ft bringing myself to a halt with the ice axe.   It saved my life.  I climbed back up to the path, shaken but alive.  We never made it to the top, as the whiteout was too severe.

30 years on the weather was excellent - I remember the exact spot I nearly died (you tend not to forget such things!).  On the way down we meet an 80 year old man, who kept telling us, and the world, with evident pride, "I'm eighty you know!".

30 years from now I will be eighty.  I hope I can still fell walk then.

Helvellyn the Movie

Testing how to post a film to my Blog. This was filmed by me and Steve using our cameras, and I then stitched it together on the APple Mac using imovie.

Good fun.

Kept me amused for ages.

Sad, huh?

A Wild and Wet Sunday - echoes of Fulbright

I am sitting in the study, looking out at the wild wet weather blowing in across the Belfast Loch, with a fire burning in the stove, snug and drinking a hot whiskey. There are worse ways to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Particularly after spending 5 hours yesterday morning catching up on emails and other work that could not be undertaken during the week due to pressure of time, meetings and other activity. Yesterday was a morning that I needed reminding that this is an interesting job, but with significant challenges.

One event I didn't mention in my last blog was one 2 weeks ago. I was invited to a reception at Belfast City Hall for its opening by Hilary Clinton. She was in Belfast for, well not sure what for (nor was anyone else entirely sure), but I waited along with 200 other guests for her arrival. She was delayed - one lady, the former speaker of the Assembly Eileen Bell fell, over and broke her arm, creating a stir, but other than that the boredom was intense. However, everyone waited. Even the Queen didn't keep me waiting that long when I met her 2 years ago at Hillsborough Castle! Hilary arrived finally, and then gave a a good, inspiring speech, sending positive, hopeful messages from President Obama, before mingling. The scrum was manic. I hesitated on the edge of the press of people - did I really want to meet her that much? A gap opened between two 7 ft bodyguards and she turned, held out her hand and I thanked her for the Fulbright opportunity; she asked my area of work, and then moved on. I left satisfied that at least the 3 hours of waiting wasn't a total waste.