Tomorrow morning I am off to Cornwall so I thought I would mention a few more; to say ‘thank you.’
John Earp & ‘Jake’ Turley: two inspirational Geography teachers at school. John took us Youth Hostelling (our group pinched the sign for ‘Upper Basildon’ and smuggled it back to the Youth Hostel). This was an age when teachers took all these New Town Scruffs out to the country for lung fulls of fresh air. They both instilled a sense of wonder into me for getting out there and doing something.
Bill Kemp & Hughie Alan Duggielass (Alan Douglas): Two scout-leaders who took a scruffy little scout group and turned it into an adventure centre. We did the Brecon Beacons, the Cairngorms, canoeing down the Wye, a chunk of the Pennine way. These guys were volunteers and must have put their lives on hold to give us adventures.
Eric Few: Bracknell Parish Church organist & choir master. Another inspirational man. His house had ten toilets and if you flushed them all at once they took ages to refill… He had two cracking daughters (Catherine and Elizabeth – I wonder what happened to them…)
Brian Keenan; an amazing French master who took us on French exchanges and actually taught us to love the country, the people and the language. We all passed the exams with flying colours having been dumped into the bottom set as ‘unteachable’ by a right miserable old hag of a French mistress.
Mum & Dad: I have written enough about them already – you can find it (Here)
And lastly: Lynnie. I kept the best until last. This woman is heroic. She must be, to put up with me. She has seen me through some fantastically good times and equally financially horrendous times and somehow got through it. We haven’t talked too much about what she will do when I am away (she is going skiing, having her parents over for a couple of weeks and going down to the south west in a cottage for two weeks, so I expect she will be busy) She will also be eating lots of curry as I cannot stand the stuff. I hope she will be posting me parcels for various bits of the walk so I have to stay on good terms with her.
I have not told her how much I shall miss her. I expect when it is all getting crappy and the weather is beating me down and I am exhausted I will think about her and feel a bit better. She does that to people; she is a ray of sunshine and I will miss her terribly.
Big Alan..
ReplyDeletehaving just returned from 4 days in Dublin.(I think that was where I was!..lots of Guiness) I am catching up with your site.
Bill kemp, Alan douglas Eric Few were absolute heroes and insperations. ( Erics daughters were gorgeous and our 1st true loves!!) I think I liked your french hag of a teacher so here I will disagree with you.
Where did you find Lynnie?? she is a one off she must have the patience of a Saint to live with you! If she needs her feet rubbing whilst you are away send her to leeds and I will oblige.
Her dress does however need some attention.. Perhaps those poles from your tent ( have you told anyone about that ?) would help if they were threaded through the hem line.
See you in Hebden bridge..Be careful if you speak to any of the locals they all have humpy backs, and there sister is always their
Mother! You have been warned
Dave.