A Fridge too Far

So, when I read about runner, Daniel Fairbrother, training for the London marathon with a fridge, I really felt a chill run down my spine. Who in their right mind would train for a 42km punishing run with such a beast on their back? The 34-year-old runner has regularly been stopped in Stevenage on his early morning and nightly runs by the police who mistakenly think he’s a burglar who’s stolen a fridge and strapped it to his back. Laughs all round. Mind you, you’d think the coppers would already have enough cold cases on their hands.

Daniel is a good egg and is hoping to raise £10,000 for Diabetes UK as his friend is a sufferer. His reasoning is that he’ll get a lot more publicity for the cause if he does something daft for the marathon. That’s why he’s carrying a fridge named Tallulah with him when he takes on the challenge in April.

This kind-hearted and inspirational soul has encouraged me not to give up the ghost on my next marathon this year. Despite a trying and painful glute, I’ll do my best to keep chugging on. I’ll be thinking of him, carrying his load like Sisyphus with his giant boulder. I just hope when the going gets tough, he can unstrap it, open the door, and find some nice cold beers lurking inside.

Base Camp Blues

An old London contact decided to have a little adventure when he retired so hearing of its increasing popularity, opted to hike to Everest Base Camp, just like the Scottish mum, dad and two-year-old have reportedly just done. As it happens, the two-year old cheated and went on his dad’s back. Come on kid, you’ve got to play by the rules! I digress. So, my chum discovered much to his chagrin that there were loads of tour companies offering this hike and you didn’t really have to be very fit to do it. In fact, 80-year-olds were happily taking part and he was advised that as long as he walked regularly or ran a few times a week, he’d be fine. Altitude sickness can occur – it is 5,364m above sea level - but taking it easy on the hike and having access to oxygen for those that get a bit light-headed, means that relatively few have a problem. When I visited Machu Picchu and Cusco – just about half the height of Base Camp – we were given Coca leaf tea in case of altitude sickness. I was travelling with a fit TV producer colleague and neither of us felt remotely odd. Mind you, three Pisco Sours had us dancing around a hotel bar in Lima.

Like the other 40,000 hikers, that go to Base Camp annually now, he enjoyed the experience and seeing Kathmandu, a city that does make your eyes goggle when you first get sight of it. I remember being horrified leaving the airport and seeing naked children climbing towering rubbish dumps searching for food. I do hope it’s improved since then. He joined a jolly group and didn’t find the hike difficult but what disappointed him was the lack of real challenge and the fact that every man, woman, and dog seemed to be able to participate. He didn’t regret doing it but he said like everywhere else, it’s overflowing now with humanity. It’s most certainly put me off every wanting to go. I participated in a wonderful scientific expedition in remote Bardia Forest many years ago and enjoyed a flight over Everest before I left Nepal, but this new trend leaves me cold. I’m happy for the Glasgow family that made it to Base Camp but I’m not sure their wee chap will remember much about it in years to come. There are few unspoilt places left to explore but I comfort myself that the Amazon is still a magical and intoxicating wilderness. Whenever I visit, I leave a part of my heart there.

The gospel according to the Met

An outrageous video surfaced online and on national news about a talented young Gospel singer in Oxford Street being rudely stopped from singing and playing her keyboard by a volunteer police officer. Harmonie London, a 20-year-old singer with a 300,000 fanbase on YouTube was informed by the bullying policewoman that singing Christian songs was forbidden except on church grounds. Thankfully, Big Brother hasn’t introduced such a law yet, but the ill-informed officer continued to heckle the young woman before finally pulling her tongue out to camera.

The Met Police might wonder why increasingly it is shown little respect from the general public. This surely is an example. Many women across London would prefer to run a mile or carry a Mace spray than seek help from a male Met officer, given the Force’s track record in harbouring killers and rapists. But they seem to have hit a new low when they deprive shoppers of enjoying beautiful music free of charge from an entertainer, based purely on religion. We live in an increasingly grim and dangerous world and a little music and happiness is something everyone craves. To deprive the public of this, is frankly, despicable. Former Conservative faithful, Anne Widdicombe, and I don’t always see eye to eye but on this occasion, I agree with her wholeheartedly. She has called for the officer in question to be immediately thrown off the force. In my book, it won’t be a minute too soon.