Old Girl Magda Pitkin (Hammond) CG 1960 reviewed the evening for us.

Sir Ranulph Fiennes, O.B.E,  gave a fascinating and colourful talk on his life from his early beginnings (climbing a drainpipe which motivated him to carry on climbing and exploring) to his possible next adventure of crossing Antarctica in the dark.   He recalled how his late wife, Ginnie, encouraged him to keep going in some of the most inhospitable terrain imaginable.  Apart from being the oldest man to climb Everest, he is the only man alive to have circumnavigated the world vertically starting in Antarctica, a trip devised by Ginnie, and to be attempted and completed successfully before the Norwegians, his great rivals.

His wit, humour and determination has never failed him in achieving his goals despite the hardship he went through physically, mentally and emotionally.  His aim has been to raise money for charities including Marie Curie nurses who play such an important part in the lives of terminally ill patients and their families, for whom he has raised millions of pounds, as well as for scientific research. 
 
There was great participation from the audience in Questions and Answers which he answered quite openly and honestly, with a piece of advice for us all:  when you are confronted with a situation that really scares you and you feel you cannot cope, in the back of your mind think of two people whom you respect the most (in his case his grandfather and father both of whom he never knew) and do it for them;  make them proud of you.  This has carried him through numerous situations and no doubt will in the future on his next adventures.  

This was truly an inspirational evening and I am so pleased I was able to attend.