After all of the time spent planning, delivering presentations and lectures, and countless hours of training the day finally came!
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| setting off |
Conrad had undertaken a mammoth 9 hour drive down from Northumberland with a van full of kit, to the spend several further hours meticulously packing everything into it’s rightful place.
The next morning, we were both up bright and early for a morning interview on Sky News Sunrise…very exciting as it was our first major national coverage. The interviewers, Gillian and Stephen, were very nice and I hope I managed to get my message across effectively.
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| Conrad getting mic'ed up |
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| A rather daunting large screen with my face on it |
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| On the Sky News Sunrise sofa |
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| My ever supportive wife watching at home |
We then leapt back in the car, to find a message from the very lovely Harriet Alexander, foreign correspondent at the Telegraph, confirming that her article about the expedition would be printed the next day.
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| Thank you to the Telegraph for an excellent article |
On arrival back at home, I had a quick phone interview with both Redstone FM in Redhill and BBC radio Northumberland before I could relax into a big family lunch.
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| Penguin themed table...lunch for 24 |
I was so touched by so many of the family who made it to see me off on my adventure…and the amazing commitment to the theme (which seems to be penguins!).
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| Thank you to all my mad and amazing family |
After a fantastic few hours, and a rendition of the family anthem “the little green frog” song, Conrad and I set off for Heathrow with a couple of helpers.
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| a very fitting vehicle to begin a South Pole expedition |
At this point, the nerves were setting in and I know that Conrad was worried about the airline kicking up a fuss about heavy, odd shaped baggage (skis and sledges aren’t the most normal baggage items on a flight to Madrid!).
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| "just act casual"...checking in our oversized baggage! |
When passing through security, we were stopped by a lady who said “you’ve had a long day haven’t you?” …amazingly, she had seen us on Sky that morning and recognised my slightly unusual outfit! A good omen, I think.
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| The final goodbye! |
(If you’re wondering about the Scouts scarf, check out this video)
Our fears were unnecessary, as all 30 hours and three flights went incredibly smoothly and we were delighted to find that all of our baggage arrived in Punta Arenas on time and intact! Thank you British Airways, Iberia and LAN…I have met several people since who haven’t been so lucky!
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