November 11th 2011

Remembrance Day

It is extraordinary but it has been only been one year since we started off on this project of ours to raise money for Tedworth House. It feels like so much longer but then an awful lot has happened in the twelve months since I chatted with my dad about doing a cycle ride to raise money for Help for Heroes; and look what has happened since then! The fact that it is Remembrance Day reminds me of the reasons we wanted to start out on what has proved to be an extremely tiring but also massively rewarding year.

At my own school today the 'Went the Day Well?' anthem was played in the Atrium together with the slide show of the concert that Jonathan produced (and which you can see on the blog of July 25th 2011). At St. Paul's Cathedral School, Harry played the Last Post on trumpet with his fellow chrorister William and I wish that I could have been there for that as I am told that it was very moving.

We have now raised 45% of the (perhaps optimistic) £50,000 target that we set ourselves and I would like to thank all of you who have contributed, once again, for your generosity. These are difficult times for many and yet, despite this, the response to our efforts has been wonderful. As you can see from my dad's blog of a few days ago, some money is still coming in and I am hopeful that the occasional visitor to this site, perhaps after hearing the anthem, will add some more via the Donate link above. It is for a wonderful cause.

It has been a difficult year for us in other ways with the death of my Dad's Mother, Buss, and my Mother's Father, Ian. Today is a good day to remember them as well.

November 10th 2011

Tarifa

The weather out here in the South of Spain has been delightful - unless you are keen to do some wind-surfing. Almost clear skies and brilliant sunshine over the past three days have been accompanied by the occasional puff of wind only. This has meant that those with an interest in getting wet have taken out SUP (Stand Up Paddling) boards. Those with poise and a sense of balance can make these boards perform elegantly in the waves. Those without have more difficulty even on flat water.

Fortunately no-one had a camera out to record my own efforts so I have no concern that the posting of photographs on this site of some of the more ungainly surfers will result in similar pictures of me elsewhere on the web.

November 7th 2011

Tarifa

Tom has allowed me to write the occasional blog and this one comes from sunny Tarifa, Spain, where I am attending what is regarded as the best Radiology Update meeting in the world. This has run for the past 15 years or so and was set up originally, and is still organised, by Andy Platts, a consultant Radiologist at the Royal Free Hospital in London. Although the number of delegates varies there is a hard core of regular attendees whom I have noticed over the years have started to morph into Andy as the video below confirms. By the way, do not worry that the screen stays blank for the first ten seconds or so after pressing play - the video will start.

The photos have all been taken this year. Don't for a moment think that all is rest and relaxation here. Lectures and academic discussion are taken very seriously.

Tom has just asked me to thank Ben Fraser who today gave him £361 that was raised at a Charity Touch Rugby Tournament held at the end of last year.