A spirit of adventure

Sitting here in Gatwick departures, awaiting my flight, your humble correspondent has been attempting to drum up some words of profundity with which to set the tone of this exciting venture.

Of course, none were forthcoming, so I’ve ‘borrowed’ someone else’s!

This is a quote from Apsley Cherry-Garrard, one of the youngest members of Robert Falcon Scott’s second Antarctica Expedition (1910 – 1913), brought to my attention by an intrepid journalist friend, Annie Kelly.

“If you have the desire for knowledge and the power to give it physical expression, go out and explore. Some will tell you that you are mad and nearly all will say, “what is the use?”. For we are a nation of shopkeepers, and no shopkeeper will look at research which does not promise him a financial reward within a year. And so you will sledge nearly alone, but those with whom you sledge will not be shopkeepers: That is worth a good deal. If you march your winter journey you will have your reward, so long as all you want is a penguin’s egg.”

No point in trying to avoid being cheesey, so I am going to embrace it.

Hasta Luego.