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Duke of Edingburgh Award Scheme

The Duke of Edinburgh Award – Diamonds, Diving and Derbyshire…

stella-divers

My first connection with the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme was in the early 1990’s, when I was a young engineer at East Midlands Electricity.  They were a major sponsor back then and had purchased a number large of box trailers, filled with expedition equipment.  I ferried them around schools, helped set up a DofE group at the office and volunteered where I could.  Those days seem long gone as corporate takeovers scrapped sponsorship and abandoned the award.Read More »The Duke of Edinburgh Award – Diamonds, Diving and Derbyshire…

Alison Hargreaves, Education and Regulation…

Alison-Hargreaves

20 years ago today, mountaineering lost one of its greats.  Alison Hargreaves had summited Mt. Everest unaided and without oxygen, and was hoping to repeat this huge achievement on both K2 and Kanchenjunga.  During the evening of 13th August 1995, a violent storm hit the summit of K2, killing Hargreaves and five others.  Though never formally identified, she lies there to this day, buried under snow and ice.  A few items of equipment were found, but nothing more.  It is a tragic story, which has caused controversy to this day.  That, however is for someone else to discuss…

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