GEORGE Bourne said he was greatly honoured when he was elected Vice President of our Club at our meeting on Thursday 12 May.

Tony Caldwell of Evesham, a fundraiser for Bloodwise, the charity previously known as the Leukaemia Research Fund, was our guest speaker this week. A retired bank official, Tony described his experience of trekking in the Himalayas.

With audio and visual assistance, Tony described his first epic trek in Nepal in 1996. In company with 12 others, he met a wide variety of people, experienced temperatures ranging from below freezing to 80°F, crossed wire bridges, climbed steep paths and came face to face with Yaks. He was humbled with the lifestyles of the Sherpa people and was delighted to meet Sherpa Tenzing’s grandson. Sir Edmund Hillary continues to be revered and his charity does a huge amount of good locally.

The group eventually came in sight of Everest and Tony was able to achieve his lifelong ambition of viewing the highest mountain in the world.

Tony was taken by the warmth and simplicity of the people he met and will be returning to this wonderful country later this year. He responded fully to our questions and comments.

In thanking Tony for a fascinating account of his adventure, John Cotton remarked that his own trek to the top of Bredon Hill somewhat paled in comparison.

We shall enjoy a day out on the Severn Valley Railway on 18 May and meet again at the Boathouse on 26 May to hear about the long road to decimalisation.

CHRIS DONOUGH