Chris Bonnington, liked the sound of his own voice Chris Townsend never let anyone else say a word (but he was just back from a huge solo trip) ... but the others - no
How Many of Your "Heroes" Have You Met?
- Thread starter Stringmaker
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I've met Ray and after a short conversation one thing he told me he detests are sycophants, sounds like there are a few round these parts.
By pure chance I bumped into one of the most famous "faces" of the Falklands conflict in a service station on the A49. Simon Weston. Shook his hand and had quiet a chat with him before heading our separate ways, a very brave man who overcame huge physical and mental problems and came out the other side a great spokesman. Others include Henry Cooper, John "Lofty" Wiseman (he makes a good brew and shares the biscuits around ;-) ) Roger Whittaker, Bertram A James (Great escaper) Other (very much) less famous ones, British red, John Fenna 
Met Lofty at the Bushcraft Show last year, he signed my SAS Survival Guide I have had for 20 years. Well chuffed and what a nice chap.
My wife met Ray at a Vet Conference where very few people seemed to know who he is ! Got me an autograph bless her.
My wife met Ray at a Vet Conference where very few people seemed to know who he is ! Got me an autograph bless her.
Last year my boss and I heard a radio appeal for tradesmen for diy sos in Edinburgh .
We spent 10 hard days working with the diy sos team on a build that was shown for
Children in need .
I wouldnt have missed it for anything , long hours , good food and laughs from start to finish.
Those guys are a close as I get to having heroes . Got my hard hat signed by the whole team , never going to wearthat one again.
Craig...........
We spent 10 hard days working with the diy sos team on a build that was shown for
Children in need .
I wouldnt have missed it for anything , long hours , good food and laughs from start to finish.
Those guys are a close as I get to having heroes . Got my hard hat signed by the whole team , never going to wearthat one again.
Craig...........
Haven't met yet but I've had a couple of great telephone convo's with Lt Col Blashford Snell. He's a really nice chap, proper old school.
robin wood
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Ken Leinback who built up and runs the urban ecology centre in Milwaukee a good friend and definitely a hero, alsop helped develoe my innate love of nature love into a mature adult life philosophy. I have lots of lesser heros lots of humble craftspeople who have developed a high skill level in a particular field, John Lord and Phil Harding have both been mentioned, Wille and Jogge Sundqvist, the Romanian spooncarver Ion Constantin, Fritiof Runhall. Various boatbuilders, basketmakers, leatherworkers I look up to and admire and have net huge numbers of people is that the same as heroes? I guess I have another level of admiration for the likes of Nelson Mandela, Aung San Su Kyi, Dalai Larma etc not met any of those.
I've met Lt Col Blashford Snell, he came to do a charity fundraiser evening at Calvert Trust Exmoor, I was involved in much of the building design there and oversaw a lot of the building projects. As a Land Rover fan his talk on the Darrien Gap Expedition was fascinating. I managed to resist boring everyone rigid at the Q&A session with questions about axle spec I had to sit on my hands.
I have seen Ranulph Fiennes a few times but never said more than Good Morning, he lives on the other side of Exmoor to me.
My opinion of famous people is pretty tainted by my experiences of being in the Alps a lot in the late 80s and early 90s, met a few folk in bars that I imagined I'd have liked but turned out they were utter to55ers. I've decided to avoid famous people now.
The DofE came in our tea shop when we had it and spoke to my wife, she has no tolerance for people at all but thought he seemed like a nice chap.
Will
I had to sit on my hands.I have seen Ranulph Fiennes a few times but never said more than Good Morning, he lives on the other side of Exmoor to me.
My opinion of famous people is pretty tainted by my experiences of being in the Alps a lot in the late 80s and early 90s, met a few folk in bars that I imagined I'd have liked but turned out they were utter to55ers. I've decided to avoid famous people now.
The DofE came in our tea shop when we had it and spoke to my wife, she has no tolerance for people at all but thought he seemed like a nice chap.
Will
My Dad, Cave explorer and adventurer. RIP.
Great photo Hog. Mine is my grandfather who passed away 15 years ago. He was 17 years old when WW2 started and already in the army, after the war he did full service. He never really spoke much about the war and I knew even as a kid not to push and ask, we shared a sort of mutual understanding about it.
Great man from a totally different generation.
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You are right Paul, much harder men and deffo from another generation, my Pa was as hard as nails.
I met Barry Sheene back in the late 70's at Cadwell Park. Was my idol at the time, and he was the only rider in the paddock who had a proper "camper van"!!! when everyone else was in caravans or roughing it in the back of transit vans Better than talking to Barry was being made a "Brew" by his gorgeous wife Stephanie!!!!!!!!!!
at Cadwell Park. Was my idol at the time, and he was the only rider in the paddock who had a proper "camper van"!!! when everyone else was in caravans or roughing it in the back of transit vans Better than talking to Barry was being made a "Brew" by his gorgeous wife Stephanie!!!!!!!!!! 
Biker
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
My maternal grandfather was a bit of a hero for me, he got me into making stuff out of wood, he was a carpenter and retired the year I started my apprenticeship as a carpenter/joiner. Had it not been for his influence I may have ended up working under fluorescent lighting in an office someplace instead of breathing the outdoors air on building sites and coming to enjoy the outdoors and the fickleness of the elements.
My Dad too had a lot to do with my shaping up, sadly he died when I was 22 at the age of 45, so I didn't really get to know him as an adult should, I'd like to think we'd have been good mates. My Mother always told me to be myself and not let anyone tell me I can't, so I guess that covers a multitude of things.
I've met a few celebs over the years and they always seem to be shorter than I imagined they'd be, but none spring to mind that are bushcraft related though or made that big an impression on me. Unless you count Debbie Harry nearly making me go blind as a teenager.
I had the pleasure of meeting a lot of folks here at The Moot last year, who I had come to regard as pillars of knowledge, I really enjoyed the experience. At first I felt like a total newbie amongst such august company but John Fenna, Mesquite and several others soon beat that out of me.
Well I have met her. She's lovely to look at but (excuse me for shattering a few of illusions here) rather shallow ... about the thickness of a piece of A4 paper actually. I was quite pleased to discover that, because I'm as shallow as a carpark puddle, so that makes me thicker than her.
... hang on a sec' that last bit didn't quite come out right.
My Dad too had a lot to do with my shaping up, sadly he died when I was 22 at the age of 45, so I didn't really get to know him as an adult should, I'd like to think we'd have been good mates. My Mother always told me to be myself and not let anyone tell me I can't, so I guess that covers a multitude of things.
I've met a few celebs over the years and they always seem to be shorter than I imagined they'd be, but none spring to mind that are bushcraft related though or made that big an impression on me. Unless you count Debbie Harry nearly making me go blind as a teenager.
I had the pleasure of meeting a lot of folks here at The Moot last year, who I had come to regard as pillars of knowledge, I really enjoyed the experience. At first I felt like a total newbie amongst such august company but John Fenna, Mesquite and several others soon beat that out of me.
I'm still hoping to meet Bushcraft Betty
Well I have met her. She's lovely to look at but (excuse me for shattering a few of illusions here) rather shallow ... about the thickness of a piece of A4 paper actually. I was quite pleased to discover that, because I'm as shallow as a carpark puddle, so that makes me thicker than her.
... hang on a sec'
that last bit didn't quite come out right.
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Met quite a few due to my job! The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles, both William and Harry and the Duke of Westminster too. Colin Salmon the actor, John Reynolds the bike racer, Carl Fogerty, Jeremy Clarkson, James May, Sir Peter De la Billiere, Gen Colin Powell ex Us Secretary of Defence, Darren Turner- Le mans driver, Chris Atkinson Rally driver, David Gower, oh and Ray, twice. There are a few more but they old grey matter ain't what it used to be.....Nell McAndrew.....told you! But my hero, that was my late father, he passed away when I was 13, but he still had the time to teach me right from wrong, to stand up for those who cant stand up for themselves, as well as a great many other lessons, his best piece of advice which I used when I was in Iraq was: "Never stand when you can sit, Never sit when you can lie and never stay awake when you can sleep", this served me well, he was a great man and when I shuffle off this mortal coil if I have been just 10% of the man he was then I will have been a success and I will not have wasted oxygen!
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