At 76, Peter admits he may be getting on a bit now, but he’s still going strong and still up for a challenge. He’s hoping that anyone who remembers him from his time as head of Northborough Primary School and Gunthorpe Primary, or as a teacher at Paston Ridings Junior and Fourfields School at Yaxley might consider sponsoring him on his latest exploit.
He is hoping they will remember some of the adventures they had together on residential trips - their first nights away from home at Stibbington; camping or youth hostelling in Derbyshire and the Forest of Dean. They won’t have forgotten cycling 26 miles of the Tissington Trail, climbing Mam Tor, descending into Treak Cliff Cavern, the Big Pit coal-mining experience, exploring Clearwell Caves, crossing scary Biblins Bridge or perhaps canoeing on the River Wye. Peter enjoyed his teaching days, but life was always more exciting out of the classroom!
Peter is no stranger to adventure and the odd challenge. His first taste came in his late teens, when he stood outside his childhood home on Lincoln Road in Northborough, put out his thumb, and three weeks later arrived in Athens, having hitchhiked across Europe. He loves nothing more than standing on top of
His passion for outdoor activities was passed on to hundreds of his pupils over the decades through a programme of annual residential visits. Working with Werrington Joggers, his love of cross country running saw Northborough School produce some of the County’s best young runners over several years, and he helped set up the annual Soke Schools’ relay races at Werrington.
When he retired, the PTFA at Northborough rewarded the adventurer in him and treated him to a hot air balloon trip. He took this from Bakewell, and fortuitous winds took him, very fittingly, directly over Chatsworth House, where he had taken hundreds of children over the years.
Now that he’s retired, he continues to enjoy traveling with his wife. For his 70th birthday, he was winched down on a rig into a dormant volcano in Iceland, where the guides sang Happy Birthday to him in Icelandic (at least that’s what they said they were singing!). He’s discovered the joys of motortrike tours, most recently on Orkney, and is planning to experience the TT race circuit on the Isle of Man on a motor-trike later this year.
As he prepares himself for the firewalk, Peter doesn’t want reminding that not all his ‘adventures’ go according to plan - an earthquake in New Zealand, a damaging storm in the Bay of Biscay, severe floods in Greece and contracting Covid in the Arctic! However, he’s done his research into thermal conductivity, trusts the physics, and is looking forward to the ‘hottest, shortest sponsored walk in the world”, and raising some funds for those less fortunate than himself.
Further details of how to sponsor this event can be found at: www.justgiving.com/page/peter-kemp-1