I was really touched recently by one of Stewart’s friends, Rob Veltman, going to the trouble of providing us with some helpful phrases in Swahili, for when we are on Kilimanjaro. Isn’t it great that somebody would go to the trouble of doing that?
During the last few years, Stew has been out walking on Thursdays with a few fellow ex-academics. They have had some adventures during these walks. They have come back with their clothes ripped, spectacles missing, soaked through and, unfortunately, on one occasion with a broken leg. But they have persevered! I love the fact that these guys – all the others are older than Stewart – have continued to traverse the Kentish countryside and, no doubt, put the world to rights while doing so. It seems, quite often, they end up in a pub, but it is great that they do it at all. Women seem to me to be eminently clubbable: we are always meeting up and arranging to do something together. But for men, that is something a bit special.
And recently, Stewart returned from his Thursday walk with two tightly written pages from Rob, one of the walkers and a linguistician, providing us with useful phrases for the Kili trip. Rob has clearly prepared phrases especially for us, and I am really grateful for his foresight. I will be all set if someone asks me halfway up Kilimanjaro which branch of law I used to specialise in, and I am sure Oscar will be happy to explain that he is not married yet.
I am particularly pleased that he has included essential “toilet” phrases: so long as that is sorted, I am fairly sure we will manage all the rest. Thank you very much indeed Rob!