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Fingers & legs crossed, the jump will be taking place on 16th or 17th September.  I certainly hope so because if it goes more than 3 months after the initial training I will have to go through the entire process again (including payment of the £310 fee) Watch this space...

Once again, the jump scheduled for Saturday 9th August was cancelled due to bad weather.  It is extremely frustrating to get completely psyched up and then disappointed at the last minute.

A new date will be forthcoming, wholly dependant upon the great British weather.  I will keep you posted.

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I completed the training and passed the AFF Level 1 theory test on Thursday 26th June, but sadly it was too windy to jump on Friday 27th as planned, so it has been postponed.  I am very disappointed, especially after the intensive training.  

The new date for the jump is Saturday 9th August 2008  - weather permitting - I shall keep you posted.

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I'm not sure whether I am going through a mid-life crisis or have just lost my mind, but I have decided to challenge my vertiginousness by jumping 13,000 feet out of an aeroplane. 

The jump is taking place at an airfield in Cambridgeshire, following 2 days of training and preparation. 

When I jump I will not be attached to an instructor, although two will be present in order to keep me horizontal and prevent me from plunging into oblivion.  I'm assured that it is very safe...

Because I am getting on a bit, it is a requirement that my GP signs a form confirming that I am fit to jump.  When I asked her, she refused to sign it on the grounds that "your family will sue me if you die".  I had to reassure her that I did not intend to die and that the form was to establish that I was a reasonably healthy individual, not to try to get money from her if I crash and burn.  After some pleading, she agreed to sign on the condition that I pay her £30!  The cash went straight into her purse and she signed the form accordingly!  There's the good old NHS in action ...

In May I went to Northern Ireland for my birthday with some friends and we visited Rocky Island via Carrick-a-Rede, a rope bridge swinging 100ft above the waves crashing on the rocks.  It was at that moment I realised the folly of my plan to jump out of a plane 12,900 ft higher up.  

I figured the best way to stop me from bottling out at the last minute and clinging onto the plane for dear life would be to have a commitment to other people; particularly people who are unable to jump out of a plane even if they could decide that they wanted to. 

My Mum is suffering from Parkinson's Disease.  During the past 5 years or so we have watched her vanish before our eyes.  This disease has eroded her very being; it has transformed her from a fit, intelligent, vivacious, gregarious woman into someone who is anxious, withdrawn and insular.  She is wheelchair bound because she has forgotten how to walk and she needs continuous care to keep her safe and comfortable. 

My Mum cannot remember anything at all, her memory has been  completely erased and she no longer recognises the people who love her. 

It is heartbreaking to witness someone you love disappear and be powerless to help.    

I want to raise money for The Parkinson's Disease Society.  Hopefully my frivolous activity will then have more meaning than just my overcoming this petty fear of heights in order to help an organisation that supports people who are suffering such a hellish existence.  

I my view, living with Parkinson's Disease is infinitely more terrifying than falling 13,000 feet with or without a parachute.  

I am paying for the jump and all expenses myself (including the GP's extortion). Every pound I raise will go to The Parkinson's Disease Society.

You can sponsor me in person and give me cash or a cheque made payable to Parkinson's Disease Society or via Justgiving on line. Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It’s also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Parkinson's Disease Society gets your money faster and, if you’re a UK taxpayer, Justgiving makes sure 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3% supplement, are added to your donation.

So please sponsor me now!  Thanks very much for your support