I’d forgotten all about it – a chance remark in the past that “I could ‘fancy’ that!”

So, when on my recently-achieved 80 th birthday, my children presented me with the gift of a ‘sky-dive,’ what could I say? “Wow?” “Crikey?” and other un-mentionable phrases?!

That said, the prospect still excites me and as it turns out, similarly, a few of my close family! So…we’ll ALL do it!

On Monday 31 st August, myself, my youngest daughter Joanne, her brother James, my son-in-law also called James, my grandson Simon, and my nephew – another Ian - will take it in turns to jump from a light aircraft in tandem sky-dives and enjoy re-living the thrills later in a family get-together.

If you’d like to sponsor me in this madcap adventure, I’ll donate everything I get to Parkinson’s UK in tribute to my extraordinary wife, Susan, who has now lived with this dreadful disease for 23 years.

Thank you.