By Jonathan Isaby
Earlier in the week I noted Lord Forsyth's successful arrival at the summit of Mount Vinson on Antarctica.
He is now on his way back to Britain and has learnt that he has smashed his second revised fundraising target of £350,000, with donations to Marie Curie Cancer Care and Children in Need India now totalling a brilliant £366,514.
He writes:
"There is a lot of criticism of Parliament and the City at the moment - some of which is fully justified - but there is another side to the story here. Jan Royal, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lords has sent me the most generous messages of support and concern, as has the Lord Speaker. Parliamentarians of all parties and none have rallied to support these charities - including every living former Prime Minister. The current Prime Minister, David Cameron, had three attempts at putting a kind message of encouragement on my website prior to summit day. Unknown to me it was being rejected automatically by the server. It turns out that it was the inclusion of the word 'God' in 'Godspeed' that triggered the anti-spamming software.
"The Chancellor has sent me a note enclosing a donation, with comment that he was not sure he should be supporting me in my insane enterprise. I have replied indicating that I was supporting him with his, and that reward does not come without risk. Competitors and colleagues in the City have been hugely generous, as have senior figures in the regulatory institutions. The United Kingdom is a great country, and when it comes to charity the things that divide us all melt away. Thank you."
Click here to read more of his blog entries from the trip and follow this link should you wish to make a donation towards his fundraising efforts.
