… because it’s for charidee, after all.

Well, that’s not the only reason I’ve been checking out the Red Nose Day climb webpage, following its Twitter feed, listening to the updates on Radio 1, and watching the online video footage. I’m genuinely very very impressed that 9 celebrities, some of whom wouldn’t be in obviously the best physical shape (looking at you, Moyles, and you, Girls Aloud), have managed to climb pretty much all the way up Mount Kilimanjaro. They should reach the summit tonight, and moreover, they’ve raised more than a million quid for Comic Relief.

I couldn’t do it, and I wouldn’t even want to try. I have done a few charity challenges though. The last was a sponsored swim a few years ago - 50 lengths, and I spent the last 10 of them cursing the person who hadn’t shown up, thus meaning we had to split 200 lengths between 4 of us instead of 5.

And of course, back when I was in school, I took part in the annual walk to Bethlehem. That’s Bethlehem in west Wales - the place they feature every Christmas on the news as a ‘light item’ because you can have cards postmarked there. The total length of the 3-day walk from Barry to Bethlehem was 64 miles, and I did it twice (5th and 6th years) although I admit I had a ride in the van for a short while both times due to hideous blisters. It was good fun despite the effort and sore feet; I have fond memories of singing our way down the A48, although not so fond ones of the weird soup we used to be given for final-day lunch by Ammanford Round Table.

The Bethlehem walk also had a rather lasting effect on me too, in the form of shin splints; I’ve suffered from them ever since, alas.

Also today, I am mostly … trying to write

… because I’ve promised myself that I’d do a personal Novel Writing Month - MyNoWriMo - during March. By the end of today, I should have written 9,678 words. So far I have 1,125. I have a bit of catching up to do.

Better get on with it…