I was at LGS with Julian, and went on the interrail trip around Europe in 1975 with Julian, Bom (see her story above) and three others. Throughout his life, Julian was a great adventurer and I was privileged to accompany him on some of his earliest ventures. When we were both fourteen, Julian asked me in the school playground if I fancied walking Hadrian’s Wall with him. We did it a few months later and, as we passed a Pennine Way signpost, he said that we should do the PW. On August 30th 1973, aged sixteen, as we supped Wainwright’s celebratory pint at the Border Hotel in Kirk Yetholm, Julian suggested that Land’s End to John o’Groats should be our next major hike. We did it during the long, hot summer of 1976, and it was hardly over when Julian began floating the idea of doing the Everest Trail. To my regret, I passed on that proposal.

During our early twenties, we went our separate ways and it was not until 2007 that I sought him out. When we swapped our résumés from close on three decades, it was clear that Julian never lost his love for the ‘Great Outdoors’, nor his unbridled sense of adventure.

For those few years, Julian was a great friend and travelling companion, and I have the happiest of memories of all those early trips that we did together. Were it not for Julian’s boundless enthusiasm for such ventures, I would not have had such an abundance of wonderful experiences to look back on. I know that many others, who were fortunate to journey with him at various times throughout his life, will feel the same way.

Thank you, Julian.

John.