DG's Travels Week 52

I was always aware that my last few weeks in office would be busy ones, as I think will be evident from the next few entries. Last Wednesday, I was delighted to be a guest at the annual prize-giving of the High School of Dundee, home of our oldest, and exceedingly successful, Interact Club. It was a great delight to see that not only were the young people exceedingly skilled in raising large sums of money for various charities, but that they combined this with high academic and sporting achievements. My faith in the future is always totally restored when I see such young people in action. Some will be returning for a further year of study while others set off now on new challenges at university and elsewhere. Some will be taking a gap year where they hope to not only see more of the world, but also particpate in various aid projects in different countries. In this, they received considerable encouragement from former pupil and guest speaker, Mark Beaumont, who talked about his adventures in cycling round the world and traversing the length of the Americas. Both journeys were no beds of roses and he highlighted the need to be committed and determined in overcoming life's challenges, as he had done on several occasions on the above trips.