5 things we have done (admirable, illegal, amazing, unusual etc)

Most of the five things other GNs have done make mine seem very boring and tame. What exciting lives you have.

Ohh can I have another one
Hanging backwards over the castle wall at great height to Kiss the Blarney Stone …it was terrifying

I absolutely agree. I did that too BB. They hold your legs but it is still horrific.

Never again!

I got to the top and chickened out.

Survived being trapped in caravan with a young angry Traveller man weilding a shotgun.
Went up Snowdon on the rickrack railway and the train jumped off the track.
Conducted choir of 250 ... several times
Survived selling my home on my own during which long process there were 4 failed deals, my husband died, and we were in covid lockdown.
Sang Mahler's Resurrection under Sir Charles Groves' direction.

Sang Mahler's Resurrection under Sir Charles Groves' direction. I envy you. You are indeed a Luckygirl.

In no particular order:

I passed my driving test 1st time at the age of 20 but sadly have now lost my confidence and no longer drive.

I chatted to David Beckham probably 20+ years ago in the Trafford Centre. I congratulated him on winning Sports Personality of the Year two nights previously. Brooklyn was in his buggy and VB was buying clothes in ‘Next’. Imagine that in itself!

I got bitten on my face at 22 by a Westie when I crouched down to stroke him. He put his paws on my knees, I stroked his head and then he growled and bit me - I needed several stitches and still bear the scar. The dog was PTS. Worst thing? It belonged to my parents. I had not long been married and was ‘home’ and made a fuss of him. He always was a growler.

I worked as a medical secretary for 40 years at England’s first NHS hospital opened officially by Nye Bevan in 1946.

I met my husband when I was 17 and he was 19 and we’ve been married now for 51 years.

henetha
We have crossed from Romania into Moldover with our motohome. All they were interested in was the smart car that we tow.
We had to bribe the border guard o the Romania / Hungary border as the kiosk where you buy the vignette.
We bribed a policeman in Romania. We were speeding. He was so grateful he kissed my hand.
I often saw my Bulgarian friend bribe the border guards on the Turkish/ Bulgarian border. She was importing gold and silver.
I had a scary couple of hours in a Bulgarian police cell as there was confusion Re my passport.
We have taken our own boat from Calais to the med. we have crewed on 4 other boats on this journey.
We moored up in Paris where we tied up against a boat whose owner drove an armor plated car complete with guns in the centre console. He took us everywhere in it.

My error. The hospital was opened by Aneurin Bevan in 1948.

assets.nhs.uk/prod/documents/History_of_trafford_general_hospital.pdf

Wow petra such excitement! Like a Bond film.
Mine sound so mundane. 😁

At 17 I picked up two African chaps in the Natural History Museum, one from Ghana, one from Nigeria. Took them to London Zoo the next day' My father wasn't impressed.

Travelled from Monte Carlo to Antibes by train sitting on the lap of a totally strange man, while he sat on the loo. Long story!

Did a life drawing and the tutor (Who had reduced me to tears several times) said that I had drawn an arm that Holbein might have drawn.

Was approached by a member of Steppenwolf in the 70s (Born To Be Wild etc.) he wanted to know if I had any Marihuana - I hadn't.

Hand reared a baby grey squirrel that had fallen out of its nest. He lived happily with my parents for years.

Was in a WW advert for a large IT company I worked for.
Belong to the mile high club
Was born in an RAF staging post in Pakistan.
Drove for ten hours straight in Françe, I was hallucinating.
First spoke to my husband on the phone on NYE 1998, he was in Donegal with a mutual friend

1- On 10 September 2024, I was at work and fell down a flight of stairs. The left side of my face was hugely swollen and bruised, a top tooth knocked out, and various injuries to my back, neck, ribs, right side, both knees, right ankle and right wrist, and my boobs, but amazingly, no breakages, fractures, dislocations, etc. Just a huge amount of pain and throbbing headaches for a week!

2-I quit my flat to live from my car for almost 2 years, showering at 24/7/365 truck stops and having meals from my car boot and under Basha covers.

3-In 2015, I was rushed to the hospital with sepsis in my left leg and foot, both of which had swollen to huge agonising proportions and told I had 48 hours to live if they couldn't catch it in time .....I was lying there, almost screaming with pain, drugged up to the eyeballs and told the lovely German doctor ''It's only death, there's far worse things I could get!''

4-I worked as a bus driver for a couple of years. One dark night shift, the last one, so I started at 9 pm and would get back to the depot at 12:30 am, I was getting in the cab. There was just one man at the stop waiting for me, and he jumped on and groped my bum, so I turned around, punched him in the guts, then, as he doubled over, I punched his face twice so he had a broken nose and a black eye, then kneed him in his danglies. I then pushed him off and he went flying onto the pavement, screaming in agony as his face, ribs and danglers all exploded and were bloody, then I drove off! It's lucky I could defend myself - after training as a wrestler - as I dread to think what he would have done to me if I couldn't!

5-Aged 15 and at school I was about the only pupil who stood up for a male pupil with behaviour problems, he was physically violent and terryfying but while most other pupils saw him as a vicious thug, I saw him as someone with serious issues, maybe being abused at home or something, so I helped him and stood up for him when nobody else would, and the teachers treated him like filth. He wasn't evil; she was scared and abused.

So that's my 5 claims to fame!

Delivered undiagnosed twins as a student midwife, they were fine phew!

Adopted 6 children with special needs.

Bought a tumbled down large Victorian house.

Told my stepmother what I thought of her, not good!

Am waiting for the fifth!

Such an interesting thread. It's too easy to focus on what we haven't done and be berated for bragging about what we HAVE done! Anyway, here's my list. No bragging, just stuff I've done.

1. Flown over Kielder Forest/Water in a military helicopter watching an exercise in full swing below us.

2. Wrote a song for the hospice where I worked which raised quite a lot of money for it.

3. Stood in-between a horse of CRS riot police with tear gas and refugees to stop them being harmed. Absolutely terrifying but nothing happened and bizarrely my French came in very handy in that moment.

4. On a lighter note, I've been lucky to meet a couple of my music idols a few times which always makes me happy. Martyn Joseph and Merry Hell Band.

5. Helped create two amazing children who have flown the nest and are doing great things, working with vulnerable children and young people.

6. Equally lucky to have found the love of my life 18 years ago and we spend quite a bit of time going on adventures. Most recently Switzerland, Ireland and Romania.

Horde, not horse!!

Sorry, I put 6! Got carried away!

1) Published my own digital Pdf magazine in 4 languages since 2016.

2) Crossed the blue pond to study abroad for 3 years ( for my Masters ) ..

3) Travelled to both China & Hong Kong ..

4) Have interviewed some well known Daytime T.V. Actors & Actresses for a first time article in a major international publication.

5) Left France for Spain, to marry a Madrileño, and we are still together ( 32 years ago ) and had twin daughters, now both married and moms. (Note: we met in France and hubs was lost and asked if I spoke English .. He was so thankful, he invited me for lunch the next day. )

Illegal:
Aged 14, went to an X film, Expresso Bongo, Cliff Richard's first film, very mild compared with X film nowadays.
Aged 17, went to another X film, Saturday Night and Sunday Morning. Seen by teacher who said nothing.
Showing off:
Aged 17, three of us hoisted a,black bra and a white bra up the school flagpole.
Proud of:
Aged 60-ish, learned to fly and got my PPL (DH had got his at 17, so...)
Aged 77, wrote and spoke the eulogy at DH's funeral. Well, I was super-proud to have been his wife.

Taught as an American university for a year

Gave a motivational speech at a gala charity night

Frightened an obscene caller so much he rang back and apologised.

Fought off a home invasion with a breadknife

Was photographed at the the Taj Mahal in the seat where Diana sat

I'd have to name change, mine are tabloid worthy

Wow!! I thought my five things were quite special until I read everyone else’s! What amazing things you have done, and I think some of you could have written books! (It’s not too late!)
They were really interesting. Any chance we could do this again?

DollyRocker

I'd have to name change, mine are tabloid worthy

Cone on then! Let’s hear them! Pleeeease!

Yes more please. I'll cheekily add a few more.

I have appeared on Desert Island Discs (the people's version).
I have been to the top of The Empire State Building despite a fear of lifts.
Been asked to be a go-go dancer on a TV show where I would have met several big stars, including my idols. My lack of confidence stopped me.
Been called 'A bit of a one' by Tom Jones when I asked him for two autographs, one for my friend.

Nothing earth shattering
Survived my husband dieing .
Survived having jaundice even thought most people died with my bilirubin levels
Moved house on my own.
Go on holiday on my own via train .
Looked after people on my own until they died.

Living my life to the full . Going to exercise classes . Meeting friends off GN in the flesh. Making jams ,chutneys and marmalades my way . Joining groups .

No idea if any of this counts .