Itching to Climb by Barbara James
Back
Itching to Climb by Barbara James - Foreword by Sir Chris Bonington.
Large image: My favourite area in the Dolomites, the Sella Pass and Fungingerspitze
Image 2: El Teide, Tenerife
Image 3: July 1975 on the Maukspitze West Face on the Kaisergebirge, 2227m, Grade VI, A1/350m
Image 4: Landing Craft Logistic en route to St Kilda
To purchase this book click here
My travel autobiography was published in February this year. About 500 copies have been sold (1000 were printed) and it is dedicated to the National Eczema Society (NES). I was born, in 1938, and brought up in Willaston, Wirral and throughout my life I have been told not to scratch. With a lifetime of being called ‘negative’, because I was not thrilled when the latest ‘cure’ for eczema was described by kind friends I embarked upon the daunting task of writing a book. My hope is that it will encourage the 5 million people known to have eczema, their families and friends, that there is improvement ahead and that they can achieve their dream. I did not know when I started this project that the financial crisis would affect severely the excellent NES. Today it struggles to maintain its excellent service with only 2 permanent staff, one of whom is their superb Chief Executive who has taken a salary reduction, plus voluntary and part-time helpers.
In the early days my mother made a simple ‘strait jacket’ out of a cotton pillow case so that my arms could be pinned to my side. I remember standing on the bathroom stool asking her how much longer this would go on. By seven I needed only mitts at the ends of my pyjama arms and by early teens the severity of my eczema had reduced, but it has never gone away. I was the one thing children hate to be, different from my peer group and one of my vivid memories is other children refusing to hold my hand. Raindrops and my own sweat caused me severe itching so it was with little surprise that I found no family photographs of a happy, smiling child; always I was frowning and scratching.
A doctor neighbour commented to Mother that my eczema would make me strong and she was right. My life has been full of challenging activities, with first British ascents of Grade VI Dolomite rock climbs, later becoming probably the only female civilian to train Infantry Junior Leaders. Gaining a Private Pilot’s Licence when 50 years old, exploring, solo, islands as different as the Falklands and Tenerife, I found that being alone in tourism was the hardest. More adventures followed when I discovered Adeje village. I learned Spanish and soon I was invited to join the villagers’ celebrations and other activities. From 1991 my articles were accepted by English magazines and newspapers that were available in all tourist offices on the island.
More information is on www.troubador.co.uk bookshop – search
My interview on Radio Wales can be heard on www.troubador.co.uk/media.asp.