I’m still on a high after an incredible evening at Buckingham Palace last night with my girlfriend and my brother, where I attended a reception for people involved in Exploration and Adventure. It was whilst going through the front gates that I saw Reinhold Messner in front and felt very unqualified to be invited. Inside were many of my childhood heroes including Chris Bonnington, Ranulph Fiennes and David Attenborough as well as other faces ranging from Dame Ellen McArthur to David Walliams. I enjoyed meeting Charley Boorman (who of course arrived on a bike) and Bruce Parry but also was humbled by everyone I met, all of whom deserved to be there far more than me!

The reception marked the 100th Anniversary of Scott’s journey to the South Pole, and the exhibition at the Queen’s Gallery has an impressive collection of photographs from both Scott and Shackleton’s expeditions. Well worth a visit.