Aged 9 or 10, as a schoolkid in Hartlepool, Philip was feeding the ducks in the park when a male chaffinch dropped in to pick up the crumbs. He was captivated. He had never seen anything as beautiful, and has been a bird watcher from that day on. At age 18, Philip was introduced to climbing, and it is fair to say that these two activities have been constants in his life, both leading him to Scotland, seeking eagles, dotterels and steep rock and ice, and for many years making his home. He has been fortunate enough to make at least some of his living from both of them. Philip enjoys scribbling about his passions, sometimes published in climbing magazines, of late on social media. ‘Pinkies Depart’ is his first attempt at ‘creative writing’.