REVIEW: Tim Fitzhigham, Old Kitchen.
Published Date:
13 July 2008
If you ever decide to row a copper bath across the English Channel, Tim Fitzhigham is your man. Described by Eddie Izard as 'unhinged…he is completely without hinges', this naval sensation is part nutter, part eccentric, and with a slightly smaller part, part genius.
After successfully rowing a paper boat – yes, paper – 160 miles up the Thames, it was entirely logical that our hero should wager a pint of ale on rowing across what Napoleon called a 'ditch', but now the world's busiest shipping lane, in a bath tub sponsored by Thomas Crapper.
To fully earn the pint, he also agreed to row said vessel from Folkestone to Tower Bridge, an encore that made the Channel seem like a paddling pool, though the French Government tried to pull the plug (sorry!) on the whole idea, with specific legislation to make bath tub rowing in French waters illegal.
Fitted with anchor and flag, the tub became a registered 'sportsboat' called 'Lilibet 2', thus evading French bureaucracy and launching Tim and his rubber duck, Bernard, on a voyage in 2005 that would amuse Her Majesty, inspire a new Crapper toilet, raise thousands for Comic Relief, and give the tub's commander a lifetime of after-dinner jokes.
Moral of the tale? English eccentrics are masters of their own destinies and bath tubs.
Paul Timblick
The full article contains 227 words and appears in n/a newspaper.
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Last Updated:
13 July 2008 6:34 PM
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Source:
n/a
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Location:
Chichester
