I was really delighted to be asked by the RGS in London to give their annual lecture aimed at younger inquisitive minds. The 700 or so capacity Ondaatje Theatre at the RGS - with the names of legendary explorers etched in gold around the walls and a palpable sense of history - is always a pretty intimidating place to speak but I admit that a younger audience motivated me to prepare even more carefully than usual!
My talk 'Freeze! Adventures through the coldest weather in the world' ranged from meeting the Lord Keeper of the Cold in the coldest inhabited place in the world, to travelling to the North Pole in a nuclear-powered icebreaker, to skiing through whiteouts in Antarctica. There were lots of really great questions from the audience at the end - which, I think, is always a good sign that everyone has enjoyed themselves and found something interesting at the same time. I certainly enjoyed meeting many of the young geographers afterwards, even if I did miss out on the squash and activities going on in the next room!
Thanks to Sandi for the photo...