To Beach Or Not To Beach?: Very Special Old Princethorpian Releases New Book
To Beach Or Not to Beach? Is the very good question raised by VSOP, Mary Wheildon, in her first book of the same title published this June.
Mary is renowned for her adventurous and energetic spirit and her love of travel. The book is full of tongue-in-cheek tales from her lifetime of travels, as well as fascinating insights into the challenges, catastrophes and lessons learnt along the way.
Mary studied at Princethorpe from 1956-1961 when it was still St. Mary's Priory under the care of the Benedictine nuns. She has remained an active life-long member of the community, still serving today on the OP Committee and helping others to maintain their sense of connection to the school.
With an enquiring mind, and a profound love of flora and fauna, Mary rarely travels alone, resulting in itineraries that have enabled her to trek through jungles, cross lakes in dugout canoes and travel by skidoo across the ‘Land of Nothing’ behind the migrating reindeer of the Sámi! Highlights and challenges are also part of 'expedition life', from witnessing the 5th King’s Coronation in Bhutan to being dumped at a remote airport hours from the intended destination.
In her book, Mary invites us to share the music, customs and environments of multiple regions. She also details the orphanages and hospitals that she has encountered, including Mother Teresa’s. By the end, the reader will be much wiser about the less-frequented corners of the world.
If you would like to secure a signed copy of Mary's fascinating book before they fly off the shelves, please email us at oldprincethorpians@princethorpe.co.uk and we can put you in touch with her.
The cost of the book is £20, with £2.05 of that going straight to a charity close to Mary's and Princethorpe's heart, Mary's Meals.
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