Here the team answers the questions you were afraid to ask, or didn’t want to know in the first place!
Bob Farmer
Bob is the instigator of this venture, being a St James’s end (area of Northampton) lad, and living within ¼ of a mile of the river Nene. He spent almost every day of those long summer childhood holidays on or in the river, sometimes paddling down the Nene in a flotilla of six or seven other lads floating in car tyre inner tubes. On leaving school he went to work as a trainee gamekeeper at Cottesbrook and latterly becoming a Master Thatcher working with Water Reeds and Long Straw for 30 years. For the last 15 years he has been a lecturer at Moulton College with the Countryside Management team teaching Game Management and Countryside Skills. Hobbies are boating on the rivers Auld and Orr, having a small cabin cruiser on these rivers, and just talking about and being in the countryside.
What is your reason for doing this challenge?
“I suppose the reason must have been the memories of those days all those years ago, as a boy in his early teens, in love with nature, wildlife and the spirit of adventure, doing what boys should be doing at that age. With the magic of those boyhood dreams carrying on into manhood; suppose I’m still a boy at heart”
Who was your boyhood hero?
“Dan Dare of the Eagle”
Who would play you in a Hollywood film?
“Robert De Niro”
Where is your favourite place?
“The Rivers Orr and Auld in Suffolk. Abroad it would be the inside passage from Seattle to Alaska past the Gulf Islands between Vancouver and Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada”
What would you save if you woke to find your house was burning down?
“My wife Rosie, Purdey my Labrador dog, my axe and a tin of baked beans, oh, and my wine cellar and paddle”
Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?
“Nelson Mandela, Kate Moss, Bill Oddie, Hillary Clinton, Richard Branson and Ruby Wax”
What do you consider to be your greatest achievement?
“Being the youngest Master Thatcher at the age of 22”
What is the most important lesson life has taught you
“Choose your friends carefully”
In a word, you are...
“Cuddly, but can cut up nasty at times”
What is your guiltiest pleasure?
“At my age you don’t feel guilty about taking the pleasures of life, you’ve earned them”
What are your most annoying faults?
“Don’t have any, I’m perfect!”
What is your best quality?
“Determination and getting the best out of people”
Who is your musical inspiration?
“Billy Fury’s Half Way to Paradise and Art Garfunkel’s Bright Eye’s”
Tell us something about yourself that not many people know.
“I’ve got webbed feet (needed for this trip)”
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
“A Gamekeeper”
What do you want to be now?
“A success with this venture and get my two buddies home safely”
Dr James Littlemore
James originally comes from Kent and moved up to Moulton in Northamptonshire 8 years ago. With an education and background in nature conservation, James enjoys the great outdoors and all that it can throw at him. Just as well, with this adventure looming! Hobbies include motorcycles (usually ones he can’t afford), real ale, green woodworking (improving slowly) and hill walking. His guitar playing is atrocious, unlike Hugh’s!
What is your reason for doing this challenge?
“Bob told me to. No seriously, for charity...obviously”
Who was your boyhood hero?
“Sir Trevor Brooking”
Who would play you in a Hollywood film?
“Paul Bettany or Rupert Penry-Jones (from Spooks – people say I look like him?!)”
Where is your favourite place?
“The wooded valleys of the High Weald in Kent and Sussex. Abroad it would have to be Joshua Tree National Park in California”
What would you save if you woke to find your house was burning down?
“My cat Gollum!”
Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?
“Keith Floyd at the bar, Christopher Lee for the after dinner speech, Ian Botham in charge of the entertainment, Lemmy (from Motorhead) for some tall tales, Stephen Fry for intellectual leanings, Larry David for amusing banter. And Hugh and Bob obviously....”
What do you consider to be your greatest achievement?
“Completing my PhD. And maybe this challenge when we do it!”
What is the most important lesson life has taught you
“To have a good time, all the time”
In a word, you are...
“Curly”
What is your guiltiest pleasure?
“Watching (and enjoying) every round of the darts live on TV”
What are your most annoying faults?
“My forgetful memory and selective hearing”
What is your best quality?
“Sorry, what was that?!”
Who is your musical inspiration?
“Mark Lanegan, ex-Screaming Trees and gravel voiced rock impresario”
Tell us something about yourself that not many people know.
"I used to be an accomplished fencer (foil) at the under 18 level, winning various competitions and trophies. En garde!!”
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
“A vicar or a dustman (what were my parents doing with me?!)”
What do you want to be now?
“Retired”
Hugh Bunker
Hugh originally comes from North London and moved up to Moulton in Northamptonshire in 1998. Hugh spent most of his early life exploring the local woods and climbing over Churches. Hugh decided to get an education in 1998 and became a student at Moulton College. Hobbies include trout fishing, bush craft, walking and chatting in the local pub.
What is your reason for doing this challenge?
"To make sure Bob doesn’t fall in, to raise money for good causes, to get fit and to enjoy the outdoors"
Who was your boyhood hero?
"I can’t remember! I think it was Spiderman or was it Marine Boy?"
Who would play you in a Hollywood film?
"A very, very, good actor"
Where is your favourite place?
"Home"
What would you save if you woke to find your house was burning down?
"Michelle, the dogs, my bass guitar and my axe! I could chop up the bass to make a fire and then cook the dogs for dinner!"
Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?
"Be nice to see Bongo again, and all the great folk that I met around the world"
What do you consider to be your greatest achievement?
"Walking on stage in front of 90,000 people in Vienne and not falling over or being sick.
What is the most important lesson life has taught you?
"Listen and think before you speak. Not easy"
In a word, you are...
"A typical bloke"
What is your guiltiest pleasure?
"Buying bush craft kit on the internet"
What are your most annoying faults?
"Snoring, tickling my wife, huge kebabs"
What is your best quality?
"A good sense of humour (essential for this trip)"
Who is your musical inspiration?
"James Jameson, Norman Watroy. I guess my brother Nick also"
Tell us something about yourself that not many people know.
"I played with the Fatima Mansions for 6 years and toured with U2. I also worked with Ronnie Corbett once"
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
"A Royal Marine Commando for a while, and then a Rock Star"
What do you want to be now?
"Who I am"
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