VIEW, Issue five, 2012


Website: viewdigital.org


Page 13


Signing up: Frances A Burscough reacts with, firstly shock, and then terror, after being asked to do the parachute jump Images: Kevin Cooper


‘May God have mercy on my soul’


Journalist Frances A Burscough tells VIEW about her fear of heights and flying as she bravely agrees to do a parachute jump in aid of the charity, the Meningitis Research Foundation


T


invited me for a coffee there was going to be some sort of catch. And there was. An absolute hum-dinger in


fact. But I’ll come to that in a minute. “I was wondering if you would be interesting


in writing a new column for View magazine,” he began.


normally have to grovel, beg, bribe or blackmail to get a new column, especially in the current climate of austerity and recession. To be actually invited to become a monthly contributor to the publication...well, it really was a no brainer. “Yes,” I replied, before I’d even taken my first


sip of coffee .


Then he told me what he wanted me to do. The small print as it were. My mission, should I choose to accept it –


was to go on a series of challenges or events sug- gested by community groups and charities, in order to help publicise and raise awareness for their cause.


Well, of course I would. A freelance journalist such as myself would


hey say there’s no such thing as a free lunch. In my case, that rule obviously ex- tends to coffee too. I should have known that when Brian Pelan, (the editor, no less),


ing home-baked cupcakes at an elegant summer garden party in the glorious grounds of a sprawling stately home.


deed, certainly worth supporting and publicising. Having brought up two children myself, the dread of meningitis had reared its ugly head many times when they were growing up. Every time they had a fever, a headache or


So far so good, I thought, imagining a stall sell-


“First up is a challenge by Keli Wilkinson, who is a fund-raising officer for the Meningitis Research Foundation,” said Brian. Excellent, I thought; a very worthy cause in-


assume that if it involves a parachute, it’s going to be from somewhere quite high up. In the sky amongst the clouds. In the high heavens as it were. A place, I must add, that holds a great deal of fear for someone like me who is afraid of heights. “Roughly 13,000 feet,” was his reply. I tried to imagine 13,000 feet. I couldn’t. Not


only that, but in order to get there a small aircraft of some sort would probably be involved. A thing that holds a great deal of fear for


were simply out of sorts I had always feared the worst; knowing that this disease could strike with- out any warning and had such common symptoms it could be easily be misdiagnosed as a cold. This was every mother’s nightmare and yet


so little was known about its cause or its cure. “Great. Count me in,” I said, before I'd even


parachute sky-dive,” said the editor. I spat my coffee out. Right across the table.


taken my second sip of coffee. “All you have to do is to go on a sponsored


asked, feebly, as if that actually made any difference.


Cappuccino froth sprayed over his paperwork as I tried to regain my composure... “Errr....(gulp)...from what height? (gulp),” I


someone like me who, I have to add, is also afraid of flying.


“terrified”. “All you have to do is sign here on the dot-


ted line, under the disclaimer and we can set the wheels in motion,” said Brian. I decided not to read the disclaimer. But I


imagined the words “in the unlikely event of cata- strophic equipment failure”. “Horrible death” and “flattened like a pan-


froth and signed my name. And may God have mercy on my soul. To be continued .....


Did I say “afraid”? What I meant to say was Now I’m no expert, but it's probably safe to


cake” were probably in there somewhere in very small print. Nevertheless, I brushed away the cappuccino


To help get Frances up into the air for her parachute jump in aid of the Meningitis Research Foundation, we need to hit a target of £350. Simply click on http://www.justgiving.com/VIEWdigital and give an amount directly to the charity


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