We don’t normally see the name ‘Chandler’s Ford’ being mentioned in the national news (ok, the HSBC armed robbery on Bournemouth Road in September 2007 was an exception: “Two armed robbers were shot dead by police”).
However today, ‘Chandler’s Ford’ is mentioned all over the media, from The Times, Daily Telegraph, The Sun, Mirror…, and on the BBC radio programme.
Why? Because of penguins, in the Antarctica Continent.
The photographer is Roger Clark, from Chandler’s Ford.
Roger Clark, who has encouraged and supported me in developing Chandler’s Ford Today, made the trip of a lifetime in memory of his daughter Lisa, who died of ovarian cancer at the age of 40, in October 2012.
Lisa (Lisa-Jayne) went to Hiltingbury Junior School, Thornden School in Chandler’s Ford, and Barton Peveril Sixth Form College in Eastleigh.
Lisa later became a medical doctor and travelled extensively. One of her wishes was for her parents to do some of the travelling that she couldn’t. Lisa also left some money for her parents to fulfil her wishes.
Roger shared with us his daughter’s legacy on Chandler’s Ford Today in this article: Lisa Clark’s Legacy.
Roger said that one postcard Lisa sent home showed an emperor penguin, the largest species, when she visited Australia.
Roger and Lyn travelled to South Georgia and the Falklands using the legacy, but he later realised they had photographed king penguins, the second-largest species.
Roger was determined to photograph the right penguins shown on the postcard. After a year of planning and spending another £40,000, he achieved his aim this time, in Gould Bay in the Weddell Sea.
When Roger finally found the penguins and photographed the penguins caring for their chicks, he was overwhelmed with emotion. He rang Lyn to share the joyful moment. He then drew Lisa’s name in the snow.
What did this special trip mean to Roger? In the BBC 5 interview today, Roger mentioned that as the atmosphere was serene and pure in Antarctica, he had lots of thinking time.
Roger also said that though everything else moves on but as a parent “you will never move on”. “My daughter is always here in spirit.” Roger knows her passions, and was trying to do what she might have done, with his life.
To read Roger’s account of this most magnificent trip, read Roger Clark’s article: Trip of a Lifetime – My Antarctic Trip.
Below is the interview with Roger Clark on his Antarctic trip, with BBC 5 today.
Update: Monday 5th December 2016
This evening Roger was interviewed by Sally Taylor on BBC South Today programme.
Roger told Sally Taylor that he wrote Lisa’s name in the snow.
Sally Taylor asked Roger, “How did it make you feel?”
“It felt good, but …. I spent a lot of time, again, trying to get some meaning from the trip…”
Roger concluded that he realised “my role is to travel for my daughter. I couldn’t go on her journey; she couldn’t come on the journey I’m doing now. But it’s on her behalf.”
A powerful story.
Related posts:
- Lisa Clark’s Legacy
- Roger Clark’s Quest to Antarctica to Photograph the Right Penguins
- Roger Clark: Trip of a Lifetime – My Antarctic Trip
- Richard Stock: Fundraising for Ovacome
- Richard Stock Raising Money For Ovacome
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