Climbing the years
POLE climbing is not for the faint-hearted – but George Tipping showed that even at 78 you are never too old to take part.
The pensioner, from Merseyside, has been pole climbing for 13 years after taking up the sport at the age of 65. Mr Tipping, a joiner by trade, has been participating in the pole climbing championships at the Great Yorkshire Show for the past nine years. He has climbed at events across the UK, raising £28,500 for Marie Curie Cancer Care, and said: ‘I love coming to the Great Yorkshire Show, the people here are very generous and hopefully I’ll be here again next year.’ He plans to bow out with a 100ft climb when he reaches 80. But a bid to beat the world record of 9.07 seconds for the fastest ascent failed. Richard Batson, from County Durham, won the contest with a time of 9.57 seconds.