Ten years ago, I took a trip to Snowdonia to mark my 40th birthday. Along with Gerry and Simon, I walked the Snowdon Horse Shoe, a long day in the mountains climbing several peaks including Snowdon itself and crossing some exciting knife-edge ridges. Alison formed the support team at base camp and we had a fine weekend celebration. Ten years and one stroke later, I decided that I needed to do something to mark my 50th birthday which is approaching rapidly. So Alison and I hired a cottage (the same one as 10 years previously) and we returned to Snowdonia.

It had been eight years since we last camped - some time before my stroke. We'd thought about it a few times since but never had the impetus to actually go. So when Julie invited us to her birthday bash at Hindleap Warren we decided this was it. Neither Alison nor I are particularly good sleepers so we planned just a single night under canvas (well nylon these days). If we didn't sleep well, we could always head home and get some rest there. Besides, Julie's husband, Gerry, is one of my oldest friends and it's good to catch up with them when we can.

Alison and I have just got back from a ballroom dancing weekend at a Warner Hotel on the Isle of Wight. We enjoy dancing but three evening dinner dances plus classes during the day is quite a challenging schedule for me. But we could sit out dances whenever I felt too tired and we were able to participate in the whole weekend by pacing ourselves. Our dancing definitely benefited from the concentrated period of practice, especially the Rumba for which balance is particularly important, something I have had difficulty with since my stroke. I think the quantity of food we ate during the weekend was probably a disadvantage. The highlight of the weekend was the black-tie gala evening although Alison enjoyed dressing up in ballgowns and other finery for the whole weekend (me, not so much. Definitely no sequins or bare chests).

Yes I know it doesn't sound like much but it was a big deal for me. I hadn't driven a car for more than 5 years - ever since I had a stroke in late 2004. At first, I wasn't allowed to drive but later, after I got my licence back, I just wasn't confident enough in my ability to concentrate and be aware of all that was going on around me. So Alison has been driving me everywhere for more than 5 years.

After rock climbing in summer 2006, I was looking for new challenges to spur on my stroke recovery. I decided that I wanted to walk up Snowdon. This seemed a little foolhardy when my walking was still quite awkward. But I can be stubborn.