An exclusive interview with Nigel Peake on his son’s achievements.
You must be very proud of what your
son has achieved and the fact the
exhibition has opened to recognise
his work.
I think it’s wonderful - both this
exhibition and being offered the Freedom
of the City. It means a lot to him, and
to us. Chichester is his home
city where he went to school,
where he did a lot of his youth
activities. So, the fact that
Chichester is going to all this
trouble is magnificent. I hope
that it will prove of benefit to all
of the youngsters in the area.
Tim’s story is inspirational
– what legacy are you all
hoping to achieve from this
exceptional achievement?
Tim is keen to inspire young
people to follow a career in
a scientific subject, not necessarily
space but science generally. And to
realise this is for anybody, for anyone
that can put their mind to it. Now that
the mission is over and he is back on
earth, his work goes on in spreading the
message to young people about exciting
opportunities – not just in space, but any
field that they want to succeed in. That
was his big message – I can do it and so
can you.
What would be Tim’s one piece of
advice his
exceptional experience?
His message is simply ‘If you have a dream, follow it’. It could be acting, a
politician, whatever you decide to set
your dreams on. Tim came up with
the famous phrase at one of his press
conferences ‘You’re looking at a boy that
went to a village primary school, left with
three below average A levels’ and has
now just come back from a six month
mission in space. His phrase was ‘Don’t
let anybody tell you, you can’t do it. You
can do anything’. It’s as simple as that.
Perseverance and hard work will get you
there.
Tim described his journey back to
Earth as “the best ride I’ve been on,
ever” – what’s the next big ride for
Tim now he is back on planet earth?
To go back again, Tim would go back in
a heartbeat if he had the opportunity
to. He thoroughly enjoyed it and all the
experiments. And of course if
you go back a second time you
are much more efficient, you
know where everything is and
you settle down much more
quickly. Tim would love the
opportunity to go back to the
International Space Station.
How did it feel, seeing Tim
return to earth?
It was another surreal moment
in a surreal six months. You
suddenly realise that this
craft coming down through
the atmosphere, hurtling back towards
earth, has your son in it, which is quite a
strange feeling. It was such a relief when
it landed and we could see them pop out
of the hatch and see that everything was
okay.
An Extraordinary Journey
Irwin Mitchell Private Wealth is proud to sponsor the
exhibition ‘An Extraordinary Journey’, celebrating Tim
Peake, Britain’s first European Space Agency astronaut. Tim
Peake has backed the exhibition launched in December at
The Novium Museum in Chichester, his home town. The exhibition
recreates Tim’s astronomical adventure and follows his
journey into space. His father, Nigel Peake, who still lives in
the Chichester District, is part of the project group behind
the exhibition.
Visitors can expect to begin their journey of discovery
by stepping into the museum’s rocket lift and being
transported into the ‘outer space’ level. There they will find
out about the Soyuz rocket, watch the moment that Tim
was blasted into space, and discover what it’s like to live,
eat, sleep and even exercise in the International Space
Station.
Craig Marshall, Chief Executive, Irwin Mitchell Private
Wealth, said “Celebrating Tim’s exceptional achievement
was a fantastic way to mark the end of an exceptional year
for the Irwin Mitchell Group.
“Irwin Mitchell Private Wealth is proud to be part
of Chichester’s vibrant local community – and we are
delighted to be supporting the Tim Peake exhibition.”
Winter 2017
Published: 31/01/2017
For general enquiries
0808 291 3524
Or we can call you back at a time of your choice
Phone lines are open 24/7, 365 days a year
