To the Ends of the Earth

Matthew Parris

The fact that Matthew Parris chose to go to Kerguelen Island is perhaps not as bizarre as it at first sounds. Although many of us know him as the witty and urbane Times sketch writer, who occasionally appears on television to tear shreds off various politicians, Matthew has been a wanderer throughout his life.

Perhaps it has something to do with his exotic origins. Born in South Africa, and educated there and in Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia) as well as in Britain, Matthew completed his education at Clare College, Cambridge and then at Yale University in the US.

The lighter side

Matthew has worked in Britain for most of his life. He started out at the Foreign Office and the Conservative Research Department, and worked for Margaret Thatcher in the run-up to the 1979 general election. It was then that Matthew was elected Conservative Member of Parliament for West Derbyshire, a seat he held until he chose to give it up in 1986.

He then became presenter of Weekend World, a political interview programme for London Weekend Television – the start of a long career in political journalism, in which Matthew has focused on the lighter side of life in the corridors of power. As a political sketch writer for The Times, he has gently and not so gently mocked and ridiculed MPs of all political hues. Through his sometimes savage penmanship, he has thrown into sharp relief the farce that often prevails in House of Commons debates. Yet for all the wit, his observations of British political life often have a serious message.

Arduous treks

Despite a career that has been firmly rooted in Britain, Matthew has always had a high degree of wanderlust. He has led three expeditions to Mount Kilimanjaro – in 1967, 1989 and 1996 – as well as expeditions to Zaïre and the Sahara, both in the 1970s, and several to Peru and Bolivia. Inca-Kola, Matthew's first book, tells the tale of his Peruvian travels.

Matthew is a keen runner and has completed the London Marathon on several occasions, his best time being an impressive 2 hours and 32 minutes. His fitness has undoubtedly helped him complete the arduous treks he has undertaken. But none of his experiences quite prepared him for the challenges thrown up by Kerguelen.

Crimes and misdemeanours

In addition to Inca-Kola, Matthew has published three collections of his Times articles – So Far, So Good in 1991, Look Behind You in 1993 and I Couldn't Possibly Comment in 1997. He edited a collection of quotations about curses and jibes, entitled Scorn (1994); two revised editions, Scorn – with Added Vitriol and Scorn – with Extra Bile, followed. He has also written two books on scandals: Great Parliamentary Scandals and The Great Unfrocked, which deals with crimes and misdemeanours committed by men of the cloth.

Matthew's dream

Kerguelen Island

A history of Kerguelen

Five lonely places

Matthew Parris

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