February 28th, 2019

Sometimes you get really lucky and meet amazing people and in that moment in time you make a real connection. On this occasion it was Jane Goodall, a primatologist and anthropologist and the world expert on Chimpanzees. She was in Scotland to receive the Edinburgh Medal at the City Chambers in the summer of 1991. I was at the ready with my lights set and my Hasselblad ready to shoot of a roll of twelve negatives. The rooms in the building are grand and filled with the history of the Edinburgh forefathers and the achievements made 99% male. Jane had just delivered her lecture and retired unaccompanied to a private room to have her official photograph taken. I do not remember all of our conversations but she was cheeky, funny and mischievous just like the portrait portrays. I gained a degree in Biological Science from Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh in 1982 and knew fine damn well who Jane Goodall was and was ready for what was an experience and time that well met my expectations. She joked about wearing a dress and being in such a fine building and how that compared to being in the field where she spent all of her time. Being photographed in her finery flipped her role of chimpanzee photographer. Jane is 57 year old at this time and still relatively an attractive woman, I could not resist to flirt a bit. She was relaxed and happy to be away from the Edinburgh worthies and I was very privileged to enjoy her company for a wee bit time. I was also lucky enough to be given a copy of her booklet The Chimpanzee, The Living Link Between 'Man' and 'Beast'. The Third Edinburgh Medal Address published by Edinburgh University Press ISBN 0 7486 0354 9

Chimpanzees are endangered and the way things are going it is highly likely that they will not be in the wild for ever. If a wild will even exist. Jane spends her life studying how the chimps engage with the world and I am sure she would agree that they are in danger because of us humans. But are we not responsible for the diversity and preservation of all animals? And speciesism in relation to veganism would be morally wrong. Why eat a cow and not your dog? Anyway Jane makes fantastic efforts in her work. She has also launched a vegan clothing range with Leonardo DiCaprio to raise funds.

1992 was just as good fun, this time it was Heinz Wolff, but that's another story