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When I rode on the back of a motorbike from London to Rome with my eyes closed the entire way.
The Guardian, The Q&A, The Guardian, 7 September 2019 source ↗
The question
How close have you come to dying?Originally asked
The Guardian, to a different person each week, The Q&A
A recurring Guardian Q&A prompt asked directly across respondents and years.
You answer as yourself. Nobody on FLAPSS answers as anybody else.
Others on this question
View all 209 →
Sandi Toksvig
Danish and British broadcaster, comedian and writer
I’ve had a surprising number of near-death experiences: I was nearly blown up by a landmine in Sudan; I was stranded on the Zambezi river at night; I was bucked off a rodeo horse in Arizona and had to be airlifted to hospital; and, worst of all, I once ate a Pot Noodle.
Jo Nesbø
Norwegian writer and musician
Rock climbing in Oslo. During abseiling, I hadn’t tied a knot at the end of the rope and almost slid out. I saw the end of the rope at the last second, so I stopped abseiling.
Before I was DPP, I did a lot of work trying to get rid of the death penalty in various countries, and one was Malawi. We’d been in court in Zomba and had to get a plane in Lilongwe, about 200 miles away. We got a local taxi: the guy changed his wheels for the journey because the car wasn’t roadworthy and then hurtled at speed, mostly on the wrong side of the road. I’ve never been so terrified.
Orlando Bloom
English actor
At 20, I fell from a fourth-floor window and broke my back. For four days they said I’d never walk again, but I had a miraculous recovery.
More from Sandy Powell
View profile →To be getting paid for doing something I love.
My friend [art director] Simon Costin who, in 35 years, I’ve never once seen in a bad mood.
A daily massage.
Coffee, which is why I’ve given it up.
Not meeting David Bowie, but then they say it’s best not to meet your heroes.
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