Dinner is served - at 15,500 feet up!

From the archive, first published Tuesday 9th Jan 2007.

Madcap fundraiser Tom Bottomley reached the peak of his charitable activities when he ate dinner on the slopes of Africa's highest mountain.

The 38-year-old insurance company director hosted the festive four-course dinner party with five friends from America and London just before trekking the final 4,000 feet to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Mr Bottomley's zany bid on Christmas Day has brought in more than £5,000 of sponsorship for the Marie Curie Cancer Care charity to help nurses care for patients across West Yorkshire.

The Horsforth businessman sat down to the dinner wearing formal evening dress and even hauled a custom made table and chairs, candelabra, cutlery, glasses and white silk tablecloth with him for the meal at the Kibo Hut campsite at a height of about 15,500ft.

The menu included smoked turkey, sprouts, Christmas cake, cheese and port.

Mr Bottomley and his dining pals had to struggle through blizzards and put up with altitude sickness to dish it up.

Once the meal was washed down with port, the intrepid diners set off at midnight for a gruelling eight-hour ascent to the 19,340ft summit.

Mr Bottomley said: "The weather was awful. It was freezing cold and we had a dreadful time with thunderstorms, pouring rain, sleet and snow and wet tents and sleeping bags. But we battled through and had a lovely dinner during a break in the weather at Kibo.

"I was chuffed to bits to be able to toast our success on the top of the volcano, although our guides were a bit bemused by the whole escapade."

He added: "My mother worked in hospices and I have a passionate belief in terminal care. Every £20 you raise for Marie Curie you know you are paying for one hour of care for somebody."

His other fundraising stunts include another high-altitude meal in May 2004 when he and friends set a Guinness World Record by having a formal dinner on Everest at 22,300 ft, beating a previous record set by an Australian team in 1989.

He also cycled solo almost 3,000 miles from Iceland to Africa to raise money for Marie Curie.

Brian Curran, the charity's community fundraising manager, said: "Tom has certainly reached some remarkable fundraising heights. It never ceases to amaze me the lengths Tom will go to support the charity."

To see more pictures of the escapade go to www.christmasonkili.net and to donate money visit www.justgiving.com/Christmas OnKili.

e-mail: kathie.griffiths@bradford.newsquest.co.uk