Frostbitten and smitten

Jun 8 2008 by Robert Weatherall, Sunday Sun

ROMANTIC Jamie Wood literally walked to the end of the earth to propose to his girlfriend.

Most men pop the question by taking the love of their life out to a fancy restaurant and getting down on one knee.

But Jamie, 28, recorded his proposal on video at the North Pole . . . then played it to girlfriend Nicola Jordon when he got home.

The Northumberland farmer has recently returned from a trip to the Arctic, where he was part of a three-man team which won the Polar Challenge . . . a 350-mile race to the North Pole.

Jamie said: “I have always wanted to do an expedition such as going to the North Pole, and I decided a while back that I was probably at the right stage in my life to do it.”

Jamie stayed in contact with Nicola Jordon by satellite phone and satellite video phone.

He also made a video record of the race he was taking part in with teammates and friends Paul Moxham, an engineer from Dorset, and Angus King, a primary school headteacher from Harrogate. Jamie said: “When we were about 14 miles from the Pole, I decided I would propose to Nicola.

“I tried the satellite phone and video phone but didn’t have any luck getting a signal.

“I knew that the moment was right so I thought the only way would be to record myself and play it back later. I was frostbitten, dehydrated and sleep deprived . . . so I didn’t look my best!”

When safely back at his home in Whittingham, near Alnwick, Northumberland, Jamie sat down with 22-year-old Nicola to watch the footage he had recorded on his expedition. He said: “Nicola almost didn’t see the proposal.

“I had made her sit through about three hours of footage and she was getting tired and wanted to go to bed . . . but I convinced her to watch one last piece.

“She was a bit stunned with what was coming out of the TV, but she said ‘yes’.”

The couple are hoping to get married sometime next August and haven’t yet decided on a honeymoon destination . . . although the North Pole has been ruled out.