My Haven SIR RANULPH FIENNES

The record-breaking explorer, 76, in the sitting room of his farm on Exmoor, Somerset

1 OUT OF AFRICA

Here are my parents on their wedding day. I never knew my father, also Ranulph, because he died fighting in Italy in 1943, four months before I was born. He was commanding the Royal Scots Greys tank regiment and from childhood I wanted to emulate him. After the war I lived with my mother Audrey and my grandmother in South Africa. When granny died we returned to England and I was packed off to Eton where I had to stamp out my South African accent.

2 WARRIOR

The fossils (above), axe-heads and arrowheads, in the fireplace are from a 1991 trip to southern Arabia in search of the wealthy Lost City of Ubar. I also have several old guns as mementos of my time in the British Army, from 1963-1971. I spent the last two years seconded to the Army of the Sultanate of Oman, fighting a Marxist insurgency. I led several raids deep into rebel-held territory, winning the Sultan’s Bravery Medal.

3 A KING, A BEATLE AND ME

In 1984 I entered the Guinness Book of Records World Hall of Fame as ‘the world’s greatest living explorer’, because I had more exploration records than anyone else. I’m pictured here (back row, left) with Paul Mccartney (front, right) and tennis champion Billie Jean King (back, centre). I was limping when I received the award from Norris Mcwhirter and David Frost (front, centre) because I had frostbite in one foot.

4 GLOBE-TROTTER

My first wife Ginny, who died of stomach cancer in 2004, gave me this toy pig and I’ve taken it on all my expeditions as a lucky talisman. It’s been up the north face of the Eiger and even to the top of Mount Everest. Ginny used to accompany me on all my expeditions as base leader, but after 20 years she started our little farm. Even then, she still maintained contact with me on expeditions because she kept a high-frequency radio on a mast, and was superb at Morse code. She did some incredible scientific work and was the first woman to receive the Polar Medal from the Queen.

5 GRUESOME TASK

While travelling solo in Canada in 2000, en route to the North Pole, my sleigh slipped into the sea and became trapped under a slab of ice. To retrieve it, I had to reach into the sea and the tips of my fingers and thumb on my left hand became instantly frostbitten. When I returned home, I was told I’d have to wait five months to have them amputated, but the pain was excruciating when I touched anything so I bought a saw and cut off the mummified remains, which I keep in this yellow tub. My physiotherapist said I’d done a good job. My surgeon wasn’t so happy.

6 ANIMAL KINGDOM

This is my daughter Elizabeth, 14, on her pony Batman. It was wonderful becoming a father at 62, with my second wife, Louise. Elizabeth wants to be a vet. She made headlines last summer when she gave a passionate speech in London calling for a ban on trophy hunting. A love of animals runs in the family because my wife is a horse trainer and breeder, and Elizabeth looks after Shetland ponies on our farm. I don’t think she’s interested in my achievements though!