Alasdair writes, “Last year I wrote an article entitled, An Old Stoics Diary from Peru. In this letter, I mentioned that I became a diamond driller in Canada. I am sure that many of you are wondering about this. So, I would like to confirm that I was not drilling for diamonds but operating an exploration rig that uses diamond bits to cut and core the rock. I apologise that this was not clarified! I attach a photo of me as a driller in British Columbia taken in 1979. You may note that safety was not the priority in those days that it is now, and I was the only one wearing hearing protection! Now the mining and exploration community does not contaminate the environment and has become one of the best custodians. The quality of life of the workers, including drillers, has also improved substantially.”
