• From August 23, 2005

He may have been just 11 years old but George Atkinson was celebrating scaling Africa’s highest peak after leaving his mountaineer father in his wake.

Intrepid and seemingly tireless, George, of Manor Drive, Surbiton, did his parents proud by conquering snow-capped Kilimanjaro, and raised hundreds for a children’s hospice in Guildford.

“He is only 11 so he had to have special permission from the national park,” said his mother Penny, who flew out from Heathrow to meet the two adventurers after they finished the climb.

“His dad [Mark, 46] used to be a climber so it’s amazing he didn’t make it. Especially when it is children who are supposed to suffer more from altitude sickness.”

The tour guides had to employ an extra porter in case George had to be taken from the Tanzanian mountain.

But, although he suffered altitude sickness on the last day, he soldiered on to the summit.

This was not the first time young George had had people in awe of his hiking ability. By the age of seven he had climbed Snowdon, Scafell Pike, Ben Nevis and Slieve Donard, the highest peaks in each of the four UK countries.

He had also climbed two mountains over 10,000ft in Italy – on one he had to attach himself to metal tails [a climbing aid] because it was so perilous.

George was among the youngest people to conquer Kilimanjaro, though the record belonged to two nine-year-old American boys.

Mrs Atkinson said: “We are very proud of him. He is a really good walker.

“He only walks to school normally. But he has lots of energy. You get tired watching him. Walking is one of the things we do as a family.”

Climbing one of the world’s most majestic mountains is reward enough for most people, but George used the six-day trip to raise funds for the Christopher’s Children’s Hospice in Guildford too.

  • 50 YEARS AGO: August 21, 1965

A Worcester Park air cadet came back from the trip of a lifetime. David Marlow, 18, had shaken the hand of US President Lyndon Johnson, met with native Americans and appeared on TV and radio. He was on an international exchange trip.

  • 25 YEARS AGO: August 24, 1990

A bull-terrier helped rescue three people after their boat capsized in the Thames. Chubby and his owner Michael Derry were walking in Canbury Gardens when the dog spotted the boat. Chubby’s barking alerted passersby who threw life-buoys to the stranded boaters.

  • 10 YEARS AGO: August 23, 2005

Landlords were checking their pockets for change after Kingston Council backed a plan to make pubs pay for extra police in rowdy areas. The Local Government Association said it was only fair the “polluter”, not the taxpayer, picked up the bill.