Latest news with #JudiDench
Daily Mail
10 hours ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Dame Judi Dench and Carey Mulligan urge Keir Starmer to free British man who's been trapped in Egypt prison for the past 10 years
Dame Judi Dench and Carey Mulligan have urged the Prime Minister to take stronger action to free a British-Egyptian man who has been trapped inside a Cairo prison for ten years. Alaa Abd el Fattah, 43, has been imprisoned in Wadi El Natrun prison in Cairo after being arrested for his activist work in support of democracy and human rights in the country. Mr Abd el Fattah was jailed on terrorism charges in 2019 following a social media post about torture which saw him repost a claim that a fellow prisoner had died. He has been in prison for the best part of the last decade after his arrest in the aftermath of a military coup in 2013. His family had hoped he would be released at the end of his five-year sentence in September 2024, but unusually, the Egyptian government has kept him incarcerated, refusing to count his time on remand as part of his sentence. His mother Laila Soueif, 69, has been on hunger strike for 247 days in protest over his continued detention and, speaking from her London hospital bed today, said she is prepared to die to try and get him released. Ms Soueif is so weak she was rushed to hospital last week but continues to refuse all forms of glucose treatment. Now leading figures across the entertainment and culture industries have added their signatures to a letter to Sir Keir Starmer urging him 'to take bold, immediate action to save her life and to re-unite Alaa with his family', adding: 'It is almost too late.' National treasure Dame Judi Dench added her signature to the letter this week, as did actress Carey Mullingon and singer Marcus Mumford, of Mumford and Sons. Other arts heavyweights to lend their support are actors Brian Cox and Bill Nighy, author Sally Rooney and artist and 2024 Turner Prize winner Jasleen Kaur. The letter reads: 'We are cultural figures from around the world, watching with dismay as Dr. Laila Soueif risks death to save her son - the writer, Alaa Abd el-Fattah. 'Alaa should never have been imprisoned in the first place. He is an internationally respected writer and a brave advocate for democracy. He has now lost over ten years of his life to the prison cell. 'His most recent prison sentence expired on September 29 2024 - yet he is still behind bars. Laila, his mother, went on hunger strike that day. She will not eat again until her son is free. 'Prime Minister, we are asking you to take bold, immediate action to save her life and to re-unite Alaa with his family. It is almost too late.' Mr Abd el Fattah's cousin Omar Hamilton told MailOnline: 'There's been such an outpouring of solidarity from around the world for Laila and Alaa - I think it's really what is keeping Laila alive. 'Every message of support is giving her hope and pushing her on. But at the same time the reality is Laila is still in a critical condition in hospital. 'Every time she falls asleep the doctors are worried she'll slip into a coma - so we really don't have long left for the Prime Minister to get this deal done and bring Alaa home to his family.' The dire warning came as doctors warned over the weekend that Ms Soueif is at 'immediate' risk of unconsciousness and sudden death after her blood sugar dropped to 0.6 mmol/L, as well as irreversible damage to her organs. But faced with the risks, Ms Soueif is determined to see her son freed before she resumes consuming calories, heartbreakingly telling reporters: 'My message is: use my death as leverage to get Alaa out.' Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to do everything he can to secure Mr Abd el Fattah's release, but his family say he is not doing enough Notable signatures on letter to PM Brian Cox (actor) and his wife, Nicole Ansari Cox Judi Dench (actor) Gareth Evans (actor) Joseph Fiennes (actor) Rebecca Hall (actor) Jasleen Kaur (artist) Robert Macfarlane (writer) Carey Mulligan (actor) Marcus Mumford (singer) Bill Nighy (actor) Sally Rooney (writer) Burhan Sönmez (writer, head of PEN International) Morgan Spector (actor) Adam Thirlwell (writer) Cat Villiers (film producer) Emily Watson (actor) Gary Younge (journalist) Speaking from her hospital bed on BBC Radio 4 this morning, Ms Soueif commented on the risk she may not survive her strike: 'It's something that I passionately don't want to happen. Children want a mother, not a notorious mother, whether the notoriety is good or bad. 'But if that's what it takes to get Alaa out of jail and to get all my children and grandchildren's life back on track, then that's what I'm going to do.' During his detention he has regularly been on hunger strike, often joined by his mother Ms Soueif, who has campaigned tirelessly for his release. Ms Soueif, who has lost 42 percent of her bodyweight and now weighs just 49kg since going on hunger strike in September when her son was not released, has not consumed food for 247 days. She was admitted to St Thomas' hospital in London in February and received a glucose drip which is thought to have saved her life, and she was discharged after agreeing to consume 300 calories per day. But she resumed a full hunger strike on May 20 after criticising a lack of progress on freeing her son. Ms Soueif was hospitalised on Thursday and received glucagon, a hormone used to treat severe hypoglycaemia, as well as intravenous electrolytes. She has refused glucose treatment and has begun giving her farewells to loved ones, her family says. Speaking to the BBC, her daughter Sanaa Seif said: 'No-one understands how she's still conscious. It's very scary. 'She's talking to us about life after she's gone. She's started to do her farewells.' In a press conference outside the hospital on Tuesday, Ms Seif added that her mother's blood sugar was still very low but that she was conscious. She said: 'She is fighting and I hope the Foreign Office uses this time her body has given us well.' Ms Seif said she was supposed to have flown to Cairo on Tuesday to see her brother but stayed to be with her mother. She had received two letters from Mr Abd El-Fattah - one of which was 'very confused and short', saying simply 'Take care of yourself'. 'I am really worried about him,' she said. She also said she wanted to save her mother's life but understands her position 'as a mother'. Ms Seif said: 'The only reason she cares about staying alive is us. She doesn't want to go on living life like this and I understand that.' Ms Seif accused the Foreign Office of not working fast enough and claimed no one from the Prime Minister's office had been in touch directly about the state of negotiations for around three weeks. She said: 'We are going by the hour; they were measuring her vitals by the hour, at some point every 15 minutes. I expressed my frustration how it is insane that they (the Government) are taking weeks. They have not told me they have changed their pace.' Ms Seif added: 'I imagine that means they don't have much to say.' She also urged Foreign Secretary David Lammy to follow through on what he said when in opposition and limit the Egyptian ambassador's access to Whitehall. Conservative former minister Sir John Whittingdale, who is a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, told the Today programme Mr Abd El-Fattah was a 'political activist' who had not committed 'any crime that we would recognise'. He said Mr Lammy was 'outspoken' in opposition but that his action in Government since then 'simply hasn't had an effect'. Sir John also called on the Foreign Office to change its travel advice for Egypt to warn Britons there is a risk they could 'fall foul of the Egyptian authorities'. 'Egypt gets a huge income from tourism, a lot of that tourism comes from Britain and I think that might well put the pressure on that is obviously needed,' he said. Mr Abd el Fattah's case has been brought up in the House of Commons several times by MP John McDonnell, and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to do everything he can to put pressure on Egypt to release him. Starmer spoke with the Egyptian President on February 28 and 'pressed for his release', Downing Street said. Foreign Secretary David Lammy then also spoke to his counterpart on April 9. Last month, John McDonnell raised Alaa's case with the Prime Minister at PMQs, with Starmer telling MPs: 'I have met Laila and given her my commitment to do everything I possibly can. I have had a number of contacts myself, but I am not going to stop doing everything within my power to secure release.' The UN ruled last week that Mr Abd el Fattah had been arrested for exercising his right to freedom of expression and also called for his immediate release. The family plan to give an update on Ms Soueif's health outside St Thomas' Hospital in London this morning. They will be joined by UK Parliamentarians including Vice-Chairs of the APPG on Arbitrary Detention and Hostage Affairs Brendan O'Hara MP and Tim Roca MP, as well as John McDonnell MP and Siân Berry MP. More than 100 Parliamentarians last month signed a letter calling for Starmer to take urgent action over the case. It gave a worrying glimpse into Ms Soueif's condition: 'We write with mounting concern about the lack of concrete progress on Alaa's case, more than two months after your call with President Sisi. 'Time is in desperately short supply in this case. Alaa has been acutely unwell in prison, experiencing vomiting, stomach pains, dizziness and blurred vision. 'Meanwhile, Laila's health continues to deteriorate. She has not eaten proper food for more than seven months. 'Prime Minister, we remain gravely concerned about the implications for Alaa's family if the path to resolve his case and secure his release cannot be found very soon. 'There is also no doubt in our minds that if the health of Laila or Alaa is further damaged by this ordeal, this would have serious long-term implications for the British-Egyptian bilateral relationship. 'We urge you to deploy every tool at your Government's disposal at this vital stage. We offer our support to your efforts on behalf of Alaa and his family in any way needed.'
News.com.au
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Common tea mistake Aussies are making
As winter approaches, few pleasures rival the comfort of dipping a biscuit into a steaming cup of tea. For tea enthusiasts, this simple ritual is the ultimate afternoon pick-me-up. However, according to the experts, many of us might not be doing it correctly. Suzy Garraghan, Senior Tea Buyer and Leading Tea Expert at Yorkshire Tea, has shared her insider tips for the perfect tea dunk – from the ideal angle and temperature to the best biscuit textures for the job. Yes, there is an art to it! As Judi Dench's character memorably explains in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel: 'It means lowering the biscuit into the tea, letting it soak in there, and trying to calculate the exact moment before the biscuit dissolves, when you whip it up into your mouth and enjoy the blissful union of biscuits and tea combined'. So, let's get into it. 1. It's all about the angle According to Ms Garraghan, the trick to the perfect dunk starts even before the tea is poured. 'Whether you opt for a teacup or a mug, make sure it's wide-brimmed,' she advises. 'This will allow you to dunk your biscuit at the right angle.' If you're a 'down-dunker', you might be surprised to hear you've been dunking your biscuit wrong all this time. Apparently, you want to dunk at an almost horizontal angle, so only one side of the biscuit gets soaked. This way, the biscuit will remain stronger, allowing for repetitive dunks without any soggy disasters. 2. Choose your tea wisely Understandably, when you dunk a biscuit, it absorbs the quality and strength of the tea's flavour, so it's crucial to choose wisely! 'It ultimately comes down to personal preference, but for me, proper dunking teas are top class, peak season Assam teas like Yorkshire Gold, which are full-bodied and rich in 'gutty' strength and malty notes,' Ms Garraghan says. 3. Check the temperature Monitoring the temperature of your tea is a game-changer for perfecting your dunking technique. 'The warmth of the tea dissolves the biscuit's sugar, fat and starch, so the biscuit will eventually collapse under its own weight,' she explains. 'Temperature, therefore, is often responsible for our drowned dunking pursuits.' The hotter the tea, the quicker the biscuit will dissolve, so Ms Garraghan suggests 85 degrees as the optimum temperature for your brew, but the perfect temperature will depend on your biscuit of choice (more on that soon). 4. Watch the clock The optimum dunking time shares a similar predicament to the ideal dunking temperature – it depends heavily on the biscuit variety. 'No matter which partners you choose, never dunk for less than two seconds or more than five seconds – and don't forget to monitor for signs of biscuit collapse!' Ms Garraghan urges. 'For a Gingernut, I recommend around three to five seconds. For a Tim Tam or a Digestive, no more than two to three seconds as these varieties are less solid and will dissolve and make a mess faster.' 5. Pick your biscuit Now the question you've all been waiting for … which biscuits are the best for dunking? While it ultimately comes down to personal preference, the tea expert does have some favourites. 'Gingernuts are dry and hard on their own, but with tea, they become beautifully chewy,' Ms Garraghan explains. 'The flavour means they're not universally liked, but they are excellent value for the keen dunker due to being solid enough to be dipped, bitten and dipped again'. Her runners-up include Digestives, for their semi-sweet flavour and crumbly texture, and Tim Tams, which create the delicious mix of tea, chocolate and biscuit all at once.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
Judi Dench celebrates after community secures site
The future of a site of natural interest in North Yorkshire has been secured, after being taken over by the local community, campaigners have said. The Upper Ouse Conservation Trust (UOCT) raised £275,000 in just four weeks in order to purchase Townend Field in Great Ouseburn, near Boroughbridge. The 20-acre site features wetland habitats, native woodland, a stream and ancient trees including an iconic oak. Dame Judi Dench, who has family links to the area and lent her support to the campaign, called the achievement a "celebration": "I'm very, very pleased and I shall be raising several glasses of champagne to you all!" "We've saved the field and we've saved the tree," the Oscar-winning actress said, in a video message. The UOCT, which was set up by residents in February, will now focus on establishing a nature reserve on the land, the trust said. "It's a fantastic achievement, but I think the main emotion we're feeling is very thankful," said operations trustee Graeme Jackson. He said it was a "special area for a lot of people" in the community, highlighting the area's "extremely diverse" range of habitats. Mr Jackson said those who had contributed to the fund had recognised the importance of "giving the kids half an acre of green space to play in, to give some community access to the place, and to preserve and enhance it for wildlife". The area will include an area dedicated to nearby Great Ouseburn Primary School, with further fundraising under way to maintain a traditional stone boundary, develop wildlife habitats and create footpaths. One footpath is to be named "Judi's Walk" in recognition of Dame Judi's support of the project, Mr Jackson said. "She's been a huge help." He added: "If you get together and organise, you can do it - because we did!" Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. Dame Judi Dench supports nature reserve purchase Plans for floating wildlife habitat approved Landscape that inspired Dickens made nature reserve Upper Ouse Conservation Trust
The Advertiser
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
Dame Judi Dench forever grateful for her acting career
Dame Judi Dench is eternally grateful for her acting career. The 90-year-old actress has been a fixture on both screen and stage since the 1950s but still feels fortunate to be in a profession that she loves. Dame Judi told My Weekly magazine: "I feel very lucky to be part of the two per cent of people who wanted to do something and were able to make a living at it. "I never cease to be grateful of the fact that I am able to do a job that I really love – I never got over that. ... the key to happiness is gratitude." Her ability to work has been limited by the macular degeneration that has badly affected her eyesight, although she remains "in love with life". The former James Bond actress said: "Be thankful for what you have, and you'll find abundance in every aspect of your life. I'm in love with life even though it is a beautiful mess – but that's what makes it so incredible." Dame Judi is widely seen as a national treasure in Britain but she jokingly sees the title in another way. She said: "It's dusty and dreary. It's like I've been picked up and put inside a little glass-fronted cabinet. Then they've locked the door so I can't get out." Dame Judi revealed earlier in 2025 that she lost her voice for two days after being scared by a close encounter with a snake when she starred in a 1987 production of Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra. The Oscar-winner, who was playing the female lead in the play, told the BBC Radio 4 documentary 'Roleplay': "One night, the boys taking me [carrying me] kept hissing. I was wondering what on earth was going on. "Then, back on stage at the very end of the play, the snake fell out of my wig as I did my bow. I was so scared I lost my voice for two days." Dame Judi Dench is eternally grateful for her acting career. The 90-year-old actress has been a fixture on both screen and stage since the 1950s but still feels fortunate to be in a profession that she loves. Dame Judi told My Weekly magazine: "I feel very lucky to be part of the two per cent of people who wanted to do something and were able to make a living at it. "I never cease to be grateful of the fact that I am able to do a job that I really love – I never got over that. ... the key to happiness is gratitude." Her ability to work has been limited by the macular degeneration that has badly affected her eyesight, although she remains "in love with life". The former James Bond actress said: "Be thankful for what you have, and you'll find abundance in every aspect of your life. I'm in love with life even though it is a beautiful mess – but that's what makes it so incredible." Dame Judi is widely seen as a national treasure in Britain but she jokingly sees the title in another way. She said: "It's dusty and dreary. It's like I've been picked up and put inside a little glass-fronted cabinet. Then they've locked the door so I can't get out." Dame Judi revealed earlier in 2025 that she lost her voice for two days after being scared by a close encounter with a snake when she starred in a 1987 production of Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra. The Oscar-winner, who was playing the female lead in the play, told the BBC Radio 4 documentary 'Roleplay': "One night, the boys taking me [carrying me] kept hissing. I was wondering what on earth was going on. "Then, back on stage at the very end of the play, the snake fell out of my wig as I did my bow. I was so scared I lost my voice for two days." Dame Judi Dench is eternally grateful for her acting career. The 90-year-old actress has been a fixture on both screen and stage since the 1950s but still feels fortunate to be in a profession that she loves. Dame Judi told My Weekly magazine: "I feel very lucky to be part of the two per cent of people who wanted to do something and were able to make a living at it. "I never cease to be grateful of the fact that I am able to do a job that I really love – I never got over that. ... the key to happiness is gratitude." Her ability to work has been limited by the macular degeneration that has badly affected her eyesight, although she remains "in love with life". The former James Bond actress said: "Be thankful for what you have, and you'll find abundance in every aspect of your life. I'm in love with life even though it is a beautiful mess – but that's what makes it so incredible." Dame Judi is widely seen as a national treasure in Britain but she jokingly sees the title in another way. She said: "It's dusty and dreary. It's like I've been picked up and put inside a little glass-fronted cabinet. Then they've locked the door so I can't get out." Dame Judi revealed earlier in 2025 that she lost her voice for two days after being scared by a close encounter with a snake when she starred in a 1987 production of Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra. The Oscar-winner, who was playing the female lead in the play, told the BBC Radio 4 documentary 'Roleplay': "One night, the boys taking me [carrying me] kept hissing. I was wondering what on earth was going on. "Then, back on stage at the very end of the play, the snake fell out of my wig as I did my bow. I was so scared I lost my voice for two days." Dame Judi Dench is eternally grateful for her acting career. The 90-year-old actress has been a fixture on both screen and stage since the 1950s but still feels fortunate to be in a profession that she loves. Dame Judi told My Weekly magazine: "I feel very lucky to be part of the two per cent of people who wanted to do something and were able to make a living at it. "I never cease to be grateful of the fact that I am able to do a job that I really love – I never got over that. ... the key to happiness is gratitude." Her ability to work has been limited by the macular degeneration that has badly affected her eyesight, although she remains "in love with life". The former James Bond actress said: "Be thankful for what you have, and you'll find abundance in every aspect of your life. I'm in love with life even though it is a beautiful mess – but that's what makes it so incredible." Dame Judi is widely seen as a national treasure in Britain but she jokingly sees the title in another way. She said: "It's dusty and dreary. It's like I've been picked up and put inside a little glass-fronted cabinet. Then they've locked the door so I can't get out." Dame Judi revealed earlier in 2025 that she lost her voice for two days after being scared by a close encounter with a snake when she starred in a 1987 production of Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra. The Oscar-winner, who was playing the female lead in the play, told the BBC Radio 4 documentary 'Roleplay': "One night, the boys taking me [carrying me] kept hissing. I was wondering what on earth was going on. "Then, back on stage at the very end of the play, the snake fell out of my wig as I did my bow. I was so scared I lost my voice for two days."
The Guardian
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘I don't have a relationship with my face': Judi Dench models for a live sculpture
It began as a blob: a 12kg lump of clay the size of a watermelon. Three hours later, it had become Judi Dench's head, 50% larger than usual, twinkle-eyed even in terracotta. At Claridge's hotel in London on Monday evening, Frances Segelman hosted her latest ticking-clock sculpt: paying guests watch as she kneads a celebrity bust on stage, the subject sitting quietly beside her. In the past, Segelman has done Simon Rattle, Joan Collins, Joanna Lumley, Boris Johnson, Mr Motivator and major-league royals, almost always for charity. This was a fundraiser for lymphoedema research. Ticket sales raised over £20,000 and it's hoped that, when it's cast in bronze, the finished piece will fetch double that (St George's hospital Charity in Tooting, London, has begun accepting bids). The pair began a little before the audience arrived, sitting on a platform in the hotel's mirrored, slightly chilly art deco ballroom. Segelman, 76, glamorous in black lace gown despite mucky hands; Dench, 90, immaculate in cream coat with grey shawl and sausage-shaped water bottle. Another throw appeared courtesy of her daughter, Finty Williams. 'Oooh hello!' said Dench. 'I'm swathed in blankets, that's wonderful, thank you.' Beside her were a cappuccino, bouquet and numbered helium balloons in honour of last December's landmark birthday - in fact, she'll soon be nearer 91. The lump became flesh. Nostrils were poked out, Covid swab-style. Segelman measured Dench's skull using wooden tongs and metal callipers – half tailor, half surgeon. 'It's weird,' said Williams. 'At first, it didn't look like her. Then after 10 minutes I was like: 'Oh yes, that is Ma.'' It wasn't unnerving? 'I'm quite used to seeing her bigger than she normally is.' Then the binbags of sludge were removed and guests entered: around 200 supporters of the lymphoedema charity, which has been working with Dench's friend, photographer Gemma Levine. They first met in 1989, when Levine was dispatched to snap Dench at the National Theatre, who was playing Gertrude opposite Daniel Day-Lewis's Hamlet. 'We kept in touch,' says Levine. 'And once I had lymphoedema I kept asking Judi to do events and she never said no.' Levine studied under Henry Moore. His 'hard' art would have been a bad fit for her friend, she thinks. 'Judi's a great subject. She's a true professional and someone with great depth and sensibility and humour. I don't know anyone else like that – and I know a lot of film and theatre people.' An address about lymphoedema began the evening proper: its causes, symptoms, incidence and cost to the NHS of late diagnosis. It is, said Dr Peter Mortimer of St George's, a 'hidden epidemic' with 'little recognition'. He talked the audience through elephantiasis and how 'a big arm, following lymph gland removal after breast cancer surgery' can be fatal should the swelling spread to the central organs. Waiters offered fizz and nibbles. Segelman then spoke, asking the audience to mingle while she worked. ('Talk makes me quicker.') They duly milled, and debated in spitting distance of the artist how she was doing. 'It's like focus,' said one accountant. 'It goes in and out. It's out at the moment, but it'll go back in.' His favourite Dench role was M in Skyfall; informal canvassing of the crowd for her key performances saw a big win for the James Bond films, but also strong results for the sitcoms As Time Goes By and A Fine Romance, as well as the Iris Murdoch biopic (there were a lot of doctors in the room). One GP reported he'd seen almost all her Shakespeare productions and been in love with her for four decades, while the composer Karl Jenkins – whose music soundtracked some of the evening – remembered seeing Dench in Twelfth Night when he was a schoolboy. There was quiet as Simon Callow recited Christina Rossetti's A Birthday. Were Maggie Smith present, he said, 'she'd say how wonderful it's been today to watch Judi turn into a monument'. Williams read a self-penned poem to her mother, To the Moon and Back, which brought both women – and a few others – to tears. A soprano sang Happy Birthday. Cake came. As the evening wore on, Dench swapped her coffee for champagne. She did not speak publicly but, during a brief break, told the Guardian she was enjoying the experience, despite her macular degeneration now being so advanced she would be unable to assess the results. 'I can't see a thing,' she said. 'I can't really see your face and you're right in front of me.' She gestured round. 'I'm just in the play. I sit on the stage. It's very nice and Frances is brilliant, as is the charity. I just hear this sea of friendly people.' Her sense of her own features hasn't changed with age. 'I don't have a relationship with my face,' she said. 'Never have!' If she couldn't appreciate the finished bust visually, would she have a feel? An impish grin. 'If they let me.' And as Segelman fiddled with the chin and entered the final furlong, Dench did toy with a spare ball of terracotta. 'When she got hold of that clay,' said Segelman later, 'she was loving it. She could do something with it.' It's not just a passing interest, reports Williams. Her mother attends a weekly art class that includes pottery. Like Segelman, Dench prefers figurative work – just last week, says Williams, she shaped a little Bottom from A Midsummer Night's Dream. Finally the head was complete. Segelman would make some small tweaks in her studio the next day, she said, as an assistant spritzed it. 'But I'm not worried. It went well. I didn't meet Judi before I sculpted her. That's hard. But she was so sweet and kind and she never moved.' Segelman was surprised by her youthfulness. 'She has a cuteness. Pixie-like.' Williams concurred. 'I think Ma's got like quite an elvish little face and I think a lot of people want her to take up more space than she does. To give her a bigger, cookie cutter outline.' Her verdict was complimentary, especially the jawline. And what does she think her mother would make of it? 'She's a Quaker so she's not a big fan of looking at herself. And she wouldn't really be able to see it any more. But I think she'll love touching it.' As everyone headed out of the ballroom, two footmen edged gently by, bearing a huge metal box containing Dench's still-wet supersized head. Guests gulped and shrank back. The possibility of a slip was a sobering thought on the way to the exit.
