Puffed with pride over cigarette-free month

Published on Monday 31 August 2009 21:35

THE retired top banker who cast himself away for a month on an uninhabited Outer Hebridean island in a last-gasp bid to give-up smoking is still off cigarettes – but admits it is harder to kick the habit now he is back in civilisation.

Geoff Spice, right, left Sgarabhaigh in the Sound of Harris last Wednesday and said the next five days would be his toughest.

Having passed that milestone yesterday – and also a month without nicotine – Mr Spice, 57 now home in Ashstead, Surrey said:

"The cravings are quite bad. I expected they would be worse when I was not on the island. But I am still determined to get through and quit for good."

"If I can help inspire people to give up smoking too – that would be great. But sitting on an uninhabited island may not be the way for them to do it!"

Mr Spice, 57, former managing director, global head of treasury, at NM Rothschild in London came off Sgarabhaigh nearly a week earlier than his original target – beaten by the Hebridean gales, but not by nicotine.