Updated 2pm Wednesday: 

SIR Chris Bonington will now not be performing his show, Sir Chris Bonington: Life & Times at the Regent Centre at 7.30pm. The explorer’s show has had to be postponed until Tuesday, 27 January 2015 owing to ill health.

The Regent Centre management regret any inconvenience caused to ticket holders and they may retain their tickets and use them on the re-arranged date for the show next year.  Alternatively, if anyone would prefer a refund, please bring the tickets to the Regent Centre Box Office in person or ring the Box Office on 01202 499199.

A spokeman from the venue told the Daily Echo: “Everyone at the Regent Centre wishes Sir Chris Bonington a speedy recovery and we are all looking forward to his show on Tuesday, January 27.”

The show will be replaced with the film Walking on Sunshine (12A) will now show at 2.30pm & 7.30pm.

THERE is a rare chance to meet one of the world’s greatest mountaineers when Sir Chris Bonington brings his Life and Times audio visual lecture tour to the Regent Centre in Christchurch tomorrow at 7.30pm.

Sir Chris Bonington is Britain’s best-known mountaineer and one of the most successful expedition leaders in history.

He began climbing at the age of 16 and has undertaken 19 Himalayan expeditions, including four to the roof of the world on Mount Everest.

He is also renowned for having made many first ascents in the Alps and numerous other first ascents amongst the great mountain ranges around the world, including the infamous Ogre, on the south face of the Annapurna in the Himalayas.

Sir Chris’ other famous first ascent climbs include: the first British ascent of the South West Pillar of the Aiguille du Dru in 1958; the first ascent of the Central Pillar of Freney on the south side of Mont Blanc in 1961 and the first ascent of the Old Man of Hoy, the iconic sea stack off the coast of Scotland, in 1966.

Sir Chris re-climbed the Old Man of Hoy this year to mark his 80th birthday and to raise funds for Motor Neurone Disease.

Sir Chris was the first mountaineer to take to the lecture circuit but it has been 20 years since he last toured regularly. This autumn, Chris will be presenting a Life and Times audio visual account, covering his 60 years spent in the mountains.

Using original images and raw footage from his journeys, this is a rare opportunity to hear about some of the greatest expeditions of the 20th century. Sir Chris Bonington – Life and Times is presented by Speakers from the Edge and is sponsored by Berghaus and Cotswold Outdoor.

The show will chart the achievements of a man who since the age of 16 has been a tank commander, a Yeti hunter, a caribou hunter with the Inuit on Baffin Island in the Canadian Arctic and of course, a master mountaineer.

For tickets, contact the Regent Centre on 01202 499199.