The Walk: Day One. With nervous excitement about fifteen of us met outside Ely Cathedral for the send off on day one of our walk from Ely to Carrow Road, Norwich, a trip of 70 miles. The day was such a contrast to yesterday, weather-wise. The pouring rain had ceased and the morning broke crisp but clear. It was the first sunshine for many days. It couldn't have been better.
I did a live interview with Radio Cambridgeshire on my mobile phone. Then we gathered at the west door of the Cathedral for a short service. We sang a verse of Cwm Rhondda on this St David's day and then Bishop David led prayers. We stopped for a photo-shoot and then set off. The Bishop, son Daniel and Granddaughter Eden saw us to the edge of Ely. June and Hannah Reed came a little further, then the rest of us set off along the river to Prickwillow. Swans and geese swam beside us. Our path was muddy but the sun was now warm and cheering. How liberating it felt on a Monday morning to be in the bracing air, in good company and walking for a good cause.
We followed the Hereward Way to Prickwillow, past the old pumping house, now a museum, and paused for a snack. Before long we were making our way along the bank to Shippea Hill. Our vantage point from the bank opened up a vista across the flat fields of the fenland, pitch black and fertile against an enormous sky. Suddenly my mobile phone rang, it was Radio Norfolk asking to do an interview. It felt a surreal request in the middle of this remote fenland landscape.
Shippea Hill Station Car Park was our place for a welcome lunch supplied by Jim and June, our back up team. The station is still operative and trains whisked past en route to Cambridge or the Midlands.
It was a relativley short afternoon's walk, following the contour of the railway line to Sedge Fen Baptist Church. Our first day had come to an end, twelve miles had been accomplished and all felt a warm satisfaction, and the odd twinge here and there.
Wednesday, 24 February 2010
In a few days the walk will begin. It seems impossible that a mad idea in October has produced this reality. Not only so but we now have at least 15 people doing parts of the walk; four of us walking the whole way to Norwich. We have a Bishop and a famous TV Chef on board. We have people providing back up, taking shifts ferrying people to pick up points, bringing us food and generally being on stand by. We have old friends participating in an activity after not meeeting until recently for nearly forty years. We have new friendships forming. I wonder how these might be tested over the course of the week?
Day one will see us setting off from the historic Ely Cathedral towards Farthing Drove; 12.1 miles. We will be ferried home the first night. Day Two; back to Farthing Drove and head for Brandon where we will stay the night at a B&B. Day Three we will cross Thetford Forest and end up at Larling and stay at The Angel Pub. Day Four we will make for Wymondham before setting out for Norwich on day five. We will stay at the Annesley Hotel on Friday night. We are eating at the Annesley with some friends and family. We will all walk to Carrow Road for our date with Delia at 12.15pm.
Work has been so hectic of late that preparation has gone out of the window, but sights have been set and there's now no turning back. "Listen to this " said June as she read me an article tonight "there are these blokes in their 50s walking 900 miles for charity! Let's not go there! (Yet?).
Day one will see us setting off from the historic Ely Cathedral towards Farthing Drove; 12.1 miles. We will be ferried home the first night. Day Two; back to Farthing Drove and head for Brandon where we will stay the night at a B&B. Day Three we will cross Thetford Forest and end up at Larling and stay at The Angel Pub. Day Four we will make for Wymondham before setting out for Norwich on day five. We will stay at the Annesley Hotel on Friday night. We are eating at the Annesley with some friends and family. We will all walk to Carrow Road for our date with Delia at 12.15pm.
Work has been so hectic of late that preparation has gone out of the window, but sights have been set and there's now no turning back. "Listen to this " said June as she read me an article tonight "there are these blokes in their 50s walking 900 miles for charity! Let's not go there! (Yet?).
Wednesday, 10 February 2010
Encouragement must be the operative word. Tonight June and I visited Ramsey Scouts. They based their Global Awareness Badge on our work with Uganda. The young people found out about the practical care done within the North Kigezi Diocese. Then they held a cake stall at St Thomas a Becket Church and earned £70.70 for our Uganda Fund. We were able to attend their group meeting and receive the cheque and present their badges after showing pictures of the school project in Uganda.
Another encouragement today was a phone call from the Bishop of Norwich's Office. I wrote to him as a matter of courtesy to say I would be walking for Uganda within his Diocese in March. He sent his best wishes and promised to send a small cheque as a token of his support. This is a kind response and it lifts the spirits.
On another note, we were very saddened to hear today about the premature death of a dear friend in Uganda John Muhumuza who is the Diocesan Secretary of the North Kigezi Diocese. The last time we saw John he had a shining, smiling face. We were looking forward to seeing him in August, it is hard to realize he won't be there. Our love and prayers are for his wife, Jolly, and their children. "Forever with the Lord."
Another encouragement today was a phone call from the Bishop of Norwich's Office. I wrote to him as a matter of courtesy to say I would be walking for Uganda within his Diocese in March. He sent his best wishes and promised to send a small cheque as a token of his support. This is a kind response and it lifts the spirits.
On another note, we were very saddened to hear today about the premature death of a dear friend in Uganda John Muhumuza who is the Diocesan Secretary of the North Kigezi Diocese. The last time we saw John he had a shining, smiling face. We were looking forward to seeing him in August, it is hard to realize he won't be there. Our love and prayers are for his wife, Jolly, and their children. "Forever with the Lord."
Friday, 5 February 2010
The first breath of Spring. June and I walked to Upwood today. What a contrast to a couple of weeks ago when we battled the elements and felt the cold as we walked. Today it must have been about eight degrees, the sun shone and the gentle breeze was a promise of spring. Of course next week might prove me a liar. We paused for a light pub lunch before the return journey.
This week there has been a sense of momentum. There was a meeting earlier in the week with members of the PCC to discuss how money raised already should be given to Uganda. We took advice from a Bishop who has had dealings with Uganda. We felt it important to raise funds independent of sponsorship money to send someone to Uganda to visit the school site, to discuss plans with the people on the ground and to find out first hand the time schedule. We will then release money in stages as schedules are met.
There has also been a lot of good will shown by members of the public who are willing to give their financial support. Alan Howard is also proposing a route to Norwich which looks very sensible and manageable. The first day's walk of 12.1 miles to Farthing Drove is the farthest, the other days are in the region of 11 miles. This will be an encouragement not least to those who can walk with us for a day or even two.
I have just noticed that Captain David Waters our Diocesan Youth Officer has signed up as a follower. It's great to have you on board David!
This week there has been a sense of momentum. There was a meeting earlier in the week with members of the PCC to discuss how money raised already should be given to Uganda. We took advice from a Bishop who has had dealings with Uganda. We felt it important to raise funds independent of sponsorship money to send someone to Uganda to visit the school site, to discuss plans with the people on the ground and to find out first hand the time schedule. We will then release money in stages as schedules are met.
There has also been a lot of good will shown by members of the public who are willing to give their financial support. Alan Howard is also proposing a route to Norwich which looks very sensible and manageable. The first day's walk of 12.1 miles to Farthing Drove is the farthest, the other days are in the region of 11 miles. This will be an encouragement not least to those who can walk with us for a day or even two.
I have just noticed that Captain David Waters our Diocesan Youth Officer has signed up as a follower. It's great to have you on board David!
Friday, 29 January 2010
Welcome to Val Robson and Jim Hewison as followers. Val has very kindly given the walk some generous space on the Diocese of Ely's News Website and our piece has gone out live this week. Jim is a valued member of St Thomas a Becket Church and a former Church Warden.
This has been an exciting week as Delia Smith has come good and agreed to welcome the walkers at Carrow Road on 6th March. There has also been a sense that we are entering the final phase of preparation. Jeremy Summerell (Ramsey) and Alan Howard (Norwich) who as yet have never met but are walking together, have volunteered to work on the exact route from different ends and look into where we can stay en route. If I had been a details man all this would have been sorted out months ago. The good thing is that we are a team with different gifts and we will each play our respective part. I can think of nothing worse than someone like me giving the team a briefing with no space for anybody else to participate. Like the Church we can be a body with different functioning parts but working for the common good.
I went to the gym this morning to review my programme,. The instructor increased the exercises with more of an emphasis on endurance. The bad news is someone said "why are you doing this for Uganda, isn't it one of the richest countries in Africa?" The answer is a resounding no, it's extremely poor. Once I told him about the low average life expectancy, the plight of the orphans, the prevalence of HIV/Aids, malaria, breathing related illnesses to name but a few, he got my point. This is not even to mention the growth of child sacrifice, corruption and some very basic schools. We need to get the message out there that the poor are indeed with us.
This has been an exciting week as Delia Smith has come good and agreed to welcome the walkers at Carrow Road on 6th March. There has also been a sense that we are entering the final phase of preparation. Jeremy Summerell (Ramsey) and Alan Howard (Norwich) who as yet have never met but are walking together, have volunteered to work on the exact route from different ends and look into where we can stay en route. If I had been a details man all this would have been sorted out months ago. The good thing is that we are a team with different gifts and we will each play our respective part. I can think of nothing worse than someone like me giving the team a briefing with no space for anybody else to participate. Like the Church we can be a body with different functioning parts but working for the common good.
I went to the gym this morning to review my programme,. The instructor increased the exercises with more of an emphasis on endurance. The bad news is someone said "why are you doing this for Uganda, isn't it one of the richest countries in Africa?" The answer is a resounding no, it's extremely poor. Once I told him about the low average life expectancy, the plight of the orphans, the prevalence of HIV/Aids, malaria, breathing related illnesses to name but a few, he got my point. This is not even to mention the growth of child sacrifice, corruption and some very basic schools. We need to get the message out there that the poor are indeed with us.
Monday, 25 January 2010
It was typical Fenland. The day was grey and cold. There was a mist hanging in the air, the damp was penetrating. The black soil stretched to the flat horizon and we were off on our first reconnoitre. Jeremy Summerell and I walked from Ely to find our way along our first stretch of the Hereward Way in preparation for the real thing on 1st March. With a good map in hand and plenty of warm clothes we walked to the Ely Marina and discovered the track along the river in the direction of Queen Adelaide. The pathway was wet and muddy making the going sticky. Once we reached the old Sugar Beet factory we crossed a rather flimsy looking bridge and onto another section of the Way. This leg brought home the fenness of where we were. There was a hint of madness about tramping along a deserted black field. The sight of llamas running in the distance seemed to confirm it,an apparition or what?
Later in this black wilderness the heaviness of the soil on our boots made progress slow as we searched for another bridge across a drain. Well hidden and even more flimsy than the last bridge, some strange little red structure led us across and onto the other side. After a short while we arrived in Prickwillow where we had parked the second car. Why does a cheese sandwich and a hot cup of coffee taste so wonderful after a trek in the cold and damp? The packet of salt and vinegar crisps might have been off a platter from the Savoy.
Much of the rest of the trip was completed in the car as we traced the route for our first day's walk. Shippea Hill and Sedge Fen, only 30 miles from home, were as strange as if we had been in the American Mid-West. We arrived in Lakenheath, a strangely small town for a home for the military might of the USA. It was hard to realise that the strike on Libya in the 80s was launched from here, and the security of the western world is tied up with this little place.
Later in this black wilderness the heaviness of the soil on our boots made progress slow as we searched for another bridge across a drain. Well hidden and even more flimsy than the last bridge, some strange little red structure led us across and onto the other side. After a short while we arrived in Prickwillow where we had parked the second car. Why does a cheese sandwich and a hot cup of coffee taste so wonderful after a trek in the cold and damp? The packet of salt and vinegar crisps might have been off a platter from the Savoy.
Much of the rest of the trip was completed in the car as we traced the route for our first day's walk. Shippea Hill and Sedge Fen, only 30 miles from home, were as strange as if we had been in the American Mid-West. We arrived in Lakenheath, a strangely small town for a home for the military might of the USA. It was hard to realise that the strike on Libya in the 80s was launched from here, and the security of the western world is tied up with this little place.
Friday, 22 January 2010
Delia says yes! I was very excited yesterday to get an email from Delia Smith's PA to say Delia will meet us at Carrow Road on Saturday 6th March. I was asked to ring today to talk through the details for that meeting. Not only has Delia agreed to be photographed with us, she will provide a Norwich City Club photographer and she has invited us to have a meal in the Gunn Club and provided four free tickets for the match, Norwich versus Yeovil.
It seems a long way since those notes back in October when I mused in my first blog about getting Delia Smith on board! Her involvement raises the profile and I'm hoping it will unlock the door for further publicity. However, I want to record my gratitude for her generosity. I am also grateful to Lord Mawhinney, Chairman of the Football League, for helping to obtain Delia's support. A great deal of her time has been spent making a series for the BBC 'Delia through the Decades' so without his influence I don't think we would have succeeded.
Of course, the terrible situation in Haiti must be uppermost in our minds at the moment. However, when the emergency there is over and the TV cameras have gone home there will still be the need for hospitals and schools to be built. This encourages me to think that the ordinary work of helping local communities continues to have high priority.
It seems a long way since those notes back in October when I mused in my first blog about getting Delia Smith on board! Her involvement raises the profile and I'm hoping it will unlock the door for further publicity. However, I want to record my gratitude for her generosity. I am also grateful to Lord Mawhinney, Chairman of the Football League, for helping to obtain Delia's support. A great deal of her time has been spent making a series for the BBC 'Delia through the Decades' so without his influence I don't think we would have succeeded.
Of course, the terrible situation in Haiti must be uppermost in our minds at the moment. However, when the emergency there is over and the TV cameras have gone home there will still be the need for hospitals and schools to be built. This encourages me to think that the ordinary work of helping local communities continues to have high priority.
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