Day Four (Thursday 4th March): Larling to Wymondham.
Once again the day broke fair, with Spring sunshine if cold air. We were joined today by David Stokes and John Oram. Soon after setting out my mobile phone rang. It was to tell us that a dear friend and parishoner Felicity Littledyke had died following a courageous fight. As Felicity was known to most walkers we stood and held a moments silence and then I led a short prayer. In the knowledge that Felicity was very supportive we decided to press on with the day's walk.

The Norfolk countryside was just as John Betjamin would have described. We walked the country lanes which are distinctive of this area with their gently underlating fields and the occasional copse of trees surrounding a medieval Church, like the one we passed at Rockland St Mary's. We rested on the village green when we got to Great Elligham; eating the enormous Scotch Eggs or giant sausage rolls (I personally couldn't master both!).

For David Stokes, a Fenland farmer, today was a busman's holiday. He entertained us with informative comments about the crops and conditions. For example he entered a field to collect a sugar beet, cut it open with his pen knife and shared out its sweet contents.

The afternoon meant the long walk through Morley and other villages to Wymondham. There had been a lot of road work today and so the sight of the beautiful Abbey with it's ruin beside it's functioning Church building was a welcome beacon.

Donations

This morning Radio Cambridgeshire asked how people may donate to this appeal for the school in Uganda. We are grateful for the enormous generousity shown so far. We have received donations from people in all walks of life and would encourage you to
join them in this act of love and support for those in need and to help the future development of rural Uganda. Thank you.

Cheques may be made payable to:
ST. THOMAS a BECKET. PCC (Uganda Appeal)

Please send to:
CANON R. DARMODY
THE RECTORY, 16 HOLLOW LANE, RAMSEY, CAMBS. PE26 1DE

Day Three: Brandon to Larling (Norfolk).
And then we were four. Our day walkers had left us in Brandon the night before and today it was the four of us who were walking the whole way to Norwich who were on our own; Jeremy, Alan, Martin and myself. The day started mild as the milky sun was just about detectable. This was to prove something of a delusion as a biting east wind got up and blew in our faces. Walking through Thetford Forest was a welcome change from the previous day. Now with sand and pine needles beneath our feet we had a natural carpet to walk on. We chatted about our favourite films and actors (not to mention actresses!)and the funny lines we remembered from John Cleese in Clockwise and Monty Python (I had exhausted Fawlty Towers the previous night at the Otel). After Santon Downham our attention was drawn to some speckled lambs with a ram and older sheep which gave us reason to get the camera's clicking.

We were like ecstatic school boys when June turned up in the car with our lunch. By then we felt cold and hungry. Fortified by our snack we set off at some pace, walking single file along a minor road, past Army Camps and Chicken Farms to Great Hockham where we will start again tomorrow. The Angel Pub at Larling with it's wood fire was a welcome place to rest our weary limbs and prepare for the last two days.

Day Two: Sedge Fen Baptist Church to Brandon.
The weather once again was sunny after a frosty night. As we left Sedge Fen US fighter planes screeched across the sky, first one then another and then occasionally in twos or threes. We were reminded of how close we were to Lakenheath and Mildenhall, and reminded of the realites of the world. After several miles of walking we entered the more tranquil world of sedge and marshland, across a railway line and onto the edge of Lakenheath RSPB reserve. The area was sedge and expanded water due to recent rain. As we walked along a raised bank we were treated to the sight of the bird life, and now the more attractive sounds of these beautiful species for a time replaced the sound of planes. A Cormorant perched on a bare branch, a Barn Owl surprised us as it left it's secluded tree to take to flight, a little further and two Cranes took to clumsy then elegant flight from the heart of their reedy hide, and all the while the sound of Coots and the sight of Swans delighted us while Marsh Harriers flew overhead.

After a stop for lunch we met a lady passing by who's sister, now in Canada, had done her VSO in Uganda, what a small world.

The afternoon saw us leave the wonders of the nature reserve and head towards Brandon. The watery landscape was replaced by Breckland as a group of tiring ramblers followed a path through some the trees. Three full grown deers ran across the field to give us a brief glimpse of their athleticism as our legs became rather heavy.

Eventually Brandon Church came into view and what we thought was an shorter day's walking turned out to feel at least twice that distance.

Our thanks must go to Derek and Naomi especially who were our patient back up team, having to wait for us as we enjoyed the scenery. Jeremy, Alan, Martin and yours truly were glad of the comfort of the "Brandon Otel" and a good night's sleep.

How to Give to the School We're Building in Uganda.
Radio Norfolk and Radio Cambridgeshire both asked how people can give for the buiding of this school in Uganda. Send a cheque marked 'Walk for Uganda' and make it payable to 'St Thomas a Becket PCC.' The money is not for the Church but is being handled by the Church so that we can get Gift Aid Relief. I can assure you that every penny given will get to where it is needed in Uganda.

Thank you for your interest.

Canon Richard Darmody

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.

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?).