28/04/2007 by AOS.

I spoke to Veronica this evening and she and Eddie were delighted by the welcome they received from Fr Aelred and the parishioners at St Mary’s Church, Kells, Whitehaven when they attended evening Mass. Fr Aelred spoke of the planned walk, and parishioners spent time with Veronica and Eddie after Mass and gave donations towards the sponsorship fund.

The weather today has been excellent and Veronica reports that there are six other walkers staying at the Guest House who are starting the walk tomorrow.

Look out for reagular updates in the days to come.

Tony McAvoy, AOS NE Regional Co-ordinator

Posted in Progress report | No Comments »

28/04/2007 by the walkers.

As we make our journey to St. Bees today for the start of the walk tomorrow, here are our reflections.

For the past 17 years, Eddie & I have being preparing for this day. It has always been our ambition to walk Alfred Wainwright’s Coast to Coast. All our other long distance walks from the Peddars Way in Norfolk, the Pendle Witches Way in Lancashire to St. Cuthbert’s Way (starting in Scotland) – all have been a preparation to test our stamina.

During that time, work, family, illness and other mundane considerations kept getting in the way. It therefore seems fortuitous that we are setting out on this journey in the centenary of Wainwright’s birth. We are very much looking forward to this our longest walk yet.

We hope you have enjoyed the blog so far, which is Part 1 of our journey; we hope we have given you a flavour of the lovely walks we have undertaken to get fit. No point in using the blog to give details of particular walks any map or walking book will already give you; better to get the feel of our preparation by giving a more personal summary.

And so dear reader, if you have enjoyed reading about our lovely unspoilt countryside, and wish to sample its delights, do come, but keep it a secret to yourself, oh heck, I forgot we are on the web. Oh well never mind, there is room here for all.

Doing the blog so far has helped to open our eyes wider to admire the beauty of creation. And our prayer for tomorrow is by Patrick Kavanagh.
‘O give us faith,
That we may be
Alive when April’s ecstasy
dances in every white-thorn tree’.

Veronica & Eddie

Posted in Progress report | No Comments »