Andrew Walking 4 Walsall Samaritans

A New Year, An Old Fool!

2012-02-05T07:48:00.000-08:00

Here we are again....legs, feet, knees protesting loudly, and what do I do? Only sign up for the Great Midlands Fun Run again!

Good job its a walk, jog, run affair, and the emphasis of the event is very much on fun (I believe some people do take these events, and their timings and positions quite seriously!). There's no question of me running though, but I know I'll be one of many people walking the 8.5 mile course.

My reason for doing this is to raise money for the Walsall and District branch of Samaritans, the emotional support charity with a vision of fewer people dying by suicide.

Big brother Steve has signed up again too, so maybe we'll get out for a few practice walks together. I know the lovely Linda is forming part of the Samaritans squad this year too and has registered for the event. Hoping there will be a big gang of Samaritans fundraisers - the money's much needed and all the more so because money is so scarce for so many people these days - that increases the pressure for a lot of people, increasing the likelihood that they will need to talk to Samaritans - and the service is totally paid for by donations and fundraising, so, yes, I really do need to be doing this!

The Walsall Samaritans fun-runners have a web page http://www.everyclick.com/2012funrunners4walsallsamaritans/info

Because its an Everyclick page, there are ways to support the appeal even if you can't afford to donate - web searches and shopping can earn free donations too!

What's making me feel good today?: Coming out....

2011-10-02T08:48:00.000-07:00

Nice reflections on Samaritans volunteering from a fellow blogger...

What's making me feel good today?: Coming out....: I’ve mentioned a few times that I do some voluntary work through in Falkirk on a fairly regular basis but I’ve never actually said what that...

Valerie Opens Walsall Samaritans Awareness Day | Valerie Vaz MP

2011-08-01T09:56:00.000-07:00

Valerie Opens Walsall Samaritans Awareness Day | Valerie Vaz MP

Putting the pieces together, 24:7 - Walsall, West Midlands UK Villages Village Towns Communites England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland Urban, Suburban Country and Rural

2011-07-12T03:49:00.000-07:00

Putting the pieces together, 24:7 - Walsall, West Midlands UK Villages Village Towns Communites England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland Urban, Suburban Country and Rural

We're Glad It's All Over...

2011-06-05T10:08:00.000-07:00

Whooooops!

I've done it again!

And its a new “Personal Best” of......well it's still over 3 hours! But I'm just glad to have completed the

Great Midlands Fun Run!

Talk about the weather...

2011-06-03T14:48:00.000-07:00

It's the weekend of the big event. Last Monday turned out to be a washout weatherwise. My walking practice was confined to a walk across town in search of some lotion for my mother. Four pharmacies had been unable to supply it and I was assured that the town's largest retail chemist would surely have it in stock....in fact there was none on the shelf, but eventually the pharmacist remembered seeing a soltary bottle somewhere in the back stock room. So not an entirely fruitless journey!

The weather's really swung round since then and the last couple of days have been so hot, My body's reacting in the usual way to a sudden change of weather with achy joints and muscles - thanks - just what I need right now! Still - 36 hours to go - a lot could happen....somehow I think I might find it harder going this year....but I'm determined to complete the course!

Don't Panic

2011-05-29T16:28:00.000-07:00

Only a week to go till the big day, and I just haven't done the preparation at all this year!

Admittedly I haven't felt too well for the last few days (getting better now!) but that doesn't really explain the rest of the time.

Being a bank holiday weekend I thought that, freed from the usual Sunday afternoon preparations for the week at work (which will be delayed til Monday!) I might have a bit of a walk today - well I suppose I did have quite a walk, but it was along the corridors of our local hospital, accompanying my poor old mom, who was suffering terribly with an allergic rash. I hope that, combined with a bit of up and down the loft ladder will suffice. Meanwhile, I learn that my co-participant brother has been out for a six mile run today!

During the week, the Fun Run pack arrived - this years number, timing tag etc. Really no pressure!

Seen the doc again this week - reminded him about my foot pain, and he noted that the anti-depressants had little effect....not depressed feet then!!! Can anything else be done .? Well I'm now booked in for a fasting blood test, and while I recognise the value of being screened for diabetes, this actually seems like more of carry out a standard test to rule out common diseases and doesn't seem to have much to do with investigating my specific symptoms. At least the blood pressure has settled down now (didn't tell the doc my medication had run out the previous weekend, and I had had only one dose split between two days at the start of the week, and nothing for the last three days!

My plan for this week? Well maybe I'll squeeze a little walk in tomorrow...For the rest of the week, apart from my gainful employment, I've set myself the task of providing half a dozen little flower displays for the Samaritans Centre to mark Volunteers Week which starts on June 1st, and doing two Information Events for potential volunteers, so I suppose my "training" will be more cerebral than physical.

A week from now, the Fun Run will have been and gone. I am certain I will complete it - I simply have to!

Oh Dear!

2011-05-22T09:55:00.000-07:00

The plan to really beef things up with a walk longer than the Fun Run on the third "training session" really fell apart when Steve fell down some steps having drunk, he says, only enough to stop himself trying to save himself, which probably means that he didn't break an arm in the process. He was pretty sore, but better now and walking the canal towpaths. Me, I've really let things go, though a week off work when we had extra insulation put in the loft provided quite a bit of exercise carrying things up and down the loft ladder - that loft was really full and it all had to come out .... and a lot of it had to go back in again!

So I'm really doing much less than last year - on the other hand, I've proabably remained more active, and I'm following my doctor's advice to shed a little weight. I did manage that "walk to the supermarket" thing yesterday!

Talking of the doc, he decided to try treating my foot pains with anti-depressants! I'd never heard of it, but looking up on-line it is a known treatment, though not what the drugs are licensed for. There's been a lot of guffawing about depressed feet, yet I think it does have some effect, like toning down a feeling of feet being clamped in a vice to one of feet being bound up very tightly (Think old skool Chinese style).

The treatment is still under review anyway, as is the blood pressure management - a medication change has relieved the ankle and foot oedema caused by the previous régime but that didn't make any difference to the way my feet felt - which is how we got to the antidepressants (it's a lower dose than used to treat depression), ironic that as someone who does have to cope with what I think they call "mild to moderate" depression, I've definitely had the least depressed winter for many a year, and feeling quite buoyant at the time when I was put on those pills. Now I've swapped the oedema for a return to the Renaud's which precipitated my last change of blood pressure medication. I've reported the return of my "cold hand", which was quite rapid when I swapped to the new tablets, but neither the doctor or pharmacist at my current medical practice seem to think its anything - I haven't mentioned the R word to them - I assume its in my medical notes - they are thrown off the scent perhaps by the fact that I exhibit the symptoms asymmetrically, which is less common (who wants to be common?!) but known. Well for the moment the weather is warm so the symptoms are not too extreme and I'm trying to help by reducing my caffeine intake. I do like coffee and drink a fair bit, especially at work, so I now make the biggest part of my coffee drinking decaffeinated.

Well, you can see now why I've blogged so infrequently - I suppose I could change the name to "Walking and not walking" Still the Big Day is a whole two weeks away! (Gulp!!!) I will be there, I will walk, I will finish!

Back to the Chase

2011-04-26T10:05:00.000-07:00

Easter Monday found me revisiting the Cannock Chase walk that we undertook last year. We started from a different point this time and may have actually gone a bit further, taking a scenic detour to avoid some road-walking. It was a warm and sunny day, and in fact today I'm wondering if the bad headache I've had all day is from too much sun, or maybe exposure to a lot of tree pollen.

Last year this walk was our final warm up before the main event, and I'm wondering if it was wise to do so much so early. I'm certainly moving stiffly today, and my partner says I'm banned from entering any more Fun Runs! The terrain, I think is perhaps more hilly than the Fun Run location.

There were plenty of people out enjoying the bank holiday weather - walkers, runners, horse-riders, canal-boaters and some people splashing about in the river - its either the Trent or one of its tributaries that runs past Shugborough and the Haywoods (Great and Little).

We were walking I think for over three hours, so I'm guessing we won't be smashing any records on June 5th!

First Steps

2011-04-18T12:32:00.000-07:00

At last the day of the London marathon arrived. So what, I thought - I'm off for a couple of miles walk around Sandwell Valley!

We met brother Steve on one of the car parks. It was a great day, bright, warm and dry. This was pretty much the same walk we did to start off last year, but where we had a choice, say of going one way round a pool or another, we tried to do the opposite (if we could remember) of what we did last year - nothing if not adventurous!

The walking is reasonably easy - proper paths, the ground is dry anyway, there are some slopes, but nothing too steep. However, by the end of the walk I'm moving noticeably slower that the pace I started out at.

As we arrive back at the car park we hear a terrific thud! closely followed by another. Coming out from among the trees we see a three vehicle shunt on the lane. It looks as though the first car stopped for some cyclists and pedestrians crossing between two car parks. A woman in the third car, which has the worst damage gets out and the air turns blue with her voluble cursing of the first driver. I know, as someone who isn't as nifty and nimble as in my youth, which driver I would prefer to be bearing down on me if I was crossing there!

By the end of the day I'm foot- knee- and hip-sore, yes after just a couple of miles walk. Next day I'm weary and stiff jointed. There's some way to go yet!

Ooops! I've done it again...

2011-04-16T02:36:00.000-07:00

I probably should know better but I've gone and signed up for the Great Midlands Fun Run again!

Once more Walsall Samaritans will benefit from my efforts to get round that 8.5 mile route - and just to leave you in no doubt, it will definitely be at a walking pace!

After last year's event, my brother Steve asked - "Do we keep on with the walking?" I replied that I thought we would, perhaps once a month......so a month after the event, we did go for another walk - I can't remember where!

Since then.......

Well, you know how it is....good intentions and all that!

But here we are, we've both registered again and tomorrow is scheduled for the start of our "training" and we plan to repeat our trip to Sandwell Valley which started the big build up last year. If it is a day like today, it will be perfect walking weather - bright and clear and not too warm.

So I'll be digging out the walking shoes and the knee supports, and the Walking Poles will see action again (probably incognito at this stage - Pawel and Kamil haven't yet decided whether they will be making any guest appearances this year).

So I hope its all going to be worthwhile - I've got of to a good start with a generous £20 donation and about £4 raised through "Give as You Live". If your reading this and would like to help me turn my leg-work into money for the Walsall & District branch of Samaritans, please click through to my fundraising page - if you're unable to make a donation, you can still help by doing some searches or online shopping from my page - the good folks at Everyclick collect money for the cause from the sites you visit - even if you're not shopping every two searches you make earns a penny for the charity!

Thirty Eight - Oh - Four Was my Number...

2010-06-06T12:02:00.000-07:00

...right now, no-one else has that number
(with apologies to Toots and the Maytals)
The big day came at last. Steve picked me up around 9.30 and we drove over to Sutton. The town was already getting busy with walkers, runners and joggers.

On the car park we met up with my sister - she had entered as a jogger but unable to do it because of a recent illness - and brother-in-law. We weren't sure of the location we were meeting up with "Team Samaritans" but a quick call to our organiser set us in the right direction and we made our way there to find just one of the team, Ann, there before us.

The team gradually began to build on the front terrace of a pub whose owner was friendly and welcoming - as all the people we met on the day seemed to be. T-shirt bearing Tim and Mandy arrived after a while and there was a flurry of changing of tops and pinning on of entry numbers - you've got mine!

As the start time got closer, there was some anxious wondering about people who hadn't been seen yet, but eventually everyone was accounted for and we started to make our way down to the start point in town. We didn't manage to stay altogether though, and once we'd started off, I didn't really catch a glimpse of any of my team till after we had finished, except for Steve and Sue who were walking with me.

As a newbie to Fun-Runs, I was pleasantly surprised how many people had turned out to watch us go by and the cheers, applause and encouragement they gave, which was certainly appreciated. Some had garden hoses and sprinklers spraying out into the route which was a pleasant cooler on this warm, dry, sunny day, and was particularly popular with one small child, part of a circus-themed troupe who were walking in aid of a local hospice that were in front of us for about 3 miles (until they all stopped at an ice-cream van in the park!). It was shortly after this point we discovered my Mom and my partner Mel waiting to cheer us on in the company of a couple waiting for the supporters of said hospice.

The four mile marker was encouraging, but in contrast the "half way" marker that came just afterwards prompted the thought: you mean I've got to do that much again?!

As we proceeded, we became aware that there were very few people behind us now, especially after we had spent a few minutes sitting on a bench consuming a large bottle of water from one of the trackside stands. We were definitely amongst the stragglers as we wended our way through the park.

Back on the streets of Sutton Coldfield it was extremely inspiring and quite touching to find there were still a number of people waiting to cheer us on, and as we neared the town, returning Fun-Runners and drinkers outside pubs gave us many words of encouragement and some hearty rounds of applause.

Finally, after nearly three and a half hours, we reached the finish line and received our medals. Now to deal with those aching joints.....

Chasing Around...

2010-06-02T13:59:00.000-07:00

With just a few days to go before "The Big Event", this week's walking practice took us to Cannock Chase, starting near Milford Common and going in a big loop that went along the canal from Little Hayward and across the grounds of Shugborough Hall.

The 6.5 mile route proved quite a struggle, despite it being good walking weather, evidenced by the large number of people (and dogs, some horses too) taking part in that activity. Maybe the ground was too hard, some being paved ground, but even the unpaved surfaces unyieldingly dry. Looking at the "Fun Run" route, maybe that was appropriate practice!

I can't say its really getting easier, which I hoped it would. Moving about has been difficult since, and even sleeping has been impaired by foot and leg pain. I knew I'd scaled back on walking for a reason. I suppose it has other health benefits.

Pawel and Kamil, of course, were my unstinting supports. The guys are quite excited about the fact that they have raised over £5 on their own fundraising page http://www.everyclick.com/walkingpoles. Today's picture shows them taking a break from walking!

Arden the feet...

2010-05-16T11:52:00.000-07:00

This morning we set off to Henley in Arden for our next adventure into the world of walking. It was a bright and dry day, but seemed fairly cool.

Our walk started in a car park at the end of the town which led directly on to a part of the Heart of England Way.

There were just a few other walkers out - some exercising dogs and others whose more serious intent was signalled by their maps and rucksacks. The seriousness of my intent (to be fit to walk 8.5 miles in the June 6th Fun Run) was signalled by the presence of my supporters Pawel & Kamil (the Walking Poles).

Now it's come to my attention that some people question whether P & K are real people or not - some have said they are mere cartoon characters who cannot leave the screen or page to enter the real world - the guys find this quite hurtful! So here's a picture of them in action on today's walk - and I have to say, I found them a great support.

There was a longish steep climb near the start of the walk, which was a challenge for the knees of both my brother and me, and where both pairs of Walking Poles - his remain curiously un-named - proved their worth. The view from the top was worth the effort.

This was quite a "stylish" walk - that's to say, there were quite a number of stiles, another challenge to our not so supple limbs.

One of these led us into a field that was home to a very "friendly" horse and sheep who greeted us so enthusiastically that the awkward climb over the stile was as nothing compared to fending off their welcome. They were probably pet animals who associated visiting humans with being fed, and the horse, probably not believing anyone would try to enter his paddock without food, decided he had to taste every bit of body, clothing or equipment that came into reach. We eventually managed to persuade them to return to the other end of the field, though when we reached the gate the sheep came running up determined to leave by the same means as us. It was quite a struggle to keep it in the field as we exited.

It was shortly after this that we lost our planned route, though a while before we realised. We decided to continue and navigate by sense of direction and roadsigns, as it was apparent that we would now have to complete the circuit back to Henley mainly by road. This was not without attractive views though.

We eventually reached the car park we had started from. We estimated our route had been a little shorter and that we had done about 6.5 miles. We made up for this with a short walk to the town and back where we enjoyed fresh and very reasonably priced baguettes washed down with coffee/cider in one of the town's hostelries.

Pawel and Kamil also had a rest!

We're thinking of Cannock Chase for our next major sortie.

From Pole to Pole?

2010-05-15T15:04:00.000-07:00

Well you never know what to expect, do you? That flash of insight when I realised that it was really not on to keep talking about two walking poles and gave then their names.....blow me, they've only gone and set up their own fundraising page http://www.everyclick.com/walkingpoles - can you believe it?! When they said they were going to support me, I thought they were just thinking of taking some of the weight off my knees.

Incidentally, when I was ambling about one of the West Midlands fine suburban shopping centres this afternoon, I was asked if my feet were better, as I didn't seem to be walking so awkwardly. I realised that my feet were no different to usual really, but my knees had improved - is my investment in fou-fou tablets starting to pay off? Come tomorrow's walk it may be a different story!

My Plan

2010-05-15T02:48:00.000-07:00

The next phase of my plan, started last week is to flood my body with natural anti-inflammatories - things like ginger and turmeric - I know, that sounds like eating loads of curries, which would do for me, but complicated when you live with someone who really doesn't like spicy food - rose hip etc. which I've bought from my trusted food supplement supplier (I used to scorn such things, but years of trying to manage with healthy eating and conventional medicines - very little help from the NHS! has led me to try herbal and natural remedies, most of which I ditch as ineffective after trying them for a couple of months!). So far it's not been a particularly good week in terms of joint pain and stiffness, but mostly I'm just realising that there were very good reasons why I scaled back on walking and carrying.

This week I've been off work, but with two funerals, two theatre trips, one AGM, three Samaritans shifts and a museum visit, there's not been time to fit in a walk yet (have done a couple of walks to the shops etc. and the museum trip did involve a lot of walking though not continuously).

So the next "proper" walk looks set to be Sunday when a seven mile walk around the Henley in Arden area is being planned. Provided that the weather is dry that should be a nice day out. Seven miles is quite a jaunt and I don't doubt will cause some pain, but it's only about 3 weeks to "The Big Day" now and I've got to be ready for that. If I can do 7, I won't be worried about 8.5!

Oooh the pain...the pain...!

2010-05-05T13:29:00.000-07:00

Just to say I spoke to soon about my knees! Monday when I wrote I was feeling fine, but by Tuesday morning I could hardly move!

My feet and knees hurt so much, as well as the muscles in my calves, and my wrists. It was pain at a misery-making level and I was glad to creep into bed at the end of the day. I had a routine appointment at the doctors, but was kept so long in the waiting room that I didn't have time to discuss my walking progress and whether the doc could help me with my mobility (some hope!). I just had to accept the good news about my cholesterol etc. - the stuff they bother about (= get paid to do) then dash off back to work so as not to exceed my allotted medical hour.

Today is not so bad, though I was conscious of the effort of walking about. Some of my friends think I'm barmy to do this. Who am I to disagree! My supportive mates Pawel and Kamil (the Walking Poles) say they will make every effort to support me in any way they can - what do they mean?

Progress...

2010-05-03T02:09:00.000-07:00

The poles arrive and look as though they're going to be up to the task in hand.Too busy even for a walk to the shops though...a walk around the supermarket is about all I can fit in till last Friday when once again the leg-powered shopping trip makes it onto the agenda.

My brother Steve has found us a circular walk for Sunday morning. It's 3.5 miles, I think he says - so a step up from what we've done so far, but still less than half what we have to do on the big day!

Saturday, there's heavy rain for several hours, so I'm expecting the going underfoot to be a bit soft - OK, I'm thinking it might be a mudbath! But come Sunday morning which is fairly bright, but also fairly cold and breezy - but overall comfortable walking weather - though the puddles on the canal towpath where the walk starts are like a miniature Lake District, there's actually not much mud.

So the two poles get their first outing - the extra length makes them much more comfortable on the wrists and I also think they support me better, so that my knees and back both benefit. They've done such sterling work that it seems rude and heartless to keep referring to them as "the two poles" so I've decided to name them Pawel and Kamil after two Polish students who worked in our office a while back.

At one point in the walk Steve tells me we have a choice of routes, one of which is a kilometre longer - I opt for the longer one, thinking I don't want to do less than the 3.5 miles planned, but when we've passed through woodland, park, nature reserve and residential street and reached the final leg of the walk which brings us once again to the canal towpath, he tells me the walk I've done is over four miles, and with the two 'detours' - okay, we got lost twice! - we've probably done over 5 miles. I'm glad to be finished, but pleased with what we've accomplished.

Afterwards, once we've rested a while, I don't feel excessively fatigued, sore or achy, and today, I think my knees feel better than at any time since I started this walking malarkey. Glad that I bought those knee supports (which were comfortable) and recruited Pawel and Kamil to my team!

Keep on walking....

2010-04-21T10:11:00.000-07:00

Following my unplanned Sunday outing, my joints were pretty hot and sore, knees especially, hips somewhat, and my foot pain was near the high end of its normal range. As I sometimes say, I can have this pain without doing anything....and I use that as justification both for doing, and not doing certain things - cunning eh?

So for a couple of days I'm moving noticeably awkwardly but by today, Wednesday, the joints are less painful, though there's some new muscle aches, but anyone would expect that. So a walk to the supermarket and back seems like a reasonable idea. Bit of a slow uncomfortable plod though!

After the weekend I researched the poles and the supports. Managed to find a pair of longer poles on eBay for £10.50 and decided on a pair of knee supports - they arrived today - impressive looking `items that are probably intended for weightlifters or something!

Getting Ready...

2010-04-19T12:49:00.000-07:00

Things to think about then! Proper shoes, for a start off....and as a vegetarian of many, many years standing (not to mention the years sitting down!), of course I don't want leather...an ethical wares website has a pair that look as though they mean business and don't cost an arm and a leg (turns out they are made by Hi-Tec - I was aware they have a number of non-animal shoes in their range). In the course of reserching these I find out that the heels of shoes for running and for walking are quite different (one slopes out the other slopes in...I don't remember any more detail).

My brother (older) recommends I should get walking poles and tells me he got a pair for twenty quid, which doesn't sound too bad - chuffed to find a pair on ebay for a tenner. While I'm in this frame of mind I order replacements for my very well worn orthotic heel inserts and start thinking about supports for my joints - fairly sure my knees will need some, what about my ankles? And will the wrists want support holding the poles - no problem there as I already have two different types of wrist support which I use at work according tto the state of my joints, the job I'm doing etc. Decide my ankles will probably be ok and defer buying knee supports for the time being.

Better start doing a bit of walking then! Start with a walk round to the cash machine at the local supermarket and a loop round the back streets home. I like to think its over a mile, but probably its really only about half! Enough for the first week...

The following week when I have to fetch my prescription from the chemist, I walk up town and come back by a circuitous route - more circuitous than I intended in fact, as I don't really know where some of these roads lead, and it beomes apparent that I can't just take a right turn and find my own street. I actually don't really know where I am for a while, though I am pretty confident I haven't wandered into the next town and eventually I do work out where I am and which road will lead me home....at least 2.5 miles, surely?....well maybe not...

The shoes, poles etc. arrive and I arrange to go for a walk with the said older brother at a local country park. The weather's great - bright and dry, warm, but not too hot. Discover that the poles I bought don't extend to the same length as his - can this be right? They do seem to help and are fairly comfortable to use, but by about two thirds round the route, I am thinking I would want wrist supports - speculating whether I could use them with my most robust supports which have a kind of splint in them.

By the end of the walk, I have definitely had enough for one day. I ask my brother how far we've done and he says he thinks its about two miles. Two miles! I'm thinking - four times that on June 6th! I would have sworn it must be more than three....

Still there's time to build up. We'll do another walk next week, maybe a little further.

But I don't have to wait that long. The reason I'm supporting Walsall Samaritans is that I'm a volunteer there. I get a message that one of the volunteers due on duty that day is stranded overseas due to the Icelandic volcano that shut down most of Europe's airways. Trouble is we're not quite sure what shift that volunteer is booked on, and can't contact the one person who can tell us. Eventually I decide to go over to the Centre to try and sort things out. My partner is out in the car, so I walk up town to get a bus....which I miss by just a few minutes. There's an hour before the next one, but if I start to walk, I'm sure that other buses join the route further on. This proves to be true, but studying the timetables at each stop, it always seems to be at least 40 minutes till the next one (I am puzzled by three buses that pass me between stops, which don't seem to correspond with any listed times). Eventually I walk all the way and arrive 10 minutes before the expatriate volunteer would have been on duty, so am able to take their place. My joints are really protesting by now....convinced that must be 4.5 miles, tell myself well its probably only 3 or three and a half.....so I suppose its just 2.5 then! Oh well...

2010-04-17T14:46:00.000-07:00

Unexpectedly, without really planning to, I found myself agreeing to take place in an 8.5 mile Fun Run. Fortunately there was an option to enter as a walker - running would really be out of the question for me!

The walk is called the Great Midlands Fun Run and is taking place in Sutton Coldfield on June 6th (a Sunday) for what I think is something like the eighth year running (pun unavoidable - sorry!).

I'm one of a group of two dozen or so participants who are taking part to support Walsall & District branch of Samaritans. It's a voluntary organisation that totally depends of fundraising and donations so getting sponsorrship is important to all the Walsall Sams Fun-Runners and Walkers!

Agreeing to take part set me a few things to think about - like the 8 miles more than the 0.5 miles I might normally walk.

Now, I have done a sponsored walk before - many years ago, when I was a mere secondary school pupil (about 13 I guess) I walked 24 (yes 24!) miles and raise something like 30s. - it was that long ago, old shillings - 30 shillings being about £1.50 in todays money, but worth a whole lot more of course - people sponsored you for things like a penny a mile in those days....

And over the years I've done my share of walking - a memorable walk from Durham to Newcastle on Tyne, having missed the last train comes to mind - but that was in my youth, as was the walk from Bloxwich to Rugeley - I can't remember why I did that, must have had time to fill. And in my younger adult years lots of walking on holiday etc. of a more sensible kind - public footpaths in scenic areas and so on.

But the thing is, over the past few years, my various body parts, especially those involved in the ambulatory arts, have complained so much that I've virtually stopped walking anywhere, or in fact much at all that involves bearing my weight on my limbs.

So what to do - no way out now - I've started collecting sponsor money - I was amazed how quickly and geneously people responded when I sent out messages to some of my Facebook friends with a link to my fundraising page http://www.everyclick.com/andrew-walkingforsamaritans and then there's the paper sponsorship form that some people have signed up to...