Two years ago our friends Neil and Rachel’s three year old son, Joseph, passed away in his sleep. This year they set up a charity in his memory. Grieving families have enough to deal with without worries about where they will find the money to say goodbye to their child. The Joseph Salmon Trust will give financial assistance, helping pay for things like the funeral and the gravestone.
We are incredibly proud of our friends, and want to support what they are doing as much as we can. But even if we didn’t have that personal connection with them, we would still realise that the Joseph Salmon Trust will fill a vital gap in the support offered to bereaved parents. There are countless agencies who offer emotional and spiritual support, but very few who offer practical and financial.
So here is the promised announcement. Next year, sometime between the dates of the 19th of July and 3rd of August, I am going to do a sponsored walk of the entire length of the 84 mile long Dales Way. The expedition will take around six days and will take me through the beautiful Yorkshire Dales national park and into the outskirts of the Lake District.
And the following people are coming with me: Craig, Dave, Lee, Mushy, Paul, Rich, and Rich.
Of course most of these people are not actually aware of they are coming. And some people have actually expressed some kind of deluded belief that they are able to decline my invitation. But they are coming, oh yes they are coming. I realise that many might feel there are more comfortable ways of raising money than walking 84 miles through the Yorkshire countryside. But to them I say pah, pish, and pshaw. There are many reasons why they should come along and I shall address each individual personally.
 How many more opportunities are there going to be for a lad’s holiday? Slowly but steadily our youth is being subdued by adult responsibilities. Mortgages, careers, partners, and children; all these things have enhanced our lives in some way. But sometimes we need to break out and be that 18 year old idiot again. Think of it: eight friends wandering the beautiful rolling landscape by day, reclining in welcoming jovial country pubs in the evening. No pressures, no worries, only companionship. It’d be like City Slickers but without the cows.
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And that’s not the limit of who’s invited. Oli, Sam, Sandip, Jim, Jez, it’d be great if you came along too. In fact anyone can come, the more the merrier. But no girls, we don’t want any girl germs stinking up the place. This will be a manly walk for manly men. You women can do your own damn expedition.
Now for the details. I’ve yet to work out the exact specifics, but here’s what I’ve got so far. The walk will take around 6 days:
- Day One: Ilkley to Grassington (17 miles)
- Day Two: Grassington to Buckden (11 1/2 miles
- Day Three: Buckden to Lea Yeat (17 1/2 miles)
- Day Four: Lea Yeat to Sedbergh (11 miles)
- Day Five: Sedbergh to Burneside (17 miles)
- Day Six: Burneside to Bowness (10 miles)
I have a vague idea that we will alternate staying in a B&B’s one night with camping out in tents the next. This would keep the costs down. We wouldn’t be carrying the tents with us though, Kerry has said she’d be willing to drive them to us on nights we needed them.
The open road beckons you, what do you reply?
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on Oct 23rd, 2007 at 2:13 am
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on Oct 23rd, 2007 at 2:21 am
Bradley
The Egel Nest
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on Oct 23rd, 2007 at 2:25 am
I would be more than willing to put Craig, Dave or Mushy up for the night but that’s more for my own reasons than for philanthropic ones but that is an entirely different issue lol
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on Oct 23rd, 2007 at 4:41 am
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on Oct 23rd, 2007 at 5:26 am
And for such a great cause too.
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on Oct 23rd, 2007 at 7:57 am
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on Oct 23rd, 2007 at 8:51 am
My youngest likes walking, we’ve talked of doing the Penine or Dales Way in small chunks through the winter but I keep coming back to the problem that if we park the car and then walk, say, eight miles, we then have to walk eight miles back to the bloody car – by the time we’ve done all of the stages we’ll have walked the bloody walk twice, there and back.
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on Oct 23rd, 2007 at 9:33 am
I’m in! I’ve just bought an ice cream maker, and I think that its recent purchase (and use), along with my mostly sedentary lifestyle necessitates a jaunt among the hills.
One condition: I’d like to have a picture and a rousing speech? Ok, so that’s two conditions. I’m a diva.
Oh, and won’t Kerry get girl germs on the tent as she transports them? Think I might just carry mine… (A statement I may live to regret)
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on Oct 23rd, 2007 at 9:42 am
Oh, and if you can provide details of how to go about the sponsorship, I’d like to raise as much as I can.
A litre of ice cream to the chap who raises the most money. The winner may choose the flavour. (Satisfaction and knowing-you’ve-helped-in-some-way aren’t valid flavours, however good they may taste)
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on Oct 23rd, 2007 at 10:00 am
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on Oct 23rd, 2007 at 10:59 am
God help me, I’m in. No glib comments though just a growing terror about what I’ve agreed to…
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on Oct 23rd, 2007 at 2:50 pm
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on Oct 23rd, 2007 at 3:11 pm
I’m going to leave the whole sponsorship thing until the new year. I want to get the participants drummed up first.
But don’t worry, I’ll be rattling my tin cup plenty nearer the time.
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on Oct 23rd, 2007 at 5:22 pm
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on Oct 23rd, 2007 at 7:21 pm
Please be sure to keep us posted as things develop.
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on Oct 23rd, 2007 at 10:02 pm
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on Oct 23rd, 2007 at 10:40 pm
Sounds pretty good actually Dan – however I’ll have to stay as a firm “maybe” at the moment. I’ve been struggling with injuries all year, and my knee only can cope with an hour or two walking at most before it seizes up. It’s got a knobbly bit that sticks out. I’ve had an xray and I’m assured it’s come back as “normal” so I’ve no idea what the problem is! I’m back at the docs this week. As Caroline tells me it’s a long way away so I might well be fighting fit by then – but will have to see.
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on Oct 24th, 2007 at 12:05 am
Craig – we’ll rotate the piggy back…
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on Oct 24th, 2007 at 3:46 am
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on Oct 24th, 2007 at 6:55 pm
For now, some helpful advice: “Stay on the road, beware the moors, beware the moon.”
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on Oct 24th, 2007 at 10:50 pm
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on Oct 24th, 2007 at 11:09 pm
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on Oct 29th, 2007 at 4:19 pm
[...] by tears of hope as Big Dan goes on to tell us what he is intending to do about it. Read it here. His name may be boring, but what he is doing is far from it. Good luck Dan. You are a [...]
on Nov 1st, 2007 at 9:01 am
[...] part of my preparations for The Long Walk I have started taking a daily constitutional. Of course in actual fact I intend to drop out of the [...]