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Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page (again for most of you) and thank you to all those who have donated so generously.    <div>Yes we made it despite my having a rather dramatic disagreement with a ‘vertical bog’ on the high route to Kidsty Pike on only the fifth day!?! A strong support bandage, Ibuprofen and a lot of sympathy got me through! The sympathy bit surprised me a little...(rule number one ‘no whinging’) so my fall must have been dramatic (involving flashes of broken ankles and helicopters, I think)!</div> <div>Having collected the 3 pebbles (one for me, one for Penny and one for Cariad) from the Irish Sea in thick fog, I finally dropped them in the North Sea on Good Friday in an even thicker sea mist!?!! So I think I crossed the country but we may have gone round in a circle! The ceremony was watched by mum and celebrated in true style with a bottle of bubbly so quite an event. We were so lucky with the weather in between, crossed some beautiful countryside and met some lovely people along the way making it an experience to remember...</div> <div>I’ve almost doubled my target thanks to the generosity and support of so many people INCLUDING YOU!</div> <div style="font-style: normal; display: inline; font-family: 'Calibri'; color: #000000; font-size: small; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;">   At the time of writing this,the fund has reached an impressive total of £1,735 which including the Gift Aid tops the £2,000 double my target!! This is especially welcome to the Hospice which is in great need at present as their general donations have fallen by over 30 per cent in the last twelve months. The number of people they care for has risen by 48 per cent in the last five years and their running costs are set to rise even further. So thank you, thank you, thank you and .........   much love, Janet   </div>    I have attached the original 'blurb' for those of you just visiting the site. On Tuesday 5th April 2011, Robert, Rob Wragg (a friend from Derbyshire), Damian Dever (from Harley), Cariad (my Welsh terrier) and I began the first leg of the long distance “Coast to Coast” walk to raise money for the Severn Hospice in memory of my friend Penny Walters whose funeral took place on the final day of my 'retirement' trek in New Zealand last Spring.  This was a five day trek over the Cascade Saddle in Mount Aspiring Park. N.Z..   That has to be the greatest physical challenge I have ever faced and much as I wished I could have been with everyone at Penny's funeral, it occurred to me that perhaps I could still do something worthwhile in her memory......... ‘Shore to Shore’ for Severn Hospice    From the wild Cumbrian coast, across the rolling Yorkshire Dales to the wave lashed  Robin Hood's Bay, the long distance path (approx. 300 km or 192-220 miles) devised by Alfred Wainwright winds its way through stunning countryside in remote parts of northern England including three National Parks from St. Bee’s Head on the west coast to Robin Hood's Bay on the east. The campsites and bunkhouses were all booked and two B&B's, one at the Lion Inn on Blakey Ridge at the highest and remote point of the North Yorkshire Moors and the other at the end, joined by my mum (97years old), to celebrate we hoped! We averaged well over 10 miles a day and were joined by Hilary and Ellie Clarke from Upper Cound for a couple of days and my sister and brother-in-law, Sue and Tony, towards the end.  The rest is now history.  I completed my first long distance walk (almost according to plan!) and the team achieved all their aims and objectives...   The primary aim of this adventure was to raise money for the Severn Hospice but also:  To celebrate this long distance walk undertaken by friends of Penny.  To enjoy and savour the daily occurrences that a walk of this nature casts at you.  To enhance the outdoor experience of those interested hill-walkers.  To improve the art of navigation and camp-craft of those participating.   Objectives To arrive at the start point on the correct date and time! To complete the full 282 km (192-220 miles) “West coast to East coast” route. To pick a pebble from the Irish Sea and drop it into the North Sea. To produce a photographic record of the event.       Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity. Please tell your friends or ‘anyone who knows me’ or knew Penny. Many thanks. Contact details: <a href="mailto:j.je.mitchell@btinternet.com">j.je.mitchell@btinternet.com</a>  When a cure is no longer possible -        care is Severn Hospice provides care for people with life limiting illnesses. We strive to look after our patients’ medical, emotional and spiritual needs in a warm, loving and respectful environment. We also offer support and counselling to the relatives and loved ones of our patients. We rely on public fundraising for over two thirds of our income every year and without events like this we would not be able to continue to provide our specialist services. Over 90p in every £1 donated to Severn Hospice goes directly to patient care, so you can be sure that your support will make a real difference in the local community. The family of one recent patient told us “I can’t thank the Hospice enough for all the effort everyone put in making the whole family at ease, giving us beds every day we wanted. We reckon if dad was at home he wouldn’t have lasted that extra week. You couldn’t find nicer people in the world. They keep a smile on their face every day... It’s just absolutely amazing.” Thank you for helping to make our work possible.   For more information on the work of Severn Hospice, and on fundraising activities, call 01952 221 351, email <a href="mailto:appeals@severnhospice.org.uk">appeals@severnhospice.org.uk</a> or visit<a href="http://www.severnhospice.org.uk/">www.severnhospice.org.uk</a>

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