Alzheimer's is a disease which affects millions of people in this country, and worldwide, both directly and indirectly. Its profile has been raised recently by one well-known sufferer, Terry Pratchett. My mother, Irene Goodman,after a life of medical practice and a short retirement, underwent progressive loss of memory over a period of 15 years, and died following a stroke in 1999, aged 84. The emotional load, in all those closest to her, of witnessing her decline from a vivacious, active, humorous, being, was huge.There are still far too many unknowns about dementia and Alzheimer's(which accounts for 60% of all dementia), but one thing is certain, with an increasingly aged population, its incidence, unless checked by new measures, will increase,and it already affects approximately 600,000 in the UK.The Alzheimer's Society(www.alzheimers.org.uk) works to not only fund research into the causes and treatment of the disease,but also to mitigate the suffering of those with it, and of their carers. I have devised a unique walk to raise money for this charity, and hope that the singular arbritrary whimsical nature of the route might attract people to donate more !!

The route is what I have called 'The Watershed Route'- a line directly down the geographical centre of the British mainland, exactly equidistant from the western and eastern seaboards. I am still fixing the exact route, which is very time consuming, since all mapping and other agencies are bemused when I tell them what route I am planning. I am using OS Getamap online to establish the major way points, which are approx. 8 miles apart. I estimate the total distance of the walk to be 850 miles.......and much of it will not be on paths! I hope to start the walk,heading north to south, in the later part of September this year. I am a reasonably experienced walker, and reasonably fit....but this is a real challenge, on several fronts. I have the support of a very tolerant wife and family, who nevertheless think I'm slightly crazy! Although I plan this as a solo walk, I will be welcoming any friends or family who feel compelled to join me for short sections. I plan to sleep under canvas 2/3-4 of the nights, under roofs the other 1/3-4 (for showers,hot food, clothes wash,beer, etc.).Obviously,I'll carry tent,sleeping bag, inflatable mattress,clothing, food and water sufficient for 3-4 days of wilderness etc. etc., and a good life insurance policy...

Thank you for reading so far, and for any donation you feel you can make to the Alzheimers Society.

Andrew Leach 

------

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.