Story
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Turning Sixty!
It's been a tumultuous year, filled with big life changes: Giving up my job as an infant teacher; helping to care for my dear, 90 year old mum, who has dementia; the excitement of finding a whole new family (I am adopted), reconnecting with long lost friends; and welcoming our fourth grandson into the world.
There has been a lot to process, and I have found great solace in walking. I have discovered many of the long distance paths and met lovely people along the way.
The seed of an idea came to me that perhaps I could walk, not just for myself but to raise money for a charity I have come to know and respect - Save the Children. I first became aware of the work they do through volunteering in the little shop in Magdalene Street, Cambridge. It is a treasure trove of unusual finds, now beautifully displayed after a smart refit. The volunteers are friendly and supportive to one another and I have felt welcomed onto the team.
I like the fact that Save the Children supports projects both in the UK and overseas with wide ranging concerns about family life and children's well being. Do visit their website to see more.
I love the Thames and have lived near its banks for most of my life. Some of my earliest memories are of being taken to see the swans at Marlow. I have walked along many stretches of the river, learnt to canoe at the Dolphin Centre in Pangbourne, picnicked with my children in the water meadows. And now I am exploring urban sections of the Thames with my grandchildren - mudlarking in Deptford Creek, speeding up river on a Thames Clipper or sailing over the Millenium Dome in a cable car. But this is my goal - to walk the entire length, from source to barrier.
Please support me by donating to save the Children, and join me for a few miles along the way, if you can. That would be wonderful.
The dates of the walk are in my blog:
I'll be posting updates so you can follow my progress.