Fiona and I will be hard pushed to thank all the people on Crete who have looked after her with so much care and professionalism when she needed energency neuro-surgery during our holiday on Crete this summer. Our frequent utterances of “ευχαριστώ” (thank you) feel so inadequate.

Accordingly, in gratitude, for fun and to stave off cabin fever, we have decided to do a wee sponsored walk today (Thursday) and to donate any funds raised to Smile for the Child. This not-for-profit, voluntary welfare organisation raises funds to help ill, disadvantaged and vulnerable children throughout Greece. This year, work started on a new children’s home in Heraklion, Crete. Smile of the Child

Fiona and I try to walk as much as possible within the hospital grounds to which we are confined. Our normal route: down four flights of stairs - through the lift lobby - along the main corridor - through Admissions - down two flights to the hospital shop and coffee kiosk (where I thought people didn’t know how to queue ... turns out I was in the Staff Only aisle) - along the downstairs corridor past the mortuary - out by the delivery bay - through the car park - past A&E - by the front door and the taxi rank - along by the shady gardens with the fig and pomegranate trees - to the back door of our stairwell.

This is 1.76km in all; we’re going to do it six times. This is very much our gift to give, but if anybody wants to make a (small, please) donation, we would love that.