You may recall that in 2008 I did the Cleveland Way to raise money for this fantastic charity (Teesside Hospice) and you (generously) helped me raise over £1,000. I always said the next thing would be the Coast to Coast... its taken me a while to get there, but its happening! ... starting on Saturday 18 August 2012 in St Bees and finishing in Robin Hoods Bay at some point on Thursday 30 August.... 2012 just in case there was any doubt about which year I plan to finish it in!!

Essentially (like the Cleveland Way) its a solo adventure but I have already had some very generous offers of company along the way that I am inclined to take advantage of... if only to make use of the compass skills of my potential companions!

It would appear this is 192 miles and every donation .... no matter how small will go a huge way towards preventing me from jumping on a bus, taking a taxi or just deciding that really all I want to do is sit in Grasmere and eat their finest Gingerbread.... for a week!

The staff at Teesside Hospice do a marvellous job... every day - your donation and my little jaunt could never really match the work of this excellent charity, but we can try. Every penny will be appreciated... so go on... put your hand in your pocket and keep me and the hospice going!!

Thanks.

 

An update!!

 

And so now I have finished my walk and I couldn't let this pass without some genuine and sincere thanks to some people who have helped me along the way! This may turn into a thanks that would put Gwyneth Paltrow to shame, but hey, its absolutely sincere so strap yourselves in (stop reading now if you wish) and get ready for a huge thanks (in no particular order) to........

Rob, Vickie and Ran Morton.

For yet again providing me with kit, equipment and advice that proved invaluable in giving me peace of mind. Ran especially for smiling at me every time I opened my purse!

Emma Wright

For a number of things, including being a great friend, but also for reminding me of the seed that was planted when we met the C2C guys on the first few days of the Cleveland Way, and continuing to buy me 'Coast to Coast' style presents to remind me of my goal!!

Dad

For joining me for the first two days of my walk. This, in all honesty, was possibly not much fun for you- walking at the speed of light through some pretty awful conditions- breaking through gaps in fences to detour impassable flooded, paths... and for ..eeek.... getting your trousers dirty... in 30 years of walking with you this is a first and I thank you for that! Luckily, the next time you joined me the sun shone - thanks for your patience, tolerance and tenacity!

Mum

For hanging around waiting for me and dad and for providing beer and a smile when we arrived beyond our estimated time of arrival! Thanks also for the satisfying and epic packed lunch! 10 out of 10!

Vicki Morton

For joining me for (and I stand by this) one of the toughest days of the walk! Relatively featureless and unbelievably muddy. Thanks so much for your company. You made a potentially difficult 23 mile walk really very enjoyable! Thanks and thanks to Andrew, Holly and Charlie for delivering my walking companion to me safely. ... and taking her home hopefully in one piece!

Kate, Dickie and co

For meeting us half way on above said difficult day with home made scones, beer, smiles and encouragement. Oooohhh that scone! Big, big thanks!!

Graham, Ali, James, Tom and Ellie- 'the family of/ famous five!'

Huge respect to you for making it and even contemplating doing it!! A lovely lovely family. I suspect when this idea was first discussed there were moments when the pull of a 'normal' holiday was very strong! I'm glad you chose the non conventional family holiday as your company was so appreciated and I was so so pleased to see you at the end! Well done and thanks for your smiles, enthusiasm and company at Rosthwaite when it first hit me I was 'alone'!! You deserve to be proud of yourselves and your fantastic children.

Jane, Steve and Ashton

Thanks for your company. It was lovely to know you were behind, infront of me and beside me pretty much every step of the way! Thanks for demonstrating to me that walking through a field of cows with a dog AND positioning yourself between cows and their calves does not always result in a near death experience! Your company was massively appreciated. I tried to slow you down with a Parmo but you still made it to Robin Hoods Bay before me! Tsk!!

Cep and Steve

Thanks for walking with me through thick cloud up to Kidsty Pike... granted between the three of us we managed to get caught up in chatter and went off piste but I never promised I would walk in Wainwrights footsteps ... I just said I would walk from Coast to Coast... and you helped me do that! And it was fun... despite the weather! Thanks for your donation. It means a lot.

Rich and Graham

Thanks for your company on the final day and for the Opal Fruits. You never saw me hiding behind a tree too proud to admit that I had taken an alternative/wrong route on the wrong side of the riverbank on the last day... or you were too gentlemanly to say you had spotted me! Either way thanks for your company... and for letting me plough ahead to end up waist deep in bog.. sometimes you just have to find your own way!

Sam and Dan

Ahhh Sam and Dan!! Fantastic guys! A very different Coast to Coast experience to mine! Sponsored by Strongbog and never ending smiles! (apart from the day in Reeth that has been obliterated from your memory!). Thanks for making me smile pretty much every time I saw you. Your stories and tales continue to tickle me!

Dan and companion.

Thanks sooo much for providing me with a beacon of direction from Rosthwaite to Grasmere while trying to navigate through pea soup! The discussion/ confusion we had in visibility of less than 20 metres about whether the red compass needle points North or South was slightly unnerving but we got there! I can't describe the relief when I saw your silver back pack covers through the mist and how pleased I was to see you at Robin Hoods Bay! Thanks so much for your sponsorship.

Lee, Jaydee and Bailey.

Ahhhh- what can I say? Thanks for everything! You guys are amazing! You provided me with a number of highlights along the way!.. showering in the waterfall when the rest of us were layered up...  I will never forget your never ending energy and the generosity of Jaydee and Bailey. You put the rest of us in the shade! A fantastic achievement!

Thanks to everyone who has sponsored me... I won't name you all individually as you are here on my page but that 'ping' as I got into signal always raised a smile and usually meant more sponsorship for Teesside Hospice. A fantastic charity! Your donations were and are massively appreciated.

Thanks to those who kept me going with phone calls, text messages, emails and messages on Facebook.

Thanks to those who provided me with maps, motivation and the mindset to keep me going.

Thanks mum and dad for being there at the end! It was lovely to see you... especially given you had provided a cold lager and bubbly!

Thanks to all at Brass Castle Golf Club, DTV Probation Trust and HMI Probation and to the random couple in Rosthwaite who took pity on a soggy me and dad and donated!

And finally thanks again to Chris... ahhh poor Chris (aka David Beckham!)... who has yet again had to suffer me in my focussed determination to achieve a goal! I am sorry that I stabbed you in the eye with my walking pole after you waited patiently for me at Robin Hoods Bay ... looking for me coming down that hill. Thanks for your support and for joining me along the way. It meant so much to me!

I've had a ball and along the way have raisd money for a fantastic charity.

Its not too late to sponsor me so if you feel the desire... dig deep ... like every footstep.. every penny makes a difference!

Helen

xxxx