The Parish Walk happens every Summer Solstice in the Isle of Man, with the full thing being an 85 mile race walk (no running!!) through each of the island’s 17 parishes, up down and around the Manx hills. It starts at 8am, and if you want to do the full thing you have to complete it in less than 24 hours…

My plan for this year is to get to the 8th parish - Peel - which is 32.5 miles (in 9ish hours).

2025’s Parish Walk was the last weekend I spent with my dad out and about, as he was our support car for the day. The year before, in 2024, we had both taken part in the race - walking the 19 miles to Rushen before gracefully tapping out together.

Dad had a stroke while driving home from work on the 26th June 2025, just 5 days after the Parish, and has been in hospital since then. He was first at Nobles Hospital on the island, and transferred to the Walton Centre in Liverpool in October for rehabilitation, where he is learning how to walk again as well as having his new and complex medical needs looked after properly.

Everyone at Walton has been incredible, the support they’ve given to him and to us as a family has been brilliant, and we’ve been very lucky to have them. The work that Walton does is supported by the The Walton Centre Charity, and I’ll be walking this year to raise money for them.

It’s also Father’s Day the day after the Parish this year, and this would be a very good present :) :)

The Walton Centre Charity is the only dedicated charity that supports patients, research and staff wellbeing at The Walton Centre in Liverpool.

The Walton Centre treats more than 145,000 patients each year and is the only specialist NHS hospital trust in the UK, dedicated to providing pioneering treatments for conditions affecting the brain, spine, nervous system, and the management of pain conditions.