In March 1981, BBC Radio 4 released the first instalment of its much‑anticipated adaptation of The Lord of the Rings. Over the following 24 weeks, listeners followed the adventures of Frodo Baggins, Sam, Gandalf, Strider and the Fellowship of the Ring as they journeyed from the peaceful Shire to the foreboding Mount Doom, home of the Dark Lord Sauron and his armies of orcs. It was there that Frodo and Sam ultimately succeeded in destroying the One Ring, ending the War of the Ring and defeating Sauron.

The serial was an ambitious and faithful rendition of the source material, with a running time of 13 hours—from the moment Gandalf arrives for Bilbo’s 111th birthday party to the moment Frodo sets sail for the Grey Havens and Sam returns to Bag End with the good‑natured, “Well, I’m back.”

In May 2026, Lee Cheney and Tim Coulson will be undertaking their own much‑anticipated sponsored walk, setting off from St Anne’s School in Hessle and travelling up the coast to complete their journey at Flamborough Head. This fellowship of two does not expect to encounter Black Riders, elves, giant sentient spiders, ring‑obsessed quasi‑hobbits, or the fiery majesty of Mount Doom—but they will encounter sore feet, tired legs, British weather, and the challenge of navigating the highways and byways of East Yorkshire to reach their destination.

Their walk is an ambitious effort to raise much‑needed funds for St Anne’s School at a time when SEN funding and support are under increasing pressure, and when children and families who need the most help are struggling to access the education that is the legal right of every child in the country. Lee’s eldest son attends St Anne’s, and it is because of the care and support the school gives its pupils that Lee chose them as the beneficiary of this sponsored event.

Lee and Tim will be setting off from St Anne’s at 6am on Saturday, 23rd May, with the goal of reaching Flamborough Head in less time than the 13 hours it took BBC Radio 4 to recreate The Lord of the Rings back in 1981.

With trusty tape deck strapped to their backs, the heroic duo will be playing the cassette version of the radio play as they walk. Will they complete their journey before Frodo throws the Ring into Mount Doom, or will the final episode finish before they do?

All money raised from the walk will go to St Anne’s School, its staff and its pupils.