Charity Walk around Britain 2009: 2008

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Another confirmed site - Lyme Regis

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Wednesday 3 September 2008

Saturday, August 30, 2008

Sunday 31 August 2008

Saturday 30 August 2008

Friday, August 22, 2008

Saturday, 23 August 2009

Friday, 22 August 2008

Friday, 22 August 2009

A week has absolutely flown by!
During it, Louise has been champion again, helping me to identify 7 email addresses for possible sites, and The Caravan Club has been terrific in granting me free sites at some 15 sites, including those 7. The 7 sites equate to 10 nights camping.
It struck me that I had not allowed for an overnight stay in London on 28 April, the day before we are scheduled to starting the WALK, for Peter to come over from Hereford with car and caravan, and allow us an early start on 29 April. So, on the next posting by me here, you'll see I'm adding 28 April at top of listing.

Saturday, August 16, 2008

2 More Confirmed Sites, and More Coming!

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

So that the current date will appear each time I edit the following list, I'll do a new posting and delete the previous one. That way there'll be less for you to scroll through. But, I noticed after posting this one that the date shown is 12 hours behind my time in New Zealand - must be British time(?).
I can be contacted at xtr208758@xtra.co.nz.

The columns are town, mileage, whether confirmed (****),date.

**** denotes confirmed sites (the dates are the nights of . . . . .)

London Marathon walk on 26 April 2009.

Rest in London a day or two.

London, Start on the morning of 29 April 2009.
Brentwood 22 miles 29 April
Witham 21 **** 30
Colchester 22 **** 1 May
Ipswich, site at Fynn Valley 18 **** 2
Saxmundham 20 3
Lowestoft, site at Southwold 20 **** 4
Norwich 25 **** 5 and 6
Cromer 24 7
Fakenham 20 **** 8
Kings Lynn 21 **** 9
Holbeach 19 10
Heckington 20 **** 11
Lincoln 22 **** 12 and 13
Market Raisen 18 14
Brigg, or Caistor, or Humber between 16 and 24 (?) 15
Little Weighton 22 **** 16
Little Driffield 18 **** 17
Scarborough 21 **** 18 and 19
Whitby 15 20
Guisborough 24 **** 21
Stockton-on-Tees 14 22 and 23
Durham 28 *** 24
Ponteland 28 **** 25
Otterburn 23 **** 26
Jedburgh 18 27
Kelso 19 **** 28
Lauder 19 29
Edinburgh 20 **** 30 and 31, and 1 June
Kinghorn 20 2
Markinch 13 3
St Andrews 20 4
Dundee 13 5
Perth 22 6
Crieff 15 **** 7
Inver near Dunkeld 20 **** 8
Coupar Angus 15 **** 9
Forfar 17 **** 10
Brechin 12 11
Inverbervie 20 12 and 13
Newtonhill 17 14
Balmedie 18 15
Cruden Bay 16 16
Crimond 17 17
Fraserburgh 10 18
Gardenstown 15 19 and 20
Portsoy 17 21
Fochabers 18 22
Forres 21 23 and 24
Ardersier 16 25
Kirkhill 19 26
Evanton 19 27
Dornoch 24 28
Brora 16 **** 29 and 30
Berriedale 20 1 July
Ulbster 19 2
John O’Groats 23 3
Thurso 20 4 and 5
Strathy 20 6
Tigh na Beithe, Tongue 23 **** 7 and 8
Altnaharra 18 9
Lairg 21 **** 10 and 11
Dalnavie 20 12
Evanton 20 13
Cannich 25 **** 14
Drumnadrochit 12 **** 15
Fort Augustus 19 16
Spean Bridge 23 17 and 18
Onich 19 19
Bridge of Orchy 29 20
Killin 25 21
Callander 19 22
Stirling 20 **** 23 and 24
Glasgow 25 **** 25
Kilmarnock 21 26
New Cumnock 21 **** 27
Carronbridge 22 28
Dumfries 17 29 and 30
Gretna 24 31
High Hesket 16 **** 1 August
Great Strickland 15 **** 2
Keswick 22 **** 3
Kendal 26 4 and 5
Lancaster 24 6
Preston 21 7
Southport 18 **** 8
St Helens 20 9
Chester 25 10 and 11
Whitchurch 20 12
Shrewsbury 20 **** 13
Craven Arms 21 14
Knighton 15 **** 15
Builth Wells 25 **** 16 and 17
Talgarth 13 18
Pandy 21 **** 19
Saint Arvans 26 20
Bristol 20 *** 21
Cheddar 17 **** 22 and 23
Langport 19 24
Wiveliscombe 26 **** 25
Sth Molton 26 26
Barnstaple 12 27
Bideford 11 28
Kilkhampton 21 **** 29
Camelford 22 30 and 31
St Columb 18 **** 1 September
Redruth 18 2
Ludgvan 17 **** 3
Penzance 20 **** 4
Lizard 24 5 and 6
Carnon Downs 23 7
Lostwithiel 25 **** 8
Saltash 30 9
Sth Brent 21 10 and 11
Torquay 16 12
Exeter 22 13
Lyme Regis 23 14
Dorchester 24 15
Manston, Sturminster Newton 23 and 17
Winterbourne Stoke 27 **** 18
Andover 20 19
Basingstoke 23 20 and 21
Wokingham 25 22
Windsor Great Park 11 23
London 25 24

Update - Wednesday, 13 August 2009

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Update - Monday, 11 August 2009

Dorchester to London Change

With help from one of my supporters in the U.K., I've decided to change the route after Dorchester, as follows. So, in my next posting the new itinerary will be shown.

Dorchester 15 and 16 September
Manston,
Sturminster Newton 23 miles 17 Sept.
Winterbourne Stoke 27 18
Andover 20 19
Basingstoke 23 20 and 21
Wokingham 25 22
Windsor Great Park 11 23
Trafalgar Square 25 24

Saturday, August 9, 2008

Thank you, Louise

Thanks to Louise for introducing www.ukparks.co.nz into my life. Through Louise I've gained access to email addresses and/or fax numbers for several caravan and camping sites for which all I had earlier was telephone numbers.
The first result is that Colchester is now one of the places where we have a confirmed free site.
And, although I had problems trying to use the fax number for a site at Spean Bridge, I got their address, so I was able to send my message to them in a letter - snailmail style!
If you look at the most recent posting before this one, you'll see which towns I'm still seeking free sites for, and I'd appreciate any help from you if you can approach any of them directly for me, please. Either give them my request for a free site, give the date, and tell them the charitable nature of my venture, or give them my blogsite address and my email address xtr208758@xtra.co.nz, please.

David.

Update - Sunday, 10 August 2009

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Next, A WALK in New Zealand

I've had a fair bit of pressure locally, and I've caved in!

I've said I'll do a walk in or around New Zealand after the around-Britain WALK.

So, to those of you who may have been opposed to me walking for British charities after getting my heart bypass surgery done in New Zealand, I challenge you to help me plan and resource the New Zealand WALK. I have no details at present - only caved in last week! But, I'm told there is a walkway being established the length of N.Z., due to be completed in 2010.

When I know more, I'll let you know. When my new website is launched, there'll be information about it there.

David.

Monday, August 4, 2008

Beautiful People !!!!!!

It's mind-boggling!
A company based in New Plymouth, Taranaki, New Zealand, has not only offered me 12 months free web hosting, but they have found me a domain name http://www.davescharitywalks.com and registered it for me, and now one of the company's directors is helping me develop a website for me - all for free!
The company is Absolute Tech, and the director is Hadyn Thomas.

I'd like you to go visit their website at www.absolutetech.biz and see how much they have to offer in the way of information technology, please, whether you are in New Zealand or not. I'm blown away by the generosity and enthusiasm shown to me and my venture by Hadyn.

I think that the provision of this website (which is, naturally, not yet accessible on the internet while it is being developed) will ensure financially that the charity walk around Britain will indeed take place from April to September 2009. Exposure to search engines such as Google Yahoo, and Cuil will make it feasible that donors and sponsors will get to know of my venture.

I'll post here to let you know when the website is launched.

It's almost midnight, and I've had a long but very successful day today, so I'm off to bed,

David.

Thursday, July 31, 2008

Bit of a Change!

I'd appreciate any comments on the following proposed ending of the itinerary instead of what is shown in latest posting, please. It's from Dorchester to London.

Dorchester 15 and 16 September
Manston,
Sturminster Newton 23 miles 17 Sept.
Winterbourne Stoke 27 18
Andover 20 19
Basingstoke 23 20 and 21
Wokingham 25 22
Windsor Great Park 11 23
Trafalgar Square 25 24

And, of course, any help to get free parking sites in or near any of these places for car and caravan would be a great help.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Another update on 30 July 2008

If you are reading my postings here, then you can maybe help me a bit.
Where there are asterisks against a place, I have a confirmed free or discounted parking site for our vehicle and caravan. Otherwise, I'm still searching for such.

Where YOU can help is by checking out those without asterisks, and see whether you live nearby, work nearby, have friends or relatives nearby, or even try your hand at writing to a newspaper, local authority, hotel or pub or camping ground, and drawing their attention to my venture.

I know it's asking a lot, but you'll maybe have noticed that it has been 3 weeks since my previous update. I'm only updating generally when there are new free sites to show. Today, I was told that Otterburn is O.K. for a free site, and that is why I'm updating today.

I'm having another closer look myself tonight (almost midnight here just now) at the end stretch from Dorchester to London, and I may have to revise that part of the route. A lovely lady was helping me there, but I've lost all contact with her, and I may therefore shorten that part of the route. To my friend at Winterbourne Stoke - don't panic! I'll still come to you, but I may ask you to change the date(?)

Update - Wednesday, 30 July 2008

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Update - Wednesday, 9 July 2008

Monday, July 7, 2008

Update - Monday, 7 July 2008

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Update - Friday, 4 July 2008

Back in the Saddle Again !

Thank heavens my username/password problem has been resolved!
My next posting here - in a minute or two from finishing this one - will be an updated itinerary, taking into account the amendments I mentioned in my "Comments" in my posting of 27 June. And including this morning's new free sites.
Things are looking quite good at present. Deducing that I've definitely been having problems with emails, inwards and outwards, I've been sending 'multiple' catch-up emails to some of my previous providers of free sites for 2008, and the results have been splendid! Turns out that some of them had already responded in May, but I never received their messages.
So, page One of my pdf document of my itinerary is almost completed as regards free sites, and page Three has moved on in leaps and bounds. Now I have to do some catch-up emails re page Two (which seems to have been my most difficult page.
But, things are looking for 2009.
And, as a bonus, due to an email I received out of the blue, my stuff is now on a website in the U.K., seeking sponsorship! If you like what you see under "Personal Endeavours" at www.sponsormylife.co.uk then pass it on to any potential sponsoring companies or organisations, please.

Friday, June 27, 2008

Update - Saturday, 28 June 2009

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Update - Friday, 27 June 2008

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Update - Thursday, 26 June 2008

Update - Wednesday, 25 June 2008

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Cutting from "Whakatane Beacon" 17 June 2008

A Bit of Despair on 22 June 2008 !!!

I'm having a wee bit of a rough time of it currently.
On checking here, I find I haven't posted since 5 June - and that is because I've had no additional confirmed free or discounted caravan parking sites since then. Not that I haven't tried to obtain more; I've been emailing catch-up messages, and trying to sort any problems of communication I've been striking due to computer and ISP malfunctions. I thought I'd got all of that sorted out, but I'm not convinced. I had definitely expected some good repsonses re 2009 from people who had generously offered free sites for the 2008 WALK. I'm anxious that either my emails have not reached all of them, or that some of their replies are not reaching me. It's a bit embarrassing writing "catch-up" messages, not knowing whether they've received earlier messages, or maybe that they want nothing more to do with me and the WALK, since I failed to produce results for the 2008 WALK (?)

Anyway, in trying to check through all 800 to 1200 emails that have been exchanged on the subject of the WALK, yesterday and today has been spent in creating individual message boxes for the independent towns, and then transferring all the messages from a general "Caravans" box to these new individual boxes. Then I'll spend the next 2 or 3 days going through the contents of one box at a time, to check on all the messages to and fro re that town, with a view to ensuring that I'm up to speed with each outstanding one so that my next message to the people re that town will not be confused. Are you confused by this so far?

As I do that exercise, I'll move the boxes for towns where I have confirmed free or discounted site, to a new box entitled "Confirmed Sites". This should thin down the list I have to deal with re towns where I have had no responses.

I'm posting this to let any readers here know that I have not stopped posting altogether.

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Update - Thursday, 5 June, 2008

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Update - Wednesday, 4 June 2009

Monday, June 2, 2008

Update - Tuesday, 3 June 2009

Sunday, June 1, 2008

Update - Monday, 2 June 2008

Friday, May 30, 2008

Update - Saturday, 31 May 2008

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Update - Thursday, 29 May 2008

Monday, May 26, 2008

Update of Itinerary - Tuesday, 27 May 2008

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Update re Itinerary as as Wednesday 21 May 2008

Sunday, May 18, 2008

Friday, May 16, 2008

Update re Itinerary on Saturday 17 May 2009

Wheel of Fortune Quiz Show

My wife and I have just returned from a couple of days in Auckland.

I managed to get picked for an audition for the New Zealand version of the t/v quiz show "Wheel of Fortune".

I was successful, and now await the call to go back to Auckland to be a contestant.

I'm hoping for a lot of luck, so that maybe I can win enough to help make the 2009 WALK for charity possible!

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Update re Itinerary on Tuesday 13 May 2009

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Update on Monday 12 May 2008

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Update re confirmed sites

Saturday, May 3, 2008

First Post re Charity Walk around Britain 2009

Having failed to find sufficient sponsorship and donations to make the 2008 WALK possible, I'm now planning to do it in 2009.

I'm trying to secure a place in the 2009 London Marathon as part of a charity team (very difficult because places are restricted).

I'm hoping that most of those who have offered free parking/camping sites for 2008 will be equally generous for my 2009 venture.

The columns are town, mileage, whether confirmed (****),date.

**** denotes confirmed sites (the dates are the nights of . . . . .)

London Marathon walk on 26 April 2009
rest in London a day or two
London Start on the morning of 29 April 2009
Brentwood 22 miles 29 April
Witham 21 30
Colchester 22 1 May
Ipswich 18 2
Saxmundham 20 3
Lowestoft 20 4
Norwich 25 5 and 6
Cromer 24 7
Fakenham 20 8
Kings Lynn 21 9
Holbeach 19 10
Heckington 20 11
Lincoln 22 12 and 13
Market Raisen 18 14
Brigg, or Caistor, or Humber between 16 and 24 (?) 15
Little Weighton 22 16 and 17
Little Driffield 18 18
Scarborough 21 19 and 20
Whitby 15 21
Guisborough 24 22
Stockton-on-Tees 14 23 and 24
Durham 18 29
Ponteland 23 26
Otterburn 23 27
Hass, Jedburgh 18 28
Kelso 19 29
Lauder 19 30
Edinburgh 20 31 and 1 and 2 June
Burntisland 20 3
Markinch 13 4
St Andrews 20 5
Dundee 13 6
Perth 22 7
Crieff 15 8
Dunkeld 20 9
Coupar Angus 15 10
Forfar 17 11
Brechin 12 12
Inverbervie 20 13 and 14
Newtonhill 17 15
Balmedie 18 16
Cruden Bay 16 17
Crimond 17 18
Fraserburgh 10 19
Gardenstown 15 20 and 21
Portsoy 17 22
Fochabers 18 23
Forres 21 24 and 25
Ardersier 16 26
Kirkhill 19 27
Evanton 19 28
Dornoch 24 29
Brora 16 30 and 1 July
Berriedale 20 2
Ulbster 19 3
John O’Groats 23 4
Thurso 20 5 and 6
Strathy 20 7
Tigh na Beithe, Tongue 23 8 and 9
Altnaharra 18 10
Lairg 21 11 and 12
Dalnavie 20 13
Dingwall 20 14
Beauly 13 15
Drumnadrochit 14 16
Fort Augustus 19 17
Spean Bridge 23 18 and 19
Onich 19 20
Bridge of Orchy 29 21
Killin 25 22
Callander 19 23
Stirling 20 24 and 25
Glasgow 25 26
Kilmarnock 21 27
New Cumnock 21 28
Carronbridge 22 29
Dumfries 17 30 and 31
Gretna 24 1 August
High Hesket 16 2
Great Strickland 15 3
Keswick 22 4
Kendal 26 5 and 6
Lancaster 24 7
Preston 21 8
Southport 18 9
St Helens 20 10
Chester 25 11 and 12
Whitchurch 20 13
Shrewsbury 20 14
Craven Arms 21 15
Knighton 15 16
Builth Wells 25 17 and 18
Talgarth 17 19
Gavilon 14 20
Saint Arvans 22 21
Bristol 20 22
Wells 19 23 and 24
Langport19 25
Huish Champflower 26 26
Sth Molton 26 27
Barnstaple 12 28
Bideford 11 29
Kilkhampton 21 30
Camelford 22 31 and 1 September
St Columb 18 2
Redruth 18 3
Ludgvan 17 4
Penzance 20 5
Lizard 24 6 and 7
Carnon Downs 23 8
Lostwithiel 25 9
Saltash 30 10
Sth Brent 21 11 and 12
Torquay 16 13
Exeter 22 14
Lyme Regis 23 15
Dorchester 24 16
Poole 24 17 and 18
Whitsbury 21 19
Winterbourne Stoke 16 **** 20
Pub 20 21
New Alresford 15 22
Farnham 20 23
Dorking 23 24
London 24 25

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