Walking 150 miles for Barney and to raise funds and awareness

Where your money is going

2007-06-30T22:40:00.000Z

When I originally came up with the idea of doing the walk I wanted to ensure that all the funds raised in Barney's name would be used in areas that would have tangible results as opposed to just being evaporated away in the day to day running of the charity as is the case with many larger charities.
In response to this Neal Long, Sands Director, has suggested that the Walking 4 Barney funds will be partly used to provide scientific bursaries to assist health professionals and investigators from developing countries to participate in International Stillbirth Alliance Conference.

ISA 2007 will be hosted jointly by Sands and the NHS Perinatal Institute in Birmingham (29th September - 2nd October 2007).
The conference will be a very special meeting to focus on perinatal loss - the human impact, the causes, and the possibilities for prevention. It will be a rare opportunity to bring together researchers, clinicians, health care professionals, bereaved families, and support organisations from many different countries.
Many clinicians and scientists devote much of their working lives to furthering the understanding of adverse pregnancy outcome. And many bereaved parents, knowing the real consequences of baby loss, are committed to improving the care that others who have suffered a loss receive. Both groups have much in common and together can represent a very powerful force for change.
The conference will be run in two parallel streams: scientific and bereavement, and will include joint plenary sessions to discuss the key issues of interest to all. Its main purpose is to gain insights and ideas for future collaborative initiatives to reduce the burden of perinatal death.

The aims will be:

to present the human consequences of stillbirth and other perinatal loss
to share information on current activities and research programs
to strengthen collaboration on initiatives to reduce perinatal death
to share knowledge and experience of best practice in care when a baby dies
to encourage networking and informal exchange

We feel this is an extremely good use of the money that has been donated so far and we are sure that as a direct result of Walking 4 Barney a real step forward can be made into the cause and prevention of the loss of babies' lives. We sincerely hope you agree.

THANK YOU

2007-06-22T20:35:00.000Z

I would like to say a big thank you to all those that, as they say in all good awards ceremonies, “we couldn’t have done it without”.

Dave for not only for completing the walk but for keeping me going through the pain and those points where you just don’t want to carry on, and of course for the company and being able to share the experience of the walk.

Sean for volunteering to join us as his participation means that Microsoft will match the money raised, not to mention his magic tricks and stories on route.

Suzanne for doing a fantastic job of running about in the support car, sorting out the luggage and making sure we had what we needed. Especially getting ahead to the hotels and getting the bath ready!

Jo for the fantastic lunches, rub downs and day to day support

Gaz for his company over the weekend and injection of humour, if not for his addiction to Dextrose and cleaning us out of it!

Kerrie for entertaining the boys over the weekend and for being the bear!

The Boys (Haydn, Rohan and Kieran): for handing out balloons.

Berry for joining us for the last day, well done!

Christoph for being the Bear, which made Huntingdon a success

Clare for you company of the last 5 miles and the extra cash you raised

Dave Hiller for all his help and encouragement during the planning of the walk and his support on a personal level through the past months, also for timely arrive with Margaret on the walk

Helen Stokoe (TfL) for her help in publicising the walk within TfL and general support and advice.

Neal Long & Carolyn Bray of Sands: for their support and assistance.

Katie Duff & Lyn Peters of Sands for organising the media machine.

Finally, a big thank you to everyone that has contributed in any way making this adventure a success.

It's All Over

2007-06-21T17:45:00.000Z

Hurrah !!!! We made it. It must be said it was hard going at times, but we persevered, and walked through the pain on occasions. The whole event proved to be, certainly for me, as much a mental challenge as a physical one. There were definite highs and lows. Thankfully the lows seemed to coincide with people dropping money in the bucket as we wended our merry way. If any of you anonymous donors get to read this ........ THANK YOU!! Hopefully the traumatised children will grow out of their fear of a 6 foot bear.
Massive thanks too to all those who have given so generously on line.
My own special thanks to the support team. Suzanne and Jo with Kerrie's help over the weekend. Fantastic job. We couldn't have done it without you.
Heartfelt thanks for allowing me to share their great company, and even more awful jokes to Sean, Gaz and Berry.
Biggest praise goes to Martin who has not only single-handedly organised this mammoth undertaking but also completed the physical challenge of it all. I know how much it hurt so WELL DONE MATE!!! Thanks also for actually thinking that a 52 year old overweight unfit old git would be a worthwhile member of your team. We Showed 'em!!! I will leave Martin to add all his thoughts and write the story in his words and add some of the photos we took along the way.
My main solace through all this was a radio plugged in one ear which was a great help through the hard times. To pay homage to this I have selected a few tunes which may help you if you wish to undertake a similar challenge. There are "banging tunes" and 1 slipped disc for each day. Enjoy. Once again thanks to you all.
Day 1
Running Up That Hill - Kate Bush
Living On My Own - Freddie Mercury
Everybody's Gonna Dance Tonight - Paul McCartney
Grace - Simon Webbe
Rainy Night in Georgia - Randy Crawford
Slipped Disc
That Umbrella -ella-ella-ella song by Rianna - Pants!!!!
Day 2
Get This Party Started - Shirley Bassey
Mr Blue Sky - ELO
I Hear You Knocking - Dave Edmonds
Layla - Derek & The Dominoes
You're The Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me - Gladys Knight
Slipped Disc
Still Rianna not heard anything worse today - On and on and on !!
Day 3
Take Me Back Home - Slade
Night To Remember - Shalamar
Big Love - Fleetwood Mac
We Close Our Eyes - Go West
Breathless - Kenny G
Slipped Disc
Daydream Believer - The Monkees Sorry guys wrong time,wrong place......Yuk!!
Day 4
Summer Sun - Texas
Shine - Take That
Roll With It - Oasis
Down Down - Status Quo
Dance With My Father Again - Luther Vandross
Slipped Disc
Anything sung by Lily Allen - just not for me !!!!
Day 5
Homeward Bound - Simon and Garfunkel
All I need Is A Miracle - Mike and The Mechanics
Always The Last To Know - Del Amitri
Don't Feel Like Dancing - Scissor Sisters
Gravity - Embrace
Slipped Disc
Yes Sir I Can Boogie - Baccarra There really is no need !!!!!
Day 6
On The Road Again - Canned Heat
This Old Heart of Mine - Isley Brothers
Come As You are - Beverley Knight
Dock of The Bay - Otis Redding
Time To Say Goodbye - Andrea Boccelli / Sarah Brightman
Slipped Disc
Flash Dance - Irene Cara Welders in leotards and leggings. She should be shot.

Well that's it. If that doesn't get you walking try what I do slam in the old original soundtrack from The Blues Brothers and get on a mission.
Best foot forward now to the bar.
Thanks for reading.

Day 6 - South Mimms to the Finish

2007-06-19T23:46:00.000Z

A glorious morning greeted us at South Mimms, hope fully this time it will last. Could this really be the last day? A couple of days back we thought it was never going to end, this was it just one more day. After performing foot-aid to my battered toes and packed up the kit left behind by Suzanne due to the lack of space in the car which was to stay here until they returned home tonight. Today was a day with out the girls they were driving down to Suzanne’s friend Natalie’s house in Stoke Newington and would meet up with us at Regents Park for the last few miles.
For the last day on the walk we are joined by Berry Ilunga a colleague of mine from TfL so a fresh face and legs to keep the pace up as today we were on tight schedule to be at certain places at certain times.
Once I had finished messing about with toes and bags I was too late for the complimentary breakfast, thank you to Ann Ward at PTI for her generosity. Luckily Berry and noted the opportunity and made sure my full English didn’t go to waste!
So sun shining we were off the last, Dave in fine form with no ailments, Sean installed into Dave’s 1 ‘wonder’ sandals (with socks!) and Berry raring to go. We all had a new found energy found us off at a good pace. We were due to meet another walker at 1200 at Camden Tube so we had to keep a steady 3 mph pace. After negotiation the M25/A1(M) roundabout we were onto the A1081 towards Barnet, thanks to the heavy traffic the lack of foot path was fine as we could just walk between the all but static cars. Dave spotted a footpath up on the verge which we climbed to take advantage of. However, it doesn’t seem a well used path as it was a maze of brambles and after 5 minutes of untangling ourselves we decided to take our chances with the now moving cars.
To the side of the road we spotted a sign for “Trotters Bottom” a must have photo opportunity. Berry became photographer and duly too the snap followed by the cry of “one more” this words were to be a theme for the day! We seemed to be back in the countryside for a few miles the new saw the “Welcome to Barnet” sign which officially marked the entry to Greater London… the sense of achievement began to sink in we made it to London, although there was still away to go. We stopped for a photo (well two actually “one more”).
After a short walk we were into shops and people again, with so much more going on you certainly don notice the miles pass by and you mind has more to occupy itself than just pain. We had a brief stop in a shop for water which is another advantage of walking along “High Streets”.
Passing through Finchley we had two pieces of encouragement which although only two still picks you up, firstly thanks to our names being on our back we heard a cry of “Go on Dave!” from a guy hanging out of a BT van. And a man sat out side a café enjoying a coffee in the sun gave us an encouraging clap as we passed. Doesn’t sound much but it was appreciated at the time. Due to the much warmer weather we found a bigger need for refreshment, so a couple of stops were needed for water and the odd re-arrange of lacing due to sore toes. The stopping wasn’t helping Berry so he carried on but we soon caught up.
Walking through Highgate I felt my big heal blister that I had carried since day 1 burst and the inevitable burning pain. Luckily in an unusually clever piece of planning on my part had I decided to bring my sandals too. So after a quick change of foot wear the pain was bearable. I had now joined Sean in the fashion faux-pas of socks and sandals. I’ll take back all the jokes of the previous days.
After another pit-stop we found another photo-op a sign showing “C. London 5” You guessed it two pictures later and we were off, but running behind time to get to Camden Tube, so teeth gritted we pushed on. Dave and Sean pulled ahead but a 100 yards for a couple of miles, we managed to catch them up at Camden Tube at 1203 so not too far off schedule.
Here me met Clare Albert who is joining us for the last 5 miles of the walk, Clare who is 5 months pregnant, is the sister in-law of Sarah Davies who lives in Africa. Sarah lost her daughter Jemma in Sept 06 and become a friend of Suzanne’s having found babybarney.org.uk and keep in touch on MSN ever since. Clare wanted to walk in memory of her niece and has so far raised almost £1,000 for Sands. Sarah’s story can be found on http://www.babybarney.org.uk under the “Your Stories” section. Joining Clare was her mum and daughter Sophie (whose pushchair looked very inviting) so ranks swelled to 7 we set off on the last leg.
Having spoken to Suzanne, they were now going to meet us at St James’ Park. Passing Regents Park we were due for a Champagne Reception at Sands who are based in Portland Place. Walking round Park Crescent we were stopped by a lady who having read the t-shirts told us that here daughter had just lost a baby and wanted to get her some help, we passed her the detail of Sands and she’d pass them onto her daughter. The reason for this walk was to raise cash and awareness for Sands and to hopefully with the media coverage get the subject talked about and break the taboo. But by just by giving a telephone number to this lady so they can get help made the walk completely worth it on its own. We all hope her daughter and family get the support they need to get through their tragedy.
Arriving at Sands we were welcomed by Director Neal Long brandishing a bottle of champagne. We stayed for a while enjoying their hospitality and met members of the HO team who all do such a fantastic job. Once the champagne had “evaporated” we were ready for the final walk down the finish in Westminster. We were joined at this stage by Sands staff Emma Hoole and Maria Smith so 9 of us to trek through the crowds down through Regents Street, Piccadilly and into The Mall. The flags were out on The Mall which we can only assume was for us so thanks to HM! On The Mall we were joined by Suzanne, Jo, the boys, Natalie and her daughter Bea making a total of 15 wandering along the Mall in the sunshine. We walked through St James’s Park into Queen Anne Gate. Passing New Scotland Yard, which has changed since Dave’s time there extended security cordon etc. We arrived at TfL’s HQ Windsor House ahead of the originally agreed 1500 so had a sit on the park nearby until the reception committee arrived!
At 1500 we walked around the corner to a rousing welcome from my TfL colleagues led by Dave Hiller my boss and mentor throughout the planning of this walk, I’d have given up on it months ago if not for him. Thank you, Dave.
After a few photos we then completed the walk down to Buckingham Palace Road where my office is based above the Victoria Coach Station. Here we were met by other colleagues and a bottle of bubbly. A few more photos and hand shakes and it was all over.

All that was left was the 150 mile trek home again we certain weren’t about to do a “lap of honour”.
Sean left to get a coach to Bracknell.
Due to the lack of space in the support car I took the boys back on bus to Kings Cross then the train home, which thanks to problems took us a lot longer that expected.
For Suzanne, Dave and Jo it was back to Stoke Newington for the long drive home.

After the elation of finishing the walk, the achievement of so much the anti-climax was over powering.

Day 5 - Stevenage to South Mimms

2007-06-18T21:52:00.000Z

Another bright dry morning, and maybe after the lack of rain yesterday this could be way forward (don’t you believe it!)
The motorised team were today going to install themselves at Hatfield Galleria shopping centre, for the walkers it should be an more interesting walk through the more populated areas as we near London. Setting off our walk took us into Old Stevenage and it was refreshing to be walking through a High Street with shops and people amuse the senses and make the time move a bit quicker. Heading out of Stevenage into Knebworth we stopped at Tesco’s and got ourselves breakfast Chicken Pasta and a Smoothie, not the usual fry up I know, but due to the can’t be bothered attitude at the Corey’s Mill Beefeater attached to the hotel, we skipped breakfast got underway.
Long hills took us into and out off Knebworth but thanks to there “more going on” we didn’t notice them as much, also passing shops meat it was easy to stock up on Boosts and other snacks! We met the world’s most miserable woman working in a petrol station, whatever happened to service with a smile or even a thank you!
The miles seemed to pass by very quickly and we were soon approaching Welwyn Garden City, on the way in we used a pedestrian subway to negotiate a major roundabout, as with all subways it was covered in graffiti, but this one was spectacular. It was covered in black and white photo-like paintings of people’s faces, amazing piece of work. Most amazingly was that some idiot hadn’t been along a “tagged” all over them with their 2 year old style scribbles. We didn't have the camera on us so I borrowed a few images from the creators.
Emerging from the subway we were met by the inevitable rain but thank fully when Welwyn Garden City was carved out of the woods the tree lined roads leading in gave a great deal of cover so we escaped the worst of the soaking.

As we walked down into the centre of WGC we were amazed when we saw the Parkway. Being a new town we had expected another Bracknell, Milton Keynes or the like. However, this place was more reminiscent of the Palace of Versailles, lovely landscapes area with fountains, planting and pathways a real surprise.
We decided that it was time for a pit-stop for a pint and a bag of crisps (we did the healthy earlier remember!). Not a pub to be scene anywhere, we have since found out that there aren’t any due to the sobriety of the towns designers. This place is full of surprises.
We went into a coffee bar and paid the usual £10 for two coffees and a cookie. Glad of the sit down, we sat pondering the next few miles when outside it seems that monsoon season had hit, the rain was torrential! We made a dash to get under the local shopping centre to take shelter waiting out the worst of it we finally made the journey into Hatfield to meet up with the team at the Galleria complex.
They were in full swing collecting and we had some good support from the centre’s management, thank you Jude. We were able to change shifts in the bear in their surprisingly opulent offices, amazing what you find behind the scenes in these places.
Being a weekday and the horrendous weather outside things were slow but again we had a great response from people and managed to collect the best part of £60.00

Finishing there it was the short hop down to South Mimms where we checked into the Premier Travel Inn. Thinking back to the second night and the stairs we asked if the rooms were on the ground floor, to which the answer was yes, thank god!

Unfortunately what they didn’t tell us was that the hotel is a sprawling place and it seemed like half a mile to the room! A big thank you to Ann Ward the General Manager who kindly provided us with a room each and as before a warm friendly welcome not to mention a collection pot on the counter with and very handy £47.50

The weather had now cleared up and we were looking forward to donning the bear once more and collecting at the Welcome Break Services at South Mimms for the evening. As arranged during the preparation for the walk weeks ago we called the General Manager to let him know we were there, he told us where we could stand and wished us luck. However, we were greeted at the door by a lady who took exception to us being there as “she was in charge of charity collections at the services and knew nothing about it” don’t you just love em! Having told here we had cleared it with the general manger in advance we were greeted with an “a likely story” attitude. She got confirmation from him and agreed we could carry on, however the welcome received put us in such a foul mood we just couldn’t be bothered!
Such a shame that having had such a fantastic experience on the way down and the support we were given by so many organisations and members of the public that just on snotty woman can make you feel like giving up! So we took “welcome break” from the services and adjourned to a pub/restaurant. Into bed to get ready for the last day, was it possible we had travelled 125 miles and were still alive!

Day 4 - St Neots to Stevenage

2007-06-17T22:37:00.000Z

Waking up in St Neots saw another sunny morning but we’d been tricked by those before! Breakfast saw the obligatory Frankenstein-like walk to the restaurant followed by a Full English fry-up. Unfortunately I missed breakfast as BBC Radio Cambridgeshire Breakfast show was calling(can’t disappoint my public!) The team met up in the hotel car park to sort out the logistics for the day. Being Father’s Day Dave and Gaz were sporting their “Super Dad” badges just he powers required to get us through this long day’s hike.
The motorised part of the team were off to the Extra motorway services at Baldock, the walkers embarked on the first section of the walk, 6 miles along the side of the A1 through Sandy and Beeston before diverting off back into the countryside through small villages on route to join the team at Baldock.
When we started the walk strolling through the country side looking out across the fields of the walk was idyllic, now halfway into day 4 it’s all getting a bit samey! Even though you are walking in a group it still feels quite lonely when you rarely see another car or building.

The collection at the services was going well and as before the popularity of the balloons meant that the walker became blowers on arrival. Throughout the day there was a steady stream of travellers visiting the services and the response we received was fantastic. The bear and balloons were an obvious hit with children, but even for adults they provided a hard to ignore presence. We were all surprised by the generosity of many people especially in an age when everyone is collecting for someone. One thing we noticed was the amount of people who threw change into the bucket then asked what we were collecting for.

Barney Bear was a hit with one little boy called Leo was totally smitten, at one point we thought the bear (with Dave inside) may even end up in the family’s car! Again as with other times during the walk we were approached by other that had too lost a baby or were closely linked with other families. They all agreed with us that we needed to get this message out there which was really heartening and consolidated that this walk was really going to achieve something. In few hours at the Extra services we managed to collect a fantastic £327.77 so a huge thanks to everyone.

After a couple of hours of blowing balloons and “being the bear” the walkers again set off for Baldock town and onto Stevenage. After traversing the LONG hill out of Baldock it was a fairly gentle downhill run (walk) into Stevenage. Walking past the Lister Hospital we had to stop under the hospital sign which I have since digitally gaffiti’d. We arrived at the Premier Travel Inn, Corey’s Mill Lane in Stevenage, and being the only day so far that we finished in the dry we could all relax in the pub garden ready for the evening ordeal of food, and legs locking up!

Gaz and his wife Kerrie were due at work in the following day say had to leave, a big thank you to them both Gaz for his injection of humour and fresh legs and to Kerrie for her help in collecting in Baldock, ‘being the bear’ and keeping the younger members of the team amused, cheers guys!

For me the vision of the walk was watching the ‘super-fit RAF officer’ Gaz hobble back to the car suffering from his 2 day walk through the countryside, had Walking 4 Barney broken the RAF! It made it sink in of what a couple of fat blokes had so far achieved with little training. Not that I am about to challenge Gaz to any form of physical challenge as i'll fail miserably!

Day 3 - Norman Cross to St Neots

2007-06-16T22:58:00.000Z

Woke in the morning and we were both pretty amazed that the stiff legs of the night before had miraculously sorted themselves out through the night.
Encouraged by this revelation we managed to get down to Breakfast in a much quicker time that the same journey to dinner last night. Whether that was to do with the nights rest or the fact a full English breakfast was waiting we will never know.
Breakfast eaten and fat reserves very much replenished we were then joined by Sean and Suzanne’s brother Gaz. The injection of fresh legs, bad jokes and conversation should hopefully have a positive effect.
The main worry here is the fact that Gaz in an officer in the RAF and having just completed training is extremely fit, especially compared the us! The assumption is that we will watch him “yomp” off into the distance and arrive at the hotel a good couple of hours ahead of us, but the advantage being is he can get the first round in!
Thankfully, the sun was shining with just a bit of cloud about, as we set off on the first leg of the day, a 10 mile stretch of straight road which is the old A1 that runs parallel to the A1(M). The problem with straight roads is that you can see along way ahead! We had set off at a good pace unfortunately after a couple of miles the rain started. Dave, ever prepared, got out his emergency rain poncho, the combination of thin polythene, rain and wind meant an almighty struggle to get it on, much too all our amusement. The girls arrived after a few more miles to feed us and re-stock on drink, and Dextrose sweets (more about those later!) They then went on ahead to prepare for a collection in Huntingdon town centre where we would arrive about 1330.
We had been keeping up a very good pace as we entered The Stukeleys. The sign for the local church had Stukeley spelt using a crucifix as the “t” which made it appear as St Ukelely and as pointed out by Sean made it read “St Ukelele” needless to say the next few minutes were consumed by a myriad of very bad puns and impressions of George Formby!

We arrived into Huntingdon pretty much on schedule where we met Suzanne and Jo blowing up balloons as fast as they could and collecting money. They had been joined but Christoph Borst as colleague of Martin’s from TfL who had kindly offered to come out and help us for the day. Christoph had been persuaded into the bear costume and standing well over 6’ tall made quite an imposing sight, even though out first glimpse of him was sans head which although amusing to us would probably put many kids nearby into years of therapy!
The balloons were going quickly so while we all chipped in to blow more up and attach to sticks Sean with bear in tow went back out on the street to collect. Sean, not be the shyest person in the world then went work on the good people of Huntingdon extracting cash. His technique (closely guarded secret) could best be described as “mugging with a smile”.

The combination of the Bear, Balloons and Sean’s all out assault meant the collection in amongst the fairly regular down pours was very good. After a couple of hours the rain meant we hat to call it a day collecting. A huge thanks to Christoph for taking the time out to help he seemed to enjoy being the bear a bit too much, especially the cuddles with the big girls!
As we walked through the town we came across “Barney’s Plaice” which was probably an omen. However, there lure of a pint of Guinness or Magners in the pub across the road proved to be a bigger pull. We found a nice sofa and got a bit too comfy, but were entertained by Sean and his selection of magic. We had to haul ourselves out of the pub and get moving as we were sill only halfway through the day!
The walk out of Huntingdon (in the pouring rain) took us through for a few miles into the countryside, a guy in a van pulled up and said “I don’t where you are going but you look like you could do with a lift” we explained what we were doing and he drove off, nice though I guess but cash would have been nicer. Soon we entered the wonderfully named villages of Offord Cluny and Offord D’arcy. These very nice “chocolate box” villages with wonderful old buildings unfortunately rattled fairly regularly but the GNER trains on the east coast mainline thundering past at 140mph.

As we wandered on we were met buy a couple walking towards us, and to our amazement they turned out to be Dave and Margaret Hiller (Dave being Martin’s boss at TfL) they had worked out from out online itinerary where we’d be and had parked up a few miles further up and had walked back to meet us, prompting cries of “thank god we didn’t get a taxi!) they had also seemed to bring the sun with them too giving us a chance to dry out. The next couple of miles seemed to fly by and the positive effect of moral support and new conversation really does give you a renewed energy and takes your mind off the pain. Thank you Dave, your timing couldn’t have been more perfect. Even though you could have given us a lift!
We left Dave at Great Paxton and watch enviously has he got in his car and drove off! We were heartened to see a sign stating the St. Neots was only “4 miles” and seemed to be pretty much downhill or flat! The pain in my feet was starting to get unbearable, so I had to resort to the mp3 player and The Stranglers greatest hits loud in the ears, which saw me stomp off into a commanding lead over the other three, even though I was oblivious to the fact until on reaching St Neots I was a considerable distance ahead, the problem then came as I stopped for them to catch up, the feet seemed to spontaneously combust. The problem with the “St Neots 4” sign was psychologically it was 4 miles to the end, what hadn’t sunk in at the time was that the hotel is the other side of the town and consequently a further 3 miles! This mental blow along with a lot of pain all around meant the last hours walk seemed a lifetime just to keep us company the rain threw it down for the last mile. We arrived at the hotel and promptly all headed for the bath of cold water, prepared earlier by Suzanne, you could almost see the steam rise from the water and the feet went in, all noise drowned out by the mixed cries of relief and pain from the four of us! All that was left was to muster for dinner, the obligatory meal, pint and total seize up!

We had a good day and had kept up a blistering pace (as Sean’s feet can confirm) so we were all very happy with the day’s events and pace and somehow I managed to be the first to the bar, not Gaz. A great effort by Suzanne, Jo and Christoph saw them collect over £100 in those few wet hours in Huntingdon.
The major revelation of the day however was that after borrowing Dave’s sandals to go to the bar, Sean discovered that after 20 years of wearing a size 11 he was probably actually a size 13!

Day 2 - Bourne to Norman Cross (Peterborough)

2007-06-15T23:00:00.000Z

After the best night sleep in years we woke to what sounded like more rain and Bourne being under 6" of water, it wasn’t too heartening listening to the cars sloshing through the puddles but after a fabulous breakfast (thank you to Shirley at the Dormy House) we set off in bright sunshine.
Dave's thighs were a bit tight and Martin's feet suffering due to some rogue grit in the socks the day before. So much for “1000 mile guaranteed blister free socks!”. After a quick visit to Boots for a few remedies we trudged off in the sun down the A15 to Peterborough.
After a few miles we stopped to rest (today’s plan was to walk for an hour or so and rest for 10 mins). However, it got increasingly difficult to get going again each time. We sat on a wall of a Ford Dealers (Mears) to rearrange boots etc. We were then greeted by owner who gave us a donation and offered us a drink. So, first tea break after 60 mins in true English workman style!
Wandering down the edge of the A15 through Langtoft listening to the radio we were then rudely interrupted by almighty honk of a truck. After picking ourselves up out of the ditch we were greeted by an HGV driver brandishing cash, in his haste to get over to the truck which was holding up the traffic, Martin's dash across the road was nearly cut short by the Hearse coming in the other direction!
After 8 miles or so we arrived in Market Deeping, where we were met by Suzanne and Jo brandishing lunch. Once fully refuelled of we set again, still in sunshine, on our way to Peterborough.
On route Martin spotted a strategically place wall for a re-lace of the boots, when Dave noticed in the distance the town of Glinton, just a mile to a mile and a half away. So we carried on to Glinton in the hope of finding a pub where we can get sorted in the company of a pint of Guinness! Passing through the town we spotted on the road ahead the Crown Pub… this sight gave us the momentum required to get up the small hill to get there. We reached the pub only to find it derelict! There must be another pub round the corner… 2 miles later we finally wandered in to the Crab & Winkle for the best tasting pint ever!

An hour or so later we arrived at Peterborough Station where we were due to meet up with the girls in the car, however, thanks to some amazing piece of idiocy by someone Peterborough has two A15’s, not helpful when following directions! After a wait at the station we started to get cold and the rain started, so we told the girls to head to the hotel, and we’d be there in 3 hours or so. It was a very long 3 hours seemingly all uphill, we arrived at the Premier Travel Inn A1(M) Junc.16 in Norman Cross after 1900. The feet were really on fire by now!

The Girls had checked-in for us so we could go straight to the room (via the challenge of a staircase!) and get the feet in a cold bath of water… aaaaah, the relief!

On the way into the Hotel we were met by John Scott who handed us £264.00 in cash that he’d collected from staff and guests at the hotel, which was the day’s real morale booster.

That evening we tucked into a great meal in the hotel restaurant accompanied by a few pints. Having just talked Dave out of pudding we asked for the bill only to find that they had donated that too! Only problem now was during the meal we had stiffened up and those stairs now looked like Everest’s big brother! Needless to say heads hit pillow and we were out for the count! Still another 50,000 + steps covered! 50 miles down 100 to go!

Huge thanks to Sarah Strain, John and all the PTI staff a credit to PTI and Whitbread.

Day 1 - Carlton Scroop to Bourne, Lincs

2007-06-14T23:00:00.000Z

We woke to be greeted by a nice steady downpour, not the best start. After hanging around, to see if the crowds might amass for the start of our epic adventure, at St Nicholas’ church we finally got underway at 0910 as we trekked off in the rain. Lovely!

Unfortunately Sean was unable to join us for the start of the walk as his son Dylan was taken to hospital the previous day; he hopes to join us this evening.

After 6 miles passing through Honington, Barkston & Belton we arrive in Grantham on schedule at 1100 the rain stopped and we were able to shed the coats and cool down a bit, brief pit-stop in Sainsbury’s and we were ready for the challenge of the dreaded 1.5miles of Somerby Hill, we steadily trudged up it and thereby conquered the first real mental obstacle.
On reaching the top Martin was then live on BBC Radio Lincolnshire with Martin Daniels, son of Paul, but the traffic and wind meant he couldn't be heard, so taking refuge in the car in a pub car park the interview was completed with all the salient points and a chance to rest the legs at 11 miles.
We set off fully expecting to find pubs strategically placed along the route so we could stop for a drink and a bag of crisps.

Unfortunately, in the villages in Lincolnshire the idea of 24hr licensing hasn't taken off. We ended up doing a 4hour/12 mile stint along the A151 which with no path, no verge and national speed limit (60/70mph) was very scary. We seemed to be getting way too close to the traffic; nobody seems to move out or even slow down! This walk was going to be a real mental challenge as opposed to the physical challenge we had been expecting. Those 12 miles drained us mentally and physically. However, two events on that stretch did raise the morale.

Walking along near Corby Glenn, a guy pulled out in front of us, drove on for a distance then stopped, he then got out walked back at a great rate staring at the road, as though something had fallen off his car, then came across the road and cash in hand said "anyone walking through this god forsaken place deserves some cash, here's some shrapnel..." then promptly got in his car an drove off. Leaving us a little shocked! A couple of miles further on a lady, with her two daughters, stopped in her car and said she'd heard us on the radio and came out to find us, then put a good amount of change into the bucket.
Thank you !

Luckily Suzanne and Jo arrived at Grimsthorpe Castle just in time for a pit-stop, refresh of drinks, dextrose sweets and sesame seed biscuits (which we are still finding stuck to our teeth!).

We finally arrived in Bourne and the Dormy House Hotel at 1810, feet feeling as though they were on fire but certainly happy with our achievement. Checking the pedometers Martin’s read an impressive 52,805 of which 51,090 registered as aerobic exercise over 448 minutes! This is more than we had probably done in the last 10 years. Dave’s pedometer read 47,550 which is 5,255 steps less than Martin’s I guess that’s the advantage of being 6’2”

After doing a follow up interview with Lincs FM from the previous it was time to get food and a beer! We found the Nag's Head in Bourne which met the aforementioned criteria. After speaking to Martin's parents it turns out they have friends Norman & Jean living in Bourne. Jean popped down to see us, which was nice, and we had a good chat. They are "well known" in the Nags Head! Jean left us to finish our excellent meal and for us to hobble back to the hotel. When we got to the bar to settle we found there was no bill to settle! Thank you Jean & the Nag’s Head, such kindness is a real morale booster and with the feel burning and legs tightening up, it helps.
Time for bed!

Sands - Guidelines for Professionals

2007-06-12T20:40:00.000Z

Today Suzanne and I attended the launch conference of the new Sands "Guidelines for Professionals" regarding Pregnancy Loss and the Death of a Baby. Held at the Royal College of Physician in London. The conference was mainly aimed at healthcare professionals along with bereaved parents. The new Sands guidelines are a major leap forward from the old guidelines and will make a fantastic positive change in the way families going through the loss of a baby are treated and more importantly understood. The authors have really produced an brilliant piece of work.

As part of the launch we were all treated to a performance of "I Hate This" the one man play written and performed by David Hansen. The play re-enacts from when David and his wife Toni learn at her 30 week check-up that their unborn child has died. Jumping back and forth between two timelines, David tells the story of the 36 hours between learning this truth and the birth of their first child, as well as the year that follows - detailing the frustration, recrimination, guilt, sorrow and ultimate acceptance of their son's death. David plays over a dozen different characters, including friends and family members who cannot express their feelings, medical practitioners (both compassionate and not) as well as himself, learning to cope with his anger and helplessness in the midst of grief, as well as fashioning a new way of looking at life.

I could identify with every part of the play, and arts were scarily like looking in a mirror. It is a truly fabulous work of art and needs to be seen by anyone related with the loss of a baby. We were especially glad to see it performed in front of the doctors, midwifes and students and to watch their reactions. After the conference we had a nice chat with David and Toni, it was nice for me to see other Dads feel like I do and I think more to need to come out and speak about to help themselves and others, this is one thing I want to get across during the publicity we receive during the walk. For more about David, Toni and the play...click here

A Few Final Thoughts

2007-06-12T16:23:00.000Z

Well, that's enough thinking about training for one day. The smoke alarm's gone off so I guess the food is nearly ready. Just a couple of final thoughts before the event. I have been asked what I hope to walk away from this with. That's basically it. I just hope to be able to still walk away.
On a purely personal level, it would be good, I suppose, to finish with bunions smaller than Victoria Beckham's.
Finally just between you and me, and I won't let on to the others, if you've had a look at the route and know a short cut. let me know. Just our little secret. Ta
Best foot forward.

2007-06-12T14:44:00.000Z

Hello again. Just a brief update, as I am now thinking about getting into a rigourous training regime, and there isn't a moment to lose. Despite this, I have had some time to ponder the coming days, and must say I have raised some slight concerns.
1.) Those of you paying any sort of attention will recall that I managed to unearth my trusty size 13s a few days ago. Luckily for me I did so in the nick of time. I discovered they were more like a size 12 and pinched like a demented crab on speed. This resulted in a mad dash to Lincoln on Saturday, to acquire a pair of the aforementioned trusty size 13s, which seem to be, on a Saturday afternoon, very adept at assuming the scarcity of dinosaur poo. Anyway it all turned out well, and already I have clocked up almost 2 miles in the new ones so they are virtually broken in.
2) Most intrepid types, setting off on a trek, have a team of huskies, or native bearers, or similar, to ease the burden along the way. As we seem to be sadly deficient in this area I have come up with a scheme to lighten my load. I shall attempt the journey with the aid of only 2 pairs of pants. Day 1 - Fresh Day 2 -Inside out Day 3 - Commando Repeat this cycle for Days 4-6. Sorted.
3 My final concern is over the potential recurrence of an embarrassing skin complaint in a sensitive area caused by chafing. I refer to my delicate buttock cleavage. At the last flare up I sought a homeopathic remedy and was advised to pack the area with used tea leaves. On my return to the practitioner he examined the area and was a little dismayed that it did not seem to be fully healed. On the plus side though he was able to tell me that I would go on a long journey and meet a tall dark stranger. So if that's you, and you're reading this, I looking forward to our rendezvous on the walk.
Must dash ,as I have to get back to thinking about training before dinner.
Best foot forward.

New Auction Items

2007-06-09T10:47:00.000Z

Thank you to Boots and Morrisons in Grantham and to Mamas & Papas HO for the gifts to be auctioned to raise extra funds.

Teddy Bears Picnic

2007-06-08T19:51:00.000Z

Today's Grantham Journal ran the story of the Teddy's picnic, a big thank you and Beary hug to all Barney Bear's new friends:

Jacques - Maddie - Hope - Lily - Alex - Chloe - James - Adam - Tom - Joseph - Lillian - Evie - Nadia - Terence - Jamie - Ryan - Ellen - Mitchell - Grace - Jo - Luke

Event Recap

2007-06-07T22:06:00.000Z

For those of you new to the blog you should go to the beginning to catch up but here's an overview of the event...

Walking4Barney is a 150 mile sponsored walk from Carlton Scroop, Lincolnshire to Westminster, London over 6 days. In aid of Sands and is in loving memory of baby Barney Stevens-Brewin

Thursday 14th - St. Nicholas' Church, Carlton Scroop to Bourne, Lincs
Friday 15th - Dormy House Hotel, Bourne to Norman Cross, Peterborough
Saturday 16th - Premier Travel Inn, Norman Cross to St. Neots
Sunday 17th - Premier Travel Inn, Colmworth Park, St. Neots to Stevenage
Monday 18th - Premier Travel Inn, Stevenage North to South Mimms
Tuesday 19th - Premier Travel Inn, South Mimms to Victoria St, Westminster

The walk is to raise awareness for Sands and stillbirth and neonatal death, that is achieved by you reading this, we are also raise funds for Sands to continue to promote research to reduce the loss of babies' lives that you can do... HERE - Thank you

For more info or to help email walk@babybarney.org.uk

London's Metro

2007-06-07T21:48:00.000Z

Thanks to Transport for London we had an article in today's London edition of the Metro newspaper. Click the banner to read article...>

The walk will soon be featured on the TfL website Walking pages. However, I am sure that when TfL started to promote "Walking to Work" it wasn't envisaged to be this extreme!

New Walker for Day 6

2007-06-07T21:40:00.000Z

We have managed to recruit, he actually volunteered, a new walker to join us on Day 6 South Mimms to Westminster.

We will be joined for the last day by my nephew Dale Ayliffe, being a mere teenager this little wander through north London to the end of the route should just be a simple stroll.

What he hasn't realised is that the hardest bit about joining the event will be the evening before in the bear costume at South Mimms for a few hours, don't tell him though!

Welcome to he insanity that is Walking 4 Barney.

The Rain in Spain

2007-06-06T18:09:00.000Z

Well, I managed to survive the rigours of the exploratory trip to Spain, and discovered that walking is done pretty much the same over there as it is here. At least it confirmed my best foot forward theory, but I failed to gather any useful tips which may work to my advantage. I did have time however, to practice my old evening class "espanol". My first task, was to get something for a headache. My first mistake, was confusing the word "bodega" for the word "farmacia". Having said that, the 7 glasses of Rioja did get me a headache so it was a partial success. At least that took my mind off the awful weather prevailing for the first few days of the trip. Sadly it did mean more drinking.......a lot less walking. One important fact I did bring home from the tour of the Tio Pepe Sherry factory was that it has a limited shelf life once opened. So it seems you are never too old to pick up snippets of mind numbing trivia with which to bore people witless at a later date.
I arrived back into the UK just in time to move house so have been pretty much taken up with getting things organised around the place. Most importantly to dust off and de cobweb the old trusty size 13s, walking, for the use of.
That said I hope to start some form of training before the event. However as we know to our cost with any Hope Bob left town a long while ago and Slim just can't be relied on.
My main support at the moment is that there seems to be plenty of Positive Mental Attitude towards the walk. Most people, when I tell what I am hoping to achieve, soon adopt the attitude that I am positively mental.
I have studied the route, and have managed to convince myself that we are doing it the right way. Travelling North to South must surely make it downhill.
Anyway I would love to sit here drivelling on but sadly I have an opened bottle of Croft Original and a Harvey's Bristol Cream to neck before Match of the Day later.
Hope to see some of you during the walk - bloodshot eyes permitting.
Best foot forward
Dave

Radio Interview

2007-06-06T09:42:00.000Z

If you live in the Peterborough area and are able to pick up Peterborough's Lite FM on 106.8 you should hear me in glorious stereophonic sound. During the day tomorrow (Thursday 7th) in their news bulletins.

Hopefully I should be coherent as I was caught completely off guard by the call. If you are able to catch the interview in their new bulletins and can record it please do and email us. Thanks.

Teddy Bears Picnic

2007-06-05T12:23:00.000Z

Today Barney's Bear visited Dappledown House Nursery in Honington for a Teddy Bears Picnic they held in aid of Sands. They have so far raised an amazing £133!

He had a great time playing with the children received lots of cuddles and made some lifelong little friends. Even though he got very warm in the sun!

A huge thank you to Louise Hotson and her staff, the Mums and Dads and especially the children. A great time was had by all.

The Grantham Journal sent a photographer so look out for a piece in the paper this Friday.

I'm still here!

2007-06-02T18:07:00.001Z

Right,

it's been ages and ages since my last post and I do apologise. I could explain about the pressures of work and 'not enough hours in the day' and all that rubbish - but, let's be honest, what do you care, right? :-)

Am still pounding the canal paths near where I live (and they are pounding right back, I can tell you) and as the event draws closer I find myself more and more excited and/or nervous - but that's probably a good thing!

As I live on the other side of the country to Martin, most of our arrangements have been handled by phone but I'm very keen to get a slice of all of this new media attention being lavished on the boys - I was particularly impressed by the picture focusing on their feet, after all it detracted attention from Martin's face and that can only be a good thing! :-)) And what's with this newspaper obsession with printing people's ages after their names??? I was feeling old before all of this so I guess I'll just have to get used to it......

Am looking forward to seeing my 'Team Magician' T-shirt although, it must be said, my greatest trick will actually be getting into the blasted thing - all of this walking has apparently done nothing for my waistline......... does that T-shirt come in XXXXXXXXXXXXXL, perchance?

Talking of magic, if you find yourself near any of the stop-off points along the way, I'd be more than happy to do a few tricks for you (if you know what I mean) in return for a small donation to the fund. I'm never without a pack of cards and some other tools of the trade. In fact - if you're an events booker for a company and want a walk-around magician for your next event, I'll see if I can convince Martin to put that in as one of the lots during the upcoming auctions, it's all for a good cause and I really am quite good - so long as the audience has had slightly more to drink than I have!

That's it for now....... I'm busy flogging a load of my old magic tricks on Ebay so I must get back to the job in hand and keep track of all the bids!

cheers,

Sean

Couple more to go under the hammer...

2007-06-02T12:17:00.000Z

Thank you to Peterborough United Football Club for their kind donation of two tickets for any 2007/08 match, we'll wave as we wander past the ground on the 15th June.

Thanks also to Twinlakes for their donation of a four person day pass to their park in Melton Mowbray.

We greatly appreciate any form of help be it cash or auction items as it all helps. Even those organisations who are unable to help we appreciate their time to consider our request and respond accordingly.

Rudely awoken!

2007-06-02T12:01:00.000Z

This morning i was ejected from a deep slumber by Suzanne's screams from downstairs as she opened the post as it contained a letter from Surrey Cricket Club donating a signed bat by the 2007 squad. Having grown up in Surrey I am a life long supporter and well you can imagine...

The plan is to auction off all donations such as this, and although we need to raise a huge amout of funds for Sands, I hope this one stays low, for the sake of Suzanne's bank account!

Big thank you to all at Surrey CCC, bring home those trophies!

Lincolnshire Echo

2007-06-01T13:20:00.000Z

Newspaper article about the walk in the Lincolnshire Echo the first of hopefully
many stories as the media machine winds up to full speed... (click photo for pdf version)

Thank you

2007-06-01T07:32:00.000Z

Just a quick post to say THANK YOU to all those of you who have offered to join us, help us and who have donated so far, we all really appreciate your support. Thanks

Dressed to Impress

2007-05-30T18:40:00.001Z

Today we received our Walking4Barney T-shirts courtesy of Shirley Gittoes at www.tgag.co.uk , thank you Shirley.

Unfortunately our Adonis like figures don't do them full justice but they certainly do the job. You can't see on this photo but they are all personalised on the back with our names and proud relationship to Barney i.e. "Martin - Barney's Daddy" all the way down to "Ellie - Barney's Sister" and not forgetting "Sean - Team Magician" ... don't ask long & expensive story!

Death of a Support Vehicle

2007-05-30T18:40:00.000Z

Driving the walk seems to have scared our trusty Volvo estate to death. She hasn't been too well recently but we encountered proverbial straw that broke her back, well turbo actually! Which has left us with a major problem with no support car for the walk.

However, we have been saved by the fantastic donation of a 7 seater by Enterprise rent-a-car. Special thanks to Kate Wigglesworth for sorting it all out for us, we are very very grateful, especially Suzanne as she would have been walking with us carrying all the kit!

Throughout the planning of this event we have hit hurdles in getting help from organisations due to their "policies on charities" we are very grateful to organisations like Enterprise and Premier Travel Inn who have provided great support for us at a local loevel without being dictated to by HO policies. Thank you.

Still a long way!

2007-05-29T23:51:00.000Z

Yesterday saw another drive along the route to make sure it still exists and my diversions around some of the earlier identified treacherous stretches weren't as equally as perilous. It was nice to drop in on the hotels on route Dormy House in Bourne (thank you Shirley) and the Premier Travel Inns at Norman Cross, St Neots, Stevenage and South Mimms.

Day 1 (14th June) - is still very hilly and anyone familiar with Somerby Hill, Grantham will be feeling our pain, one and a half mile of seemingly vertical climb. But passing through some lovely villages with very inviting pubs (much to Sean's delight).
Day 2 - Long trek down the A15 to Peterborough very busy road with minimal pavement, fairly perilous first few miles. Then my nemesis, getting into Peterborough, with two different A15's it makes it very confusing, hopefully at walking speed we will be more successful in going the right way!
Day 3 - Fairly straight forward day nothing too dangerous to note haven't investigate Huntingdon entirely due to the oneway/ringroad system but thankfully on foot not an issue.
Day 4 - No matter what I tried for this leg it is still as long and boring via any route! With no major towns to pass and no ability to collect (licensing issues) in the few we do it will be a long day! But I hope a few pit stops will keep the spirits up.
Day 5 - Probably the best day as we pass almost directly from one town to another from Stevenage to Welwyn to Hatfiled so much more interaction with people. Thanks to the Galleria in Hatfield the Bear and helpers will be stationed there most of the day collecting as we trudge past. Then the evening will see the entire team descending on South Mimms Services thanks to the Welcome Break guys.
Day 6 - I have no idea on this route we shall save this surprise for the 19th June... we like a challenge!

If you find yourself at a loose end please pop along to see us all company will be warmly received (especially if accompanied by food/drink!!!) This LINK will take you to a page containing maps and a detailed itinerary with estimated timing along the route. We look forward to seeing you a couple of miles walk will do you good!!!

Message from Sands

2007-05-23T05:13:00.000Z

Neal Long, Sands Director says:

“To undertake the equivalent of 6 marathons in 6 days is a truly remarkable feat, and we wish Martin and his team the best of luck. Walking4Barney is a tremendous tribute to Martin’s son Barney and the funds raised will help us here at Sands continue to support the many families across the UK tragically affected by the loss of their much loved babies.”

(Issued as part of the W4B Press Release)

Melia Publishing Services

2007-05-21T19:38:00.000Z

We'd like to say a big thank you to Terry Melia of Melia Publishing Services for his generous donation of £150.

We know Sands will ensure all funds received as part of the Walk will be used directly for research projects.

Teddy Bears Picnic

2007-05-20T11:53:00.000Z

If you go down to the woods today...

On the 5th June Dappledown House Nursery, Honington will be holding a Teddy Bears Picnic for their children in aid of Walking 4 Barney, we'd like to thank Louise Hotson for her kind offer to arrange and host the picnic. I will be making a guest appearance as "Barney Bear" with Suzanne.

Lets hope not too many run away screaming like our son Rohan did up until about 4 weeks ago when the mascot arrived. If you have any children also petrified of people dressed as animals let us know and we can lend Barney for "Face your Phobia" therapy sessions!

Route Itinerary, Maps and Photos

2007-05-18T23:15:00.000Z

We now have a page that provides details of the walk with detailed itineraries, maps and photos along with other useful information. http://www.babybarney.org.uk/w4bdocs.html

Boredom

2007-05-06T15:29:00.000Z

Walking, as pointed out by Sean in the last post, can be extremely boring. The scenery doesn't change quickly enough to keep your interest as you wander aimlessly around the countryside or city streets.

However, it became even more boring since I took delivery of my treadmill to extend my daily distance without spending more than my usual 15 hours a day out of the house.
I now complete my 12 miles looking at a plain white wall scenery that doesn't change at all, other than spotting all those bits I missed when painting a few weeks back! But at least you don't get idiots stopping dead in front of you as you "power" along the street!

I have, therefore, been forced (necessity being the mother etc.) to invent the "Notboredwalkinganymore3000" that is until I have exhausted my DVD collection, but there are copious amounts of Tweenies and Sponge Bob in the playroom!

Happy wanderin' and enjoy those audio books Sean!

Training Update

2007-05-04T19:02:00.001Z

OK.... so I am steadily increasing my distances and am up to around 6 or 7 miles at a single go (hey, I came in late to this!). Should be around the 10 mile mark by next weekend so I'm fairly hopeful that the distance shouldn't be a problem, I just get bored with it all!

Even with an MP3 audiobook on the go, I find myself getting distracted... maybe that's how joggers get started? They start off as walkers and just start running to get the blasted distance done!

Oh - and I've found that my flippin' jeans keep falling down, so I have to hike 'em up every 50 yards or so. Of course, I'd like to put this down to my continuing fitness regime and dedication to honing my physique but it's more likely to be a simple case of cheap, ill-fitting clothes from Burtons. I would just like to reassure my fellow walkers that this paricular issue will be well and truly sorted by the time we embark on the walk.....

I guess I really should introduce myself

2007-04-30T19:43:00.000Z

It's finally time for me to say hello. I'm Sean Galloghly and I'm looking forward to joining Martin and Dave on our stroll south through England's green and pleasant land. Of course, when I say "looking forward", what I actually mean is "wondering what I've let myself in for"!

Looking at the previous post to the blog, I've finally seen the full route in all it's full technicolour glory.... and I'm off to go and buy a few more pairs of 1000-mile socks and anti-blister cream!

Hope this is the first of many entries from me and I hope to raise the profile of the walk from my end over the next few weeks.....

See you soon!

Sean

The route is finally mapped out

2007-04-30T18:54:00.000Z

Now the route is final I have managed to map it out and it doesn't look too long this size, but I am guessing it's probably some kind of optical illusion.

Don't say anything, but Sean hasn't seen the full route yet, let's just keep it between us!

Click on the map for the full technicolour version.

Thank you, Wendy

2007-04-28T09:41:00.000Z

Big thank you to Wendy at Village Link Magazines for not only her donation of advertising space but her generous personal donation.
The Village Link Magazines are popular, useful directories delivered free of charge to villages around the Grantham area. So, if you need a trustworthy service in the South Lincs area, you'll find one in here. Keep up the good work Wendy!
We truly appreciate all help we receive and every penny we raise will be invested into the research required and not into admin as with many large fundraising organisations/charities.

It's getting nearer !!!

2007-04-25T10:37:00.000Z

Well ! Time is racing on, and the time to take positive action is almost upon us. The equipment is coming together nicely. There are the anti blister socks, the pedometer, MP3 with FM radio. All I need to do now is start some sort of training. Although I am still recovering from the exertions of the Carlton Scroop Ironman Triathlon - you know sack race, egg and spoon etc. which you will doubtless have seen and marvelled at.
One of my main hopes for the walk is to refresh my memory of what Martin looks like. For weeks now all I've seen is the back of his head as he sits hunched from dawn to dusk over the keyboard doing a wonderful job of pulling all the logistics together. I have suggested that next year we could do a bank raid - 10 minutes work, a lot less planning, and hopefully a substantial financial gain for charity.
Since I last wrote I have made one of my regular trips to the surgery and was initially thrilled when the doctor told me I had a top of the range BMI. That was news to me as I drive a Skoda, but that would sure be handy for the walk; a sleek piece of German engineering (perhaps only for the use on the uphill bits though) However I slumped a little when he explained the full implications of his words. Coupled to this my blood pressure (controlled by medication) had risen. So this really was the time for positive action, and the drive to lower both the figures faster than John Stalker could drop his roller shutters began. So this week I shall mainly be sucking lettuce leaves. Fortunately on Monday I leave for warmer climes, and prepare to undertake a bit of altitude training in Andalucia. This should stand me in good stead for the trek south across Lincolnshire. Must dash and sneak a quick Ryvita while noone's looking.
Best foot forward

Three becomes Four!!

2007-04-24T19:36:00.000Z

Don't panic Hotels...this one won't need an extra bed!

Today we were joined by our Walking 4 Barney mascot "Barney Bear".

He will join us everyday as we go in town centres and we hope to get playgroups and nurseries, on route, to hold teddy bear picnics that he can visit.

Anyone else notice that his tummy profile bears a striking resemblence to those of the walkers' ?

All accommodation finalised

2007-04-24T10:15:00.000Z

Thank you to:

Laurie at Premier Travel Inn - Colmworth Park, St Neots
Sarah at Premier Travel Inn - Peterborough A1(M) J16 Norman Cross

For you confirmation and for the additional accommodation for Sean.
Very much appreciated.

Bourne Accomodation

2007-04-23T22:46:00.000Z

A big thank you to Shirley at the Dormy House, Bourne Link for her kind donation of accommodation for us on Day 1 it is very much appreciated.
Generous offers like Shirley's really boosts the morale of the troops and means one less logistical worry.
Thank you

Thank you Ann

2007-04-19T14:12:00.000Z

Thank you to Ann Ward at the Premier Travel Inn, South Mimms for her kind donation of accommodation for Day 5. Her generosity giving us 2 rooms ensures our 3rd walker has somewhere to sleep too. That's two out of five nights Sean!

New walker accommodation

2007-04-17T20:21:00.000Z

Thank you to Annette Fox at the Premier Travel Inn, Stevenage North for the the donation for Day 4's accommodation.
With the addition of Sean my original request for a room is now defunct but thank you for the offer of a reduced rate room to keep him safe and warm!

Two becomes Three

2007-04-16T21:10:00.000Z

Today saw our team of honed atheletes increase by 50%. We have another victim, Sean Galloghly has volunteered to join myself and Dave for all 150 foot blistering miles!
Sean will open the walk up to a whole new audience and enable us to increase our ability to raise additional funds and awareness.
He will also be able to contribute to the walk with his seemingly never ending stories from his illustrious career (I've heard most of them mind you!) sill it will be a treat for Dave.

Welcome Sean and thank you.

Red Tape

2007-04-12T19:53:00.000Z

Well today saw the last of the applications to the nine different borough, city and district councils I have had to make to secure the necessary permits and licences to allow us to collect money as we go. It's amazing how although all governed by the one law of the land each council had their own take on what was required.
Un fortuanately we aren't allowed to collect in London on Day 6 as there os only one week allocated for collecting by the MPS, such a loss of potential cash... if anyone has any bright (legal) ideas please letu know.
So I just need to wait by the door for the postman to get all the licences back then I can start applying to HMSO for the required certificates and badges. Good old red tape, it's great to be British!
It's probably been the most gruelling task of the planning yet (incliding the walking) but the grief will be worth it.

It's a very long way

2007-04-09T23:38:00.000Z

With the complexities for the permits for the walk and notifications to local authorities we decided that Bank Holiday Monday was not the day to sleep off the Easter Eggs but to not only finalise the route but to actually make sure it existed, just in case there were any uncharted rivers or canyons on the way south.

So armed with copious amounts of sandwiches drinks and sweets we set off in the car to drive the route. Suzanne and Caity were also armed with notepad and were busily noting down every pub, major business or factory (and roundabout?) we passed with the corresponding distance logged for reference, however, due to the few wrong turns these got less and less accurate.

The exercise was worthwhile as it flagged up some interesting facts...

It's a very long way
Remember not to follow road signs and walk around ring roads go through the towns
It's a very very long way
The road to Bourne is very very hilly, poor calf muscles
It's a very very very long way
Disturbing lack of footpaths on fast roads
It's a bleedin' long way!
The Sunday of the walk (Father's Day) is the longest leg at 28miles and by far the most boring, apologies if you live in that area!
Driving the route was exhausting, let alone walking it.
What have we let ourselves in for!

All joking aside it was nice to get out and experience the route, and a lot of the info we gathered can be used to fine tune the route and ensure we get into the right parts of the towns we pass through. Wrong turns in the car are a LOT less hassle that when walking!

Now the "serious" training begins

2007-04-08T20:06:00.000Z

The Easter break has focused our minds on the task ahead. Having spent last week trawling through the paperwork required to obtain licences and permits for the walk the it suddenly hit me that is only just over two months until the walk... where did the time go? what happened to the training? [valley girl voice...] Oh my god!

With this realisation there is a need for serious a training regime, this began today with a family sports day. This hardcore training activity consisted of such favourites as:

Sack race
Three-legged race
Egg & Spoon race
"Walking with a beanbag on your head" race
"Supposed to be a sprint" race

I understand these are activities that all top Olympic athletes use in their training programmes. Thankfully cheating was ignored and no scores kept or positions remembered. Not only did we manage a top-level aerobic workout, but I also managed to get a sunburn in April !?! Keep up those carbon-emissions!!!

Accommodation News

2007-04-05T19:59:00.000Z

After a few phone calls in the past couple of days I've managed to secure accommodation for 4 of the 5 required days. Thanks to Premier Travel Inn's generosity we have a bed and more importantly a hot bath to recover in!

With a few amendments to the original route we will now be starting and/or finishing most days at a PTI location, this has simplified our press launches no end!

Many thanks to the local management at Premier Travel Inns...

Norman Cross, Peterborough
Colmworth Park, St Neots
Stevenage North
South Mimms

Just accommodation needed in Bourne for the first night surely it's not right going back home!

Long Time No Write

2007-04-02T16:21:00.000Z

I have finally got round to updating my prepartions for the walk. Time has been at a premium of late, as we are mid house sale, trying to arrange moves, sort 30 years of collected "treasure" etc. However through all this I have not lost focus, and am still collecting my thoughts on the best way to prepare. I feel that it is akin to that of a finely tuned motor vehicle.
There is the bodywork - Good for the year, average milage, regularly washed and shampooed. Sadly lacking in the waxing department.
The engine - Again not bad for the age, good starter, built for comfort not speed, and regularly NHS serviced.
My main concern for this walk was fuel. I am, as those that know me, a keen fan of food, and am a little perplexed at where I may be able to take on the necessary supplies to sustain me for the duration. To this end I have been studying the work of the Roadkill Chef and have decided to prepare my own signature dish. I call it "Startled Rabbit".
The main ingredient being - the startled rabbit, but served on a bed of gorse and ragwort with a nettle and dandelion coulis. If that doesn't see me over the finish line I don't know what will.
Best foot forward till the next time.

No backing out now!

2007-03-13T18:34:00.000Z

Oh well, we have definitely hit the point of no return. An article publicising the walk was to day published in the TfL internal publication "the tIMes". Many thanks to Helen for the piece.

The guys at work who have been in the know have been very supportive. Big thank you to Darrell, Jane and Sanjeev for you support and to Berry for offering to walk a day with us. The company will be greatly appreciated, no offence Dave!

Well the training has tailed off a bit but I need to get serious as it's only three months and time is moving on. The last weekend was taken up by laying concrete and putting up metal sheds, oh what a glamorous life I lead! Till next time...

The Build Up

2007-03-08T10:05:00.000Z

Sorry it's been a while coming, but life keeps interfering with the preparations for "the elongated stroll". We are curently in the midst of packing having sold the house 3 weeks ago. You may well be aware of the headaches that causes. Following the launch of the training regime all was going well, until 3rd March (wedding anniversary) - couple of beers and an Indian. The only possible remedy was the full english the following morning. Oh Dear !!
Anyway a couple of days later I walked into town and popped into Boots. I was shocked to discover that I had lost 5 pounds.
Not as shocked as the assistant though, when I explained that was all the money I had, and couldn't pay for my toothpaste and razor blades.
So it's back to the drawing board and a new e-bay search - where will I find motivation ? I don't mind if it's tablet, medicine, spray on whatever. I really need some.
Till the next time - best foot forward

Dave

Dave's... Day 1

2007-03-01T20:20:00.000Z

I have thought long and hard what to call this entry, spent many a sleepless night thinking of a catchy tag to grab the attention, and also have something befitting this high tech media which gives us access to so much information, and so many people. As promised this is the first day of my serious preparation for the walk so I have decided to call this entry ...................................Day 1
I went to the GP this morning and was told that I was in reasonable health, and as long as I kept popping the pills I would continue to be so. Geed up by this great news I raced home and began.
As with all major events, statistics are king, so I took mine. I then did the maths and found that I was actually 14inches too short for my weight, something the GP clearly failed to identify.
So before embarking on a rigorous regime of yoga, pilates, tai-chi, weight training, swimming and cycling I shall be spending 8 hours a day standing up to my knees in manure in the greenhouse liberally imbibing "Miracle-Gro"
Then we shall see about the other stuff.
Best foot forward !!!

Dave

Dave says

2007-02-27T18:26:00.000Z

I have set March 1st as my day to start training, as it coincides with a trip to my drug dealer.
Once he has checked my blood pressure and reviewed my medication I will pop into the chemist next door and get my next month's supply.
I have conceded that I may have to make a few lifestyle changes in order to manage this Herculean feat. But really how difficult can it be !!! I've been walking since I was 2 for goodness sake !!
I intend to follow a celebrity diet - my chosen celebrity is Humpty Dumpty as I am nearly there. I have the body of Adonis - but Boy will he be teed off when he gets it back.
As the walk takes place in June I am currently scouring e-bay for the best price for bulk purchase flip flops as I'm not sure one pair will get me there.
I look forward to posting regular updates on my metamorphosis.
Dave

[should you have any spare flip-flops (size 13) please let us know at info@babybarney.org.uk ]

Introducing Dave...

2007-02-27T16:59:00.000Z

Martin's partner in this walk is Barney's grandad Dave Stevens, born 15th February 1955 in Nottingham where he grew up becoming a lifelong Forest fan. He joined the Police force at 16 as a cadet serving in Nottingham. In 1973 he married Jo and they had their first child Suzanne in 1977. In 1978 Dave and his family transferred to Kent. A couple of years later in 1980 they had their second child Gaz. Dave went onto complete a further 26 years in the Kent police retiring in 2004 when he and Jo moved to Scunthorpe.

After pounding the beat for so many years walking this route should be a breeze but at 6'2" Dave's pace will have Martin working hard!

Watch out for Dave's contributions to this blog... you have been warned!

Walking kit

2007-02-26T20:18:00.000Z

Over the past few weeks I have been clocking up the miles in my new shoes and socks, not very exciting for those reading this but my feet are especially pleased about this fact. They are extremely comfortable and not a blister in sight. This is getting into anorak territory but...

Shoes: Merrell Chameleon II Gore-Tex XCR

Socks: 1000 Mile blister-free guarantee

Should you ever be mad enough to do some serious distance walking I thoroughly recommend this combination.

Long time no Blog...

2007-02-26T20:02:00.000Z

Apologies for not keeping the blog upto date, been busy with half-term, planning the route to London and getting past the hurdle of Barney's due date.
I have managed to finalise the route for the walk. so the next job will be to physically drive the route to ensure the routes I have identifed do actually exist!

The itinery at this point in time is:
Day# from > to

Carlton Scroop > Bourne
Bourne > Yaxley (Peterborough)
Yaxley > St. Neots
St. Neots > Hitchin
Hitchin > Potters Bar
Potters Bar > Victoria

The map earlier in this blog has been updated to show the route or click here

Walking Route

2007-02-08T19:36:00.000Z

I have mapped out two walking routes to use on a daily basis to keep me on track...

For the weekend a looped route from the house to the local village store and home, total of about 5.3 miles. Nice views of the countryside even though lack of footpath does mean dicing with death from tractors and nutters!

The other route is a daily wander to/from London Kings Cross to my office in Victoria a mere 4 miles, a different type of scenery but always a different site every day, and I will never get bored of walking up The Mall.

Training to begin at the weekend

2007-02-08T19:27:00.000Z

Managed to achieve absolutely no training in the past few days , other things have consumed my time (not just laziness). The healthy eating kick too took a dive yesterday with a Little Chef Olympic Breakfast! Was very nice though.

Weekend Training

2007-02-05T09:56:00.000Z

What with one thing and the other (sheer laziness that is!) I didn't really do any training this weekend. Just a couple of brief walks round to the Church to see Barney, total of about 3 miles.

Loads of time yet...

...what do you mean "famous last words" ?

Here we go... Training Day 1

2007-02-02T22:47:00.000Z

Having just returned from a brief holiday to Malta, lots of walking I hasten to add, not sitting by the pool!
This week I managed to stick to my usual regime of walking to the car etc.
However, today I took it up a notch... I took the Bus to the train station! Walk to the Bus Stop and from Grantham Bus Station to the Train Station gave me an added 300 yards or so...

Not too impressive when you write it down, even if you don't write it it's pretty bad too!

I just realised that writing up this blog this evening I have consumed a packet of Chocolate Fingers (Bugger!)

Walk to work... sounds simple eh?

2007-02-02T22:08:00.000Z

To coincide with SANDS awareness month this year (June 2007) I am planning to complete a sponsored walk from our home in Carlton Scroop, Lincolnshire to my office in Victoria, London.

A "bijou walkette" of 150 miles which we are completing as Six Marathons in Six Days.

Bearing in mind I usually only walk to the car...!

Joining me on this jaunt will be Suzanne's Dad Dave Stevens and hopefully anyone else we can convince [emphasis on the con] to join us as we go along; to raise as much money and most importantly awareness as we can.

This blog will be my diary of:
- my strict training regime
- planning the walk (route, walkers, local hospitals etc...)
- sponsors as they come onboard

If you have any suggestions, want to offer advice or help please email us at: walk@babybarney.org.uk

Step two (seemed like a good idea at the time!)

2007-02-02T21:56:00.000Z

When Barney was born we were given the use of a special room at Lincoln County Hospital that was provided by the Stillbirth and Neo-Natal Death Charity (SANDS) being isolated from other mother in the maternity wards so we had a positive experience in a calm private environment.

SANDS provide support and bereavement counselling through a national helpline and through local groups run by bereaved parents. They also fund research into the causes of such deaths and are pushing for better care for women during pregnancy.

We started raising money for SANDS through not having flowers at the funeral and for family and friends to donate to SANDS via our fundraising site www.justgiving.com/barneystevensbrewin

Now we are taking it to the next level....

Introduction

2007-02-02T21:19:00.000Z

Hello everyone, my name is Martin Brewin I live in a village near Lincoln in the UK with my partner of 5 years Suzanne Stevens.

At the end of last year, our first son together, Barney Thomas Nelson Stevens-Brewin was born sleeping after 27 weeks of an uncomplicated pregnancy.
We were shocked when it happened to us how common stillbirth is (17 babies a day in the UK)and how it seems to be treated as a taboo and just not talked about. We are determined to change this and to ensure that families suffereing as stillbirth or neo-natal death get the help, support and understanding that need.
Step one was to set up our website www.babybarney.org.uk which we are developing content at the moment to share our story and to offer practical advice from our experience and to gather other parents experiences too. Also along with links to external support and services that will be of help.

Step two is to raise awareness and to break the taboo...

Thanks for visiting our blog, please come back!

Martin & Suzanne
martin@babybarney.org.uk