Beat It

Saturday 7 September 2024

The summer is starting to ebb away now with the leaves in the garden beginning to turn, and I awoke with the alarm on Saturday to an autumnal mist that seemed to announce the change in season. The cause of my early rising was for a drive up to Peterborough, to Ferry Meadows on the edge of the city, where Parkinson’s UK was holding one of their nationwide sponsored ‘Walk for Parkinson’s’ days. Having supported the charity on my recent LETJOG E2W walk I was pleased to be asked to assist as a back-marker for this walk, assisting the 250 or so walkers who had undertaken a three-mile or six-mile circuit through the parkland, woodlands and fields besides the River Nene.

Taking an anti-clockwise direction from the cafe in Ferry Meadows Country Park, today’s six-mile walk crossed the Nene to follow the river bank westwards all the way around to Back Dike; the route then turned south and east into Alwalton village, before rejoining the riverside path and through the Park, back to the start

I arrived in Ferry Meadows to a sea of light blue shirts, tents and paraphernalia, and to a smiling team of organisers and volunteers who welcomed me with a cup of coffee, a walkie-talkie radio, and the briefing required for my particular role in the proceedings. And what a day we all had! The walk set off at 11 o’clock, with the skies brightening steadily as the ramble progressed, out into the fine countryside of the Nene Valley. Along the way, and at the start and finish of the walk, I had the chance to meet with Michelle and her colleagues at Parkinson’s UK, and with many of the other volunteers and sponsored walkers all connected in various ways with the charity. I have a few photos to share of our eventful day by the water.

Soon enough all of the walkers arrived for the warm-up . . .

. . . in the company of fellow walkers Catherine and Dee, and their aptly-named German Shepherd, Autumn

. . . before progressing into the countryside . . .

. . . and crossing the Nene Valley Railway

More serenity, in the silent water meadows . . .

. . . and then away from the river to cross the fields

. . . as we approached the four-mile checkpoint in Alwalton village

. . . and some amazing tree roots as we neared the finish line

And this couple raised an amazing £1,000 in sponsorship for Parkinson’s UK!

The mission of Parkinson’s UK is to help people to live as well as possible and to ensure a better understanding of the impact of Parkinson’s, whilst finding a cure for the condition. My Blog heading today, ‘Beat It’, therefore seems apt; a title that I have borrowed from the 1982 song by Michael Jackson. The number appeared as the third of seven US Top 10 singles from the singer’s sixth solo album ‘Thriller’ that became one of the most commercially successful releases of all time.

Together we can Beat It! Please click on this link for more information:

Parkinson’s UK Website