Return of the Blogster!

OK, I can hear you all singing "it's all gone quiet over there" and "can you hear Bloggus sing...no...no". Well, tonight marks the return of Blogging as we know it. My inspiration has come from today's brilliant milestone as our sponsorship fund has formally broken the £15,000 barrier!!

And, as if that wasn't enough, the blogsite has now had over 7,000 hits and the team is planning further walks, a reunion dinner AND our next challenge!! So as further inspiration for the long, undulating and no doubt enjoyable roads which lie ahead, it's also time to reflect back on where we were and what we achieved just 4 weeks back. What follows is a selection of the feedback received after we'd conquered the wall...

"A fantastic and memorable week ambling along from coast to coast with you all... !!" - JP

"Thanks for great week, lots of great laughs, great memories etc. My toes are healing nicely (should be able to ditch the flip flops in a day or 2)." - C

"It's fair to say the challenge was tougher than expected but the whole experience was fantastic." - Dazza

"Superb! Still knackered but such great memories (and some hazy ones!) - was a honour and a real laugh and brilliant catch up with friends old and new. It is weird to be back in the "real" world - what to do?" - Neil

"Having a specific target for each day, and only shanks's pony to get you there has been a real blast, and I will miss it" - Hoops

"Fantastic week guys so many good memories. I really enjoyed the stroll and the company. I was not going to walk anywhere ever again and I have ordered an electric wheel chair, but .....well I could be encouraged out of retirement " - Phil

"Wow I'm knackered today...I reckon I used up every last drop of adrenalin in my body fuelled by the cause, the scenery, the wall, the blogging, the good food and booze, but most of all the banter and the cameraderie. I worked through the 350 photos I took today and had a permagrin on my face." - Mark

"Just finishing off my shirt ironing for the week ahead :O( and although still feeling the after effects of a weeks walking and struggling just going upstairs as muscles are aching, if someone offered the chance to do it all again (on the proviso that you all would be there) I would bite their hand off, as missing it big time...I feel like a lost sheep!" - Tom

"Hi chaps. Fantastic week, thank you. Loads of memories to draw on, fantastic humour. Look forward to seeing you guys soon. All for a worthy cause to boot. Strength and honour" - Chris

"Thanks for a great week, the help with planning, map reading etc etc plus of course all your fantastic fundraising efforts. I had planned on saying more in the pub at Bowness but I wasn't really with it as emotions got the better of me. The fact you all gave up your time and hard earned cash really is appreciated." - Peps

"Thank you so much to you and everyone who took part for all of your fundraising efforts. We really do appreciate it" - Fight for Sight Events Manager

"To Everyone, firstly and most simply - thank you. I thought you might raise a few grand and maybe a bit more, but not over 12,000 pounds and the figure keeps rising. And am really humbled that you were all willing to raise money for something that has the potential to change my future and that of others. As a family to have friends that are willing to give up their time and put in that much effort for us feels very special. I hope you have enjoyed the challenge and are not too shattered. I suppose it is my turn to do something..." - Joe Pepper

Well, enough said! The sponsorship fund remains open and donations are definitely still welcome. Watch this blog on where we go from here.

Maximus Bloggus

Blisters dozen but let's nail the target

Hi there blog followers...another Trek for Joe team milestone has been passed today.
The on line sponsorship total has passed £12,000. That's a grand for each of the blisters endured by the team as we trudged across Northern England.
A further £3,000 will see us secure a further grand for each of the black toe nails picked up by the team and achieve our new target of £15,000. A real case of no pain no gain...your support is really appreciated and is going to a fantastic cause.

Update: A few hours later the total is now over £13,000!!

Scenes from the Trek...we came, we saw, we walked, we conquered!

 

Day 7 - Saturday: "Points mean prizes"

With walking boots packed the team met up for our final gathering then the respective journeys home. The team banter on the train south was as good as ever but not quite as free flowing as laughter gave way to snoozing.
It was also a time for reflection on our collective achievements from the walk. In summary, a 462 year old team recorded 10 new walking personal bests, covering 1,000 miles in 2.2 million steps putting 20 very tired feet through hell resulting in 12 blisters and 3 black toe nails.

The train south also gave us the opportunity to conclude the Trek for Joe Team awards.

• The Peps Trip Advisor best breakfast award went to the Courtfield Guest House in Carlisle
• The Tom best packed lunch award went to the Oaktree Lodge Hotel in Whitley Bay (special mention to the Vallum Lodge in Twice Brewed for the added extras)
• The Hoops best ale award went to Auld Hemp
• The Trek for Joe Team best pub award went to Twice Brewed Inn (special mention to the Beehive in Carlisle for their quiz fund donation)
• The Hoops special golden chip award went to Casa Romana in Carlisle
• The Trek for Joe Team best dinner award went to the Barrasford Arms in Chollereton
• The J-P Godfather best waiter award went to "Helium" Sammy at the Gate of India in Tynemouth
• And finally, the C best waitress award went to "Mama-san" at the Golden Pheasant in Carlisle

So, there we are...the team are home, recuperating and reflecting on what is just the beginning! Stay tuned blog fans as more news follows, especially on the sponsorship front.

Yours as ever

Maximus Bloggus

Where now

As the train gets closer to London having left C in Carlisle and ejecting Neil as the train went south there is only one question to ask.

Is the end of the blog as we know it ?

Donations can still be made from now into the middle of July. Just giving say that 20% of donations come in after the event. Lets prove this figure as being wildly too low. Donate now.

Day 6 - Friday: "The final painful and emotional countdown"

And on the 6th day Caesar gathered the Centurions for the final route march to Bowness. His troops were fuelled by an early pit stop and homage to our corporate sponsors Greggs. Caesar was unrelenting as he wolfed down his sausage roll before reaching the city gates.
What followed was a tough morale sapping 17.5 miles walking to the west end. This was despite yet another great spring day. The weather through the week has been unbelievable and the team have done their best to match the permatan of the DuraC bunny.
The morning saw us following the River Eden. An advanced party were motivated by a workout of 80s music. The scenery was pretty and it was a twitcher's paradise. Steady was tweeting away as he walked but this was nothing compared to the curtain twitching in the village of Beaumont.
As we followed the wet flatlands of Cumbria, midges joined the wildlife cast list for the week and at least 3 of them found their way into Tom's mouth.
Team morale took a further battering as we faced marshlands monotony where the end was always in sight but seemed to be continually moving further away.
The final push was then upon us and the efforts of 5 months planning and training were about to pay off. We rolled into Bowness and marched as one to the finishing post.
After team hugs and photos we decamped to the Kings Arms for the most miserable welcome you couldn't have wished for. Perhaps it was because we ransacked the landlord's supply of pork scratchings. The team's emotional rollercoaster of a day was topped as Peps raised a glass and grown men considered crying.
Caesar then commandeered a blue and white chariot for the return to Carlisle and he sported the longest bus ticket of all time.
Several pheasants had been spotted in the river estuary and the team convened at one of the Golden Chinese variety for our end of Trek dinner.
As the team reflected, congratulations and thanks were rolling in. Joe Pepper passed on big thanks as did Emma Salisbury (who organises the fund we are contributing to). Fight for Sight themselves rounded off the plaudits.
The blue F4S t shirts were seen all over Carlisle's bars. Caesar's centurions unleashed hell on the dance floor as the team worked off our last ounces of energy. The DJs gave us several shout outs and "keep on moving" was the team song of the night.
The final day stats were 27.62 km in 36827 steps burning 1861 calories (and just in case you were wondering a packet of pork scratchings contains just 216 calories).

At the finish line!!

The Trek for Joe Team has completed Hadrians challenge...all the news to follow, but for now it's time for our end of Trek dinner.

Almost there...

...on a tough final day

We love you Greggs!

The team has just picked up our packed lunches from our corporate sponsor

Day 5 - Thursday: "Cavalry charge to the wild west"

So blog followers as you should know by now the team have been split up in separate B&Bs each night. Meeting up on this penultimate day of trekking couldn't have been any easier as we materialised on opposite sides of the road. And before we knew it we were all together and off for the day.
Our ever reliant (not) weather forecasters had set us the challenge today to outpace the rain clouds and get to Carlisle before the expected downpour. We need not have feared. Yet again we beat the weather, in fact it was another lovely day.
Today was about true grit, pace and determination. Ok, the terrain was so much flatter than the middle third. But the soft ground, mud and constant side stepping to avoid cow pats and sheep droppings took its toll on the team's aching limbs. The scenery may have not been as panoramic as we had seen in previous days, yet it was a case of England's green and pleasant farmland which gradually changed from livestock to the arable variety.
The team has taken on various guises as we've traversed Northern England. Favoured types have included a Roman legion and land loving pirates with a penchant for tourette induced shouting. There was extra excitement mid-morning when the team turned into cowboys to fend off a feared attack by indians. This was a 21st century version as a couple of Apache gunship helicopters hovered over our route for near to a quarter of an hour.
After lunch the Project Managing Map Readers Daz and Neil yomped into the distance leaving the rest of the team to rely on the DuraC bunny. And for just the 3rd time we took a wrong turn leading up a dead end before traversing the M6.
As we had our last sight of the remains of Hadrians Wall the countryside morphed into the civilisation of the City of Carlisle and the return of mobile phone signals.
In the end we completed the 13.75 miles in near record time and also sent the weather packing as not a drop of rain was felt all day.
Following an early arrival at our B&Bs the team fought off the temptation of a collective old man late afternoon snooze and reconvened for a debrief over beers and darts. Caesar Steady then took us to the Romana restaurant for an excellent Italian meal. As half the team retired the rest descended on the Beehive pub for a night cap and to check out the latter part of the pub quiz. The locals were great and after some good banter were extremely kind and donated the takings from the quiz to the Trek for Joe fund. The whole team will be back there for some end of Trek beers tonight.
Finally, for the stattos amongst you the scores on the doors for the day were 22.14km in 29521 steps and burning a respectable 1482 calories.

Trek for Joe team reach Carlisle

...rolling into the City this afternoon for some much needed R&R

A big day out for the little one

...Caesar was spotted taking E.T. out for walkies

The loonies have escaped the asylum...

...early on day 5

Day 4 - Wednesday: "Vertigo, mysterious ways and a beautiful day"

The team regrouped on a misty mountain top for the second leg of the spectacular middle third of the Hadrian experience.
Yet again the weather forecast didn't play out to the script and sunny spells won the day over occasional very light showers. A big shout out goes to all our sponsors down south who have been experiencing incessant downpours. For many reasons Northumberland really is the place to be this week.
The Roman experience continued with long stretches of well preserved wall, turrets and milecastles. So much so that we were in danger of becoming ambivalent to the achievements of our ancient invaders.
We have been spending most of our time walking on the Roman side of the wall and our own local invader C was clearly challenged today. His vertigo was evident and at times he took the low road whilst the rest took the high road. This may have been a good decision as the climbs and descents took a toll on several of the team's leg joints. Chris in particular had a difficult morning. C the Duracell bunny came to his rescue and the two of them formed an advance party for the rest of the day. Their heads down no nonsense approach paid dividends and both were feeling the better for it.
The rest of the team followed some way behind. A mysterious moment came when entering Gilsland which felt like a ghost village. There was no sign of human life, both pubs were closed and the only thing stirring was a goat tethered to a post. The pace increased and we reassured ourselves with some walkers tourettes.
A late lunch was had in a milecastle then we pushed on for the final stretch to Lanercost. It really was a case of getting through it as the toll of a 4th consecutive day was being well and truly felt across the team. At just over 17 miles this turned out to be our second longest day.
We were all on our best behaviour for the team meal chez Daz and Hoops, the latter of whom was sporting Roman sandals. After dinner the team settled in for the Chelsea Barcelona game. A great result and winner for the Blues but you can't help wondering what chance a certain Mr Drogba would have of completing a solitary mile of the Hadrian challenge without falling over.
So now for the push on to the lowlands of Carlisle. The days stats were 27.4km in 37052 steps and 1862 beer fighting calories.

Along the straight and narrow

Compare the turret meerkats

...further additions to the wildlife spotting log which has 30 entries so far.

All in all it's another crag on the wall

...and a particularly steep one at that.

Day 3 - Tuesday: "Mithras and Mr Blue Sky"

Before we reflect on day 3 a note of big respect from the team goes to Dev for completing 26 miles 385 yards a whole lot quicker than us. His time for Sunday's Brighton marathon was 4:10 which was a great result for a tough course round Brighton.
The story of day 3 starts with an as yet unanswered question...so, are Hoops's walking trousers really waterproof? Well, blog followers we all prepared for what the forecasters said would be a pretty wet day. But, in the end it turned out to be near perfect with just a spattering of some brief showers and a case of quirky hail Caesar near the end of the walk.
Perhaps our morning visit to the Temple of Mithras which is dedicated to a Sun God played a part. The result was an awesome day of just incredible panoramic views across Northumberland. There were continual photo opportunities and Caesar Steady was swapping lenses with true Roman efficiency.
A mid morning stop saw us run into a local entrepreneur and his "Very fresh coffee company" wagon, which was only serving tea and hot chocolate!
It was a tough day on the legs, initially through several fields of energy sapping very soft ground and later some highly amusing bog jumping when Tom combined a forward roll and double twist with one of his efforts. This was nothing compared to the seemingly endless procession of crags which combine steep descents followed immediately by an equally steep climb. This saw a vicious outbreak of walking tourettes throughout the team, although it has to be said that many of the exclamations were inspiringly funny.
The camaraderie amongst the team was as strong as ever today and this then extended to our fellow walkers on the wall, several of whom kindly added further donations to the sponsorship fund.
And amongst all of this let's not forget what we had come to see and follow. The achievements of Hadrians armies were extensive and well preserved. So, although Neil held the map all day we all knew where we were going. Halsteads Fort provided further historical reflection of Roman everyday life.
As the team split for the overnight accommodation the majority literally let off steam at the Twice Brewed pub which was then also the venue for the team dinner. A fun evening was to follow though the cumulative impact of our 3rd days walking saw us retire around 10pm.
The total mileage completed was just over 15 miles and J-P's official stats were 24.4km in 32500 steps and burning 1647 calories.

Everything we do we do it for you (a thank you to our sponsors)

NB this is the tree and site made famous by the Robin Hood Prince of Thieves film

The grand old Duke of Peps

...he had a group of 10 and he marched them up to the top of the hill then he marched them down again...then up then down so many times today we lost count!

In the Temple of the Sun God

...and boy did he deliver today

Day 2 - Monday: "By the left, quick march"

Day 2 saw an early start for Peps and C from Wylam to "catch up" the rest of the team at the Ironsign B&B. They were already c4 miles in by the time of re-grouping. A further 13-14 miles was to follow during a largely sunny day though a bit on the chilly side.
I went for it and decided it was a chance to show off my turkey legs...generally a good call, though the wildlife log also got a recording of goose pimples.
It was a day of fairly brisk marching following the straight and narrow of the Roman Military Road. The main point of historical note were the deep ditches called Vallum that the Romans had dug out as a first line of defence before invaders attempted to breach the wall. It was an impressive example of Roman ingenuity matched by the team as we sang..."into the Vallum" and "pass the ditchie on the left hand side".
The injuries log started to accrue potential claimants as we felt the impact of 2 days walking. Most notable was Phil "the black toe nail" as he wobbled along contemplating a hip replacement.
The ex-pat Project Manager was as happy as larry for the final 2 hours as Daz handed him responsibility for holding the map. The big cheesy grin on Neil's face lit up the afternoon sky.
The team split in 2 to settle in our respective overnight accommodation then regrouped for what turned out to be our best meal by 33 miles.
As for the day ahead...either the locals have a running in joke telling walkers that your hardest day lays ahead or indeed it is. It's time for the wet weather gear ;o(
The official stats from J-P's ped were: 22km walked in 29500 steps burning 1491 calories.

Planning day 3

The story of day 2 to follow later or in the morning...

First full team photo

Boy scouts day out

Day 1 - Sunday: "The longest day"

A bright sunny morning saw the team regroup then make our way to the official starting point at Wallsend. And before we knew it, at 09:30 we were off...only to find at 9:32 that we'd already taken our first wrong turning! We were soon back on track as we followed the Tyne through Newcastle.
An enjoyable and interesting morning followed spiced up by a beautiful rainbow over Byker Grove with St James Park in the distance (Ant and Dec would have been rumbling all the way to the Blaydon Races).
The wildlife spotting count grew today, most notably the surreal sight of a racing pigeon centre (the real Urban Homing Pigeons were in full flight).
All in, we couldn't have asked much more from the weather...it was largely sun, with the occasional light showers and even lighter hail. And it was a case of Hail Caesar Steady as Phil declared he had a Roman's nose.
The afternoon saw us gradually move from urban to countryside and the flat ground got more hilly. The game changing turning point then came when the team waved a temporary fairwell to Peps and C as their B&B was 3-4 miles from the rest of the group.
The last section of the walk was the best and toughest of the day as the hill climbs started and we ultimately ended up completing just short of 20 miles. The team were rewarded by our first sight of the remains of Hadrian's Wall then a very welcoming B&B owner at Ironsign Farm.
The team regrouped in Corbridge for the footie and our best dinner so far when we were joined by Pep's friends Fiona and Simon.
As I lie here the morning I feel shattered whilst inspired by the brilliant views over God's green and pleasant land and the thought that most of the team recorded PBs for their furtherest ever walks in a single day. The team seemed strangely motivated by the words of last night's taxi driver on the way to dinner..."that's by far your easiest day"!!
A thought spared for Peps and C who have 4 miles to walk this morning before the rest of the team is mobilised. "Wagons roll" is the text just received from Peps...come on lads!!
For the stattos amongst you, yesterday's official distance was 32.38km and 43172 steps, burning 2200 calories.

Behold the wall!!!

The team had their first sight of Hadrian's Wall just after 4pm today...another big moment in this amazing experience. Day 1 blog news to follow later...

Plotting our next move...

5 miles into the walk and the map boys catch up on what's coming up next

And they're off!!

Trek for Joe has officially started...

Day Zero - Saturday

So, this was the day that our team was finally complete. Until this point we had been an email list, page on the blog and amalgam of photos. As the day unfolded, the 5 who met at East Croydon, became 8 at Kings Cross, then at last the complete set of 10 at Newcastle Central Station. Neil had flown in from Geneva and C then materialised from North of the border sporting a permatan that Englebert would be truly proud of.
We were then straight off on the metro to the coast. As soon as we'd become 10, then we were split into 2 groups in Whitley Bay and Tynemouth due to the split hotels situation.
Having regrouped in a pub to watch the footie and national, a gentle afternoon's drinking, eating, bonding, banter, story telling, joking and all round boys on tour fun was to follow. The fact that Peps' potential massive win on the races didn't come in was soon forgotten. JP and Neil spoke in Franglais. Hoops and Phil managed some quick sight seeing. And C crooned us over a curry.
This is it then, we're all present and accounted for and ready to embark. Stay tuned for news of the start of Hadrian's Challenge as the Trek for Joe team prepare for Day 1 proper.

Healthy start to the weekend

The Trek for Joe team have landed in Tynemouth... The disappointment of the 1st class train Brekkie is being made up for by a late lunch. And the order is:

2 ham egg & chips
4 fish & chips
2 chicken cheese bacon stack & chips
2 scampi & chips

Washed down with:

2 Fosters
2 Kronies
A Clipper and a Jennings
A bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon for the sophisticates

J-Ps pedometer is now counting calories...

Please release us...let us go, straight to the Toon then the Wall!

Our man Fletch is this evening making a pronouncement that will have lasting effects on the Trek for Joe Team. Our time has come and porridge has been served...over to you Fletch:

I'm goin' straight, I am,
Straight as an arra'
I've paid the price and done me time.
I'm goin' straight, I am,
Along the straight and narra'
And I don't mean straight back..
and I don't mean straight to crime.

Ok, time to finish off those pre-Trek cheeky beers, do your packing, get with the project and set yourselves for the challenges that lie ahead...

So, meet in the Toon at Noon, then a metro to Whitley Bay and settle into the pub for the FA Cup semis, Grand National and beers by the pitcher...who said anything about a walk?

PS for our kind supporters and donors...the Team will be reporting for walking duty at 9:30am Sunday morning


Eleven reasons why 11 is a good number

£11,000 and rising!  *Updated - another milestone passed this afternoon


Ignore the 7

• We have almost raised 11K and there is a band on Facebook called Eleven
• Eleven is the first number which cannot be counted with a human's ten fingers
• Eleven o’clock is a whole hour before midday and midnight
• Eleven is the number of us raising money for charity on Sunday 15^th April (if you include Dev Malhotra running in the Brighton marathon)
• Apollo 11 was the first manned spacecraft to land on the moon
• The number of incarnations of The Doctor in BBC sci-fi series Doctor Who is eleven.
• Spinal Tap's amplifiers go upto eleven.
• After Judas Iscariot was disgraced, the remaining apostles of Jesus were sometimes described as "the Eleven”.
• The Eleven is a song by The Grateful Dead. 
• My daughter, who is twelve was eleven.
• There are eleven football players on the pitch for each team in a Premiership football game.

Today's magic number is...

On line donation total passes £10,000!! Thanks from the Trek for Joe team for your support.

Final preparations...what's hot with the team just now?

So, as the Trek for Joe team completes it's final preparations for Hadrian's challenge, we are seeing a rush of behind the scenes activity...well, in a nutshell, trips to Boots, Millets and a host of inter-team emails and texts. The top trending themes amongst the team are:

• Neil the Kitman's checklist and whether all those socks are really just for his feet?
• Packed lunches or pub lunches...and how far will the £20 Greggs vouchers stretch?
• Guarding against being at the back of the team and picked off by Wolves on the wall
• Booking venues for dinner that provide the best possible access to food, local beers, live sport and the quickest possible route to bed for a very heavy night's sleep
• Talk of walking poles has now been replaced by gaiters
• The potential for an adverse medical reaction between Magnesium and talcum powder
• Whether corduroys will be acceptable evening wear?
• The going rate for a Radox bath and whether bubbles are a good thing
• The all out winner however has been landing on the right sort of walking underwear...just one question chaps...do Commandos go commando?

As we contemplate these issues, keep your eagle eyes on the sponsorship total...a massive milestone is about to be passed and it's not too late to donate!!!

Team homework for the Easter weekend

Ok chaps, as you spend Easter working through the Kit Man's checklist, why not also try to find some time to do some homework on the world of Hadrian and his ancient wall. There's two videos here for your education and enjoyment...

BBC Timewatch explores the legacy of Hadrian's Wall, which for 300 years stood as the Roman Empire's most imposing frontier. The 2,000-year-old stone barrier measures 74 miles long. Standing up to 15ft high and 10ft thick, it is considered one of the unsung wonders of the ancient world, providing a window into the past. Play Timewatch video

Blackadder Goes Forth sees Blackadder & Balders time travelling to a Roman garrisoned Hadrian's Wall. All they need to do now is swipe a Roman soldier's helmet & get out of there before they're killed by Rod Stewart's great, great grandfather. Play Blackadder video

9 stats you need to know tonight (and another milestone reached)

11 days to go to Whitley Bay and the start of the walk

21 episodes of Porridge (plus the film and the spin off Going Straight)

48 friends following Hadrians Walk on Facebook

246 individual on line donations so far

750 miles (estimated) of training walking completed by the team

1,500 Greggs shops spread around the UK

4,252 hits on the Trek for Joe blog site (to date)

£9,000 breached with on line donations!! (off line and other pledges yet to be accounted for)

£12,500 is now our revised target for sponsorship

Our thanks go to everyone who has contributed so far. For those who haven't...well, you know what you need to do!!

News from the final team training walks

This weekend saw the team complete it's final two training walks. It's now a case of every man for himself in the final run in before our trek up north.

Saturday saw the return of Hoops the urban homing pigeon as we completed a 12 mile course from London Bridge through South-East London to Bromley. The team were treated to a traditional pie, mash and liqour early lunch before following the course of the former Surrey canal to Peckham. A chilly day was warmed up by the Porridge inspired banter and improved further as Bromley's 1-0 win secured 3 key points for Blue Square South survival. The day was rounded off Chez Peps for a great evening and a pigeon that was as merry as a dodo.



So where were the Eels? / Steptoe's yard / Fortress Hayes Lane / Discussing the merits of chafing treatments

There had been some doubts on whether a 2nd day and a trip down to the South Coast would be worthwhile, especially given the excesses of a night in Shirley. The team motored down to Lewes in West Sussex and were treated to a brilliant day's walking 13 miles along the South Down's Way. A clear winner of best training walk and a great way to set us up for Hadrian's Wall. It had everything...beautiful scenery over 4 counties, hill climbs of the type we should expect up north and glorious weather (mmm, may need a rain check on that as snow is reportedly falling near Newcastle over the next day or so!!).

And Hoops finally started to work on his packing checklist, but we'll save that one for another day...

Awesome scenery, awesome walking, awesome weather - West Sussex wins county of the month

Oh when the cash came rolling in...

Another momentus day on Friday when Kevin, Tom and Mark had dress down Friday charity collections at their respective offices. The Fight for Sight buckets and colours were out and the cash donations flowed in. A brilliant result from both firms bringing in a total £556.10*.

Tom and Mark on bucket duty and the awesome cash counting machine

* This total is subject to audit and not yet reflected in the on line total

Breaking news!! Trek for Joe team doing Porridge...

Earlier today, Governor Hadrian declared the following sentence on one of the team's main men...

Jean-Pierre Albin...

...you have pleaded guilty to the charges brought by this court, and it is now my duty to pass sentence. You are an habitual rambler, who accepts sore feet, blisters and chafing as an occupational hazard, and presumably accepts pints of lager in the same casual manner. We therefore feel constrained to commit you to the maximum term allowed for these offences: you will walk my wall in April 2012AD covering 84 miles in 6 days.

For the next two weeks J-P will be doing time with the rest of the Trek for Joe team in HM Prison Just Giving. And here they are...

Credit goes to J-P for the inspiration behind this story (and allocating most of the characters!!!)

Give us our daily bread...and pastries, sausage rolls, cake, sarnies, yesss!

More great news this evening from Phil's efforts to secure a corporate donation. Our sincere thanks go to Greggs who have agreed to provide sponsorship support for the team. Rumour has it he considered inviting their Execs to a baguette and Danish coffee morning in his garden shed, but the Trek for Joe Party rules mean this had to be a purely over the counter donation.

By the way...check out the Greggs website www.greggs.co.uk for news of the 250th anniversary celebrations of the Great British Sandwich!

Pieces of eight

Treasure today me hearties as this fine day our sponsorship haul broke through the £8k barrier. Continued great work and incredible kindness from all our donors to date (and there was not a pirate to be seen).

The clock is well and truly ticking now with just 18 days to go to Whitley Bay and the start of our challenge. Further training walks are planned for this weekend and news will follow on those, together with a team news exclusive from Fletch...

Praise be the square mile - Hallelujah!!

As the City is digesting the news of todays budget pronouncements by the Chancellor, we can't let the news pass that we've smashed the £6k barrier for sponsorship and are currently racing towards £7k. Further donations have been coming in from various channels since late last week, with particularly generous ones from team contacts in the City.

Great news, but let's keep it going. Indeed, Phil has just initiated a special sale donation offer on the team Facebook page. Sponsors are being offered the chance to make two donations a day, or even more! And as he points out, the Chancellor continues to support Charitable donations - Gift Aid is the way to go!

Evening update...we've now broken £7k!!!

Pilgrimage on the North Downs Way

Saturday saw us back on the North Downs attempting to follow the Pilgrim's Way. Very soon, we were suffering for the absence of our trusty map reader Daz. A turning was missed and we found ourselves indecisively wandering up and down a lane without a clue. Gut instinct and an old path towards Walton Heath, despite debates on the benefits of GPS vs a good old compass, eventually got us back on track.

Once back on the NDW we realised we weren't all bad, when bumping into very lost students who were at least 3 miles off course from the Box Hill walk we'd completed a few weeks back. Our restored confidence and the fact we were way behind schedule led to some quick decision making to divert to the site of Mr Farlow's courting pleasures. We landed in the Dolphin in Betchworth for a well earned beer or two. A good old English pub of the highest order and officially voted team favourite so far.

A Snickers sponsored break / In search of the NDW / JP risks his assets / School boy jokefest / Greatest pub so far?

Suitably refreshed we were back in the walking groove. We then faced the final steep ascent of the Downs and the sight and sound of half a dozen groaning men was something to behold. The final leg of the walk took in the Sportsman in Mogador...another contender for team fave pub.

So, a rather disjointed trek, glued together like Light and Bitter. At least Hadrian's Wall should be easy enough to follow...well, where it still exists...come back Dazza we need you!!

Training walk - live update

Interesting training walk today on the North Downs Way...we're over half way, sort of, having got lost twice then recovered the route then chopped off a sector to grab lunch at the Dolphin in Betchworth. Hoops and JP have just rediscovered light and bitter and may be off course again later...

Full blogging to follow...

5ive

Another big day for the Trek for Joe team today. Loads to take in. The detailed itinerary for the walk has landed and there's work to do assessing the impact of split accommodaton on every night, as well as the reality of the walking schedule and impact of tangental extras on the 20 tired feet to/from historical sites, pit stops and evening soirees.

Better than that, today we've passed through the £5k mark for sponsorship. If anyone needs any cheesy motivation to keep up the donation efforts, check out the educational film keep on movin!!!

Four grand with five weeks to go!

So...five weeks tonight the Trek for Joe team will be in the Toon contemplating Hadrian's challenge.

Picture it now...a 9:30am departure from Kings Cross for a relaxing train ride up North, completing the Times crossword and discussing the merits of goretex vs leather walking boots. On arrival, the chance for some afternoon shopping and cream teas, in preparation for an early night out at the bingo then early to bed.

Wake up! You're all dreaming...the beer and cava will have been flowing all day and Hoops will be in quizbook dreamland and ready to go in search of the Northern funk.

Starting to get excited now...as if passing the £4,000 barrier for sponsorship isn't enough. Let's keep going chaps!

Lessons learned - news from this weekend's training walks

Two more training walks completed this weekend. Darren and Kevin completed both of them and it’s the Map Leader extraordinaire that reports from his hot and soapy tub on Saturday’s walk...

Thames and docklands field trip

As I sit in the bath and reflect on the last two days of walks totalling 27.5 miles, I can safely say you couldn't get two walks so different.

On a fine sunny London afternoon, Mr Hoops took Kev and I on a map-free 15 mile guided tour of London Bridge, Greenwich, Canary Wharf and back to London Bridge. It took me back to a 6th form Geography field trip. Mr Hoops led from the front and the facts just flowed...answers on a postcard why the Dartford tunnel has a bend at either end.

Three key learning points from the urban walk: (1) drinking cider seemed fine, at least I tried 3 times and walking improved with each pint, (2) boots were fine on tarmac and (3) the total mileage for the day includes the walk back after the curry!!


A wet and wild Dazza reflects on the joys of the Thames, his hot tub and rubber duck

Today was the polar opposite...rain, wind and dare I say snow. We got lost in the mist of the first hour or so...but Mark will pick up the baton on today's effort...

Uncomfortably numb on the South Downs Way

Chris and I were full of anticipation (but not the East End curry hangovers of Daz and Peps) for today’s day trip down to the South Downs. We were promised views and a glorious day out near the South Coast. Yeh right! As Daz says, it rained. And rained. And rained. And then it snowed.

Today's learning points: (1) how not to waterproof, (2) the energy sapping impact of squelching mud and water filled boots and (3) how the team banter takes a beating when you’re up against the elements. Paranormal activity was also noted as soap suds formed on our sodden jackets and trousers.

But we were inspired as we criss-crossed the course for today's "Steyning Stinger" marathon. Big respect for all the runners who took on such an unforgiving course in such difficult conditions. When we rounded off our challenge, Chris was feeling his age but very little else as he shivered and shaked on the way back from Findon.


Misty mountain top, doing a runner from the Stingers and a smile despite the sodden boxers

Advice is available to other team members on the findings of this weekend’s training at the normal rates (measured in pints).

Transfer deadline day

Ok guys. We all know balances need paying by tomorrow for the tour. And now that Peps has wielded his magic spreadsheet we can settle up with one another on travel and beer kittys accrued to date.

Whilst we're keeping an eye on that, let's recognise the fab sponsorship total so far of £3,494!! There are some off line donations to add in and we have a lot to thank the 119 people for who have donated so far.

We have the tools to help us promote the cause:

• The blog, which has had 3,113 views 
• Facebook, which Phil is doing a great job of developing, now has 36 friends and is being used to host more photos and videos
• Twitter, which has had 15 tweets so far and a link now included on the blog
• Donations sheet, template available from Peps

The next 44 days are going to fly by...let's keep it going!

Hoops the urban homing pigeon

Dazza has just announced the details for this weekend's training walks.

Sunday finds a number of us walking the South Downs near Findon. This should be another good test for the hills up north.

On Saturday a smaller extremely keen group are being led by Hoops on an urban walk aptly named the London Bridge loop. This should prove a good test for the first leg of the Wall through the city streets and outskirts of the Toon. This will be Hoops' second urban walk in a week. On Saturday he marched through the streets of London, all the way from Camberwell, via Peckham and Catford, onto London's greenest Borough. On arrival he was rewarded by a key Bromley home win.

So what is the secret to Hoops success? He didn't need Mike the Laminator's GPS, nor the Dalek walking pole compass. He didn't even resort to a good old London A-Z. Our roving blogster managed to capture his walking guidance aid which we are now proud to present for your reading pleasure...

Start the press!!

As we near 50 days to the walk the blog site hits are neck a neck with the sponsorship total of nearly £2,900. But the really big news of the day is that we've hit the press!! The following article has just been posted by the Croydon Guardian (see it on line here).

Walkers prepare to conquer wall

By Hannah Williamson »

Ten novice trekkers are to walk the length of Hadrian's Wall to raise money for an eye charity.

Updated from original post now presenting additional paparazzi shots including the team mascot Rafa

The group have their walking shoes on ready for their challenge. The group of middle aged men, who average 45-years-old and describe themselves as '20 tired feet' on their Facebook fundraising page, will walk 84 miles over 6 days, to raise money for the charity Fight for Sight in honour of Shirley resident Joe Pepper.

Joe, 20, suffers from a rare inherited eye disorder called Choroideremia, which causes progressive sight loss, usually in teenage boys. His father Kevin and nine friends decided to complete the trek to raise money for the charity, which is supporting clinical trials trying to stop the degeneration and retain the sight of people suffering from the condition.

Mr Pepper said his son, who studies History and Politics at Southampton University, recently found out he is eligible to participate in a clinical trial. He said: "It's great because the money we are raising, we can now see firsthand what it is going towards. A lot of money goes into a kitty for research, but you can't see anything tangible coming out of it immediately. The money we raise will not only help Joe, but other people suffering from similar conditions. Hopefully a treatment will be found that will improve the eye sight and stopping the degeneration."

Phil Stead also from Shirley, is participating in the trek. The 50-year-old who jokingly describes his longest walk as "to Greggs and back," said the group were getting in lots of practice before the walk in April. "We are doing a few practice walks, the first was an eight mile walk and we did a 13 mile walk a couple of week ago. It is not something we have done before so it will be challenging."
The group hope to raise £5,000 and are nearly half way to their target. To follow their progress visit trekforjoe.blogspot.com and to sponsor the group visit justgiving.com/teams/trekforjoe

Getting serious now.......

So back to back walks of 12 miles plus have definitely sharpened my focus on what lays ahead....

So the dates for the diary for the next walks are the 3rd March (urban walk led by Mr Hoops) and the 4th March (probably some little stroll on the South Downs somewhere). After that we have our last gathering before the real thing on the 31st March and the 1st April.

I am away for a couple of weeks in March, so if someone else is up for sorting out a walk in my absence in mid March please feel free! Its all about getting the mileage in the old legs from now on.

Living in a Box - Weekend training part 2

Following on from the windy wilderness of North Kent, the UK based team relocated to the chalky Surrey hills of the North Downs today for our second walk in as many days. This one was a 13 mile up and downer around Box Hill and a really good test of what is coming our way along the Wall.

The Moosehat was loose and we welcomed Tom back from the Welsh highlands. Check out the photo collage below including the ballet like performance over the stepping stones, the Dalek walking pole, contraband Snicker bars and the appearance of the bun moobs.

A great day out rounded off with a photo call with the press - details to follow. Also good to see that our French based splinter group has upped it's training regime. Sunday evening has been officially set aside for some serious R&R, radox based baths and a collective old man snore or two.

Good work guys! put in 21 miles myself this weekend - day 2 was pretty tired, this walk is going to be a genuine challange gotta keep training! kick start serious diet starts tomorrow....

Great walk today. Look forward to tackling The Hill and Croydon Guardian meet tomorrow. Hope they can use photoshop so we don't look too tired. Over 24 miles in two days is something of an achievement but there is still some work to do to prepare for April. Keep supporting us and donating.

Live walk update - Anglo Saxon force 7 battering

11 miles done and today's team walk round the Saxon Shore Way walk from Faversham is drawing towards a conclusion. Well earned beers are being supped in the warmth of the Castle at Ore. And Box Hill to follow tomorrow...OMG!

Post walk update: Today's walk turned out to be 12.5 miles in the end. The weather held out really well, though there was a proper force 7 gale whilst we were walking along the Swale looking over to the Isle of Sheppey. And thanks to Mike the Laminator for his expert GPS contribution when we found ourselves off track.

Hi chaps, I've been studying my map of Hadrian's wall, well at the least the middle section, and theres loads of hysterical, sorry historical places we need to make sure we stop at, I will be compiling a list, so watch this space.

Do they have Gregg's up north?

Countdown

Good work on getting the countdown clock sorted Mark, but - only 62 days to go I cant believe it!

Get your hair and nails done chaps we are going to press.

I have had a phone call from a very lovely person from the Croydon Guardian Group of newspapers.

We have provisionally booked a group photo for this Sunday at 3.30pm. Mrs Pep has said Joe is about this weekend so it would be good if we could all meet and have some press photos done. Don't quite know what we do about C, perhaps we could have a cardboard cut out made up.

Anyway get prepared and we all need to be present.

BMI

Hi chaps, managed to weigh myself and BMI is 26.5 so my target is to get in the healthy range.

Looks like everything is gathering pace - only 2 months to go, very exciting.

The dreaded training.....

So guys unfortunately we have to do some more training....just sent you details for the walks on 18th Feb, Box Hill, 11 miles and 19th Feb, Faversham and the Swale, 12 miles.

Suggested dates for either a Saturday and Sunday stroll (or both) are 3rd March & 4th March and 31st March and 1st April. I will probably look to do both days as probably only chance to get some mileage in the old legs..

Double 2 grand and growing!!

Good work on all your blogging chaps - we've now had well over 2k in hits on the Trek for Joe site. Equally good work by Phil on Facebook and we also now have a presence on Twitter. All these are helping with spreading the word. More importantly they have played their part in achieving another milestone in that we've now passed £2k in sponsorship and that's been achieved in just a couple of weeks.

Let's keep it all going!!!

So why is Hadrian's Wall there?  Click here for the British History podcast

Has anyone made contact with the Croydon Guardian/Advertiser ? I know Chris mentioned it.

Using our Facebook page I have let Newcastle know we are coming. Lets make sure they see us as the good guys that we are and they welcome us with open arms and donate to Fight For Sight through our Trekforjoe blog.

Emma Salisbury is a friend of our Facebook profile. She has been raising funds for Fight For Sight for sometime and is on the BBC news this Saturday. She will be promoting her fund raising on the midday (12.05) and evening (17.20) news.
I found her from the Fight For Sight Facebook page and asked her to be our friend. She says our blog is great and wishes us well with our fund raising.

I have sent out a load of e-mails over the last two days. Hopefully the cash will start to roll in. I will be chasing people if not.

If you don't ask you don't get...

So...let's see where we've got to so far...

Wall tour booked
Deposit paid
Time off work and full week pass sorted
Milletts 40% sale raided
Training walks underway
Apres walk beer practice under continuous review
Just Giving, Facebook and Blog sites up and running
Train tickets and flight booked
Mmm...so that just leaves...SPONSORSHIP!

Great work so far and the total is almost already at £1k! But there's loads more to do...it's non-stop from here to the Wall!

Train booked!

Chaps,

I have booked East Coast Trains up to Newcastle from London Kings Cross at 09h300 (Saturday 14th April) for all 8 of us.

Details on emails

Up at the crack of dawn...

What a lovely way to start the working day with an energetic 8 mile walk to work on a cold and frosty morning across the Sussex Countryside.  I got a few laughs from the guys in the office as with all my walking gear on I look like a train spotting geek!!

Think I'll be doing a few more of these over the coming months to get the necessary training in.

Tom

Train prices

Chaps,

Looks like a one way ticket from London to Newcastle, leaving in morning (on 14th April) is £44.50 in First Class, includes breakfast, free wifi and free drinks (coffee/tea that is)

There is no stopping me now. Having been out with you chaps, I realise that my £15 mobile is rubbish.

Having done quite a bit of research, I am most likely going to get a mega iTouch (64gb) and with a combination of BT hotspots and Mark's iPhoe as a hotspot, I shall be connected to my hearts desire for free.

Smart eh?!

Train to the Toon?

Chaps,

East Coast Rail will do a special discount for small groups. Their website also says that we should mention any special occasion! I think a fund raising  exercise may just do the trick, and maybe ask them to sponsor us? You never know!

Best thing is to maybe ring them up. I will volunteer to do this and find out the cost.

We might be a mzximum of 8 people correct for Saturday 14th (early morning). We could get 1st Class, free wifi and charging points for all you techy guys with laptops and smartphones!

I shall report back within next week!

Flock of seagulls

Hi guys

Yesterdays walk was great fun, legs this morning, after a little stiffness are fine so looking towards the next trek.

Listening to Absolute 80s this morning they played that classic by "flock of seagulls" great stuff, didn't realise they perch in trees.

18th & 19th Feb - next walks

So if the legs recover the next dates for the diary that we talked about are the 18th & 19th February.

Looks like Saturday will be a 10 mile walk and Sunday a 12 mile walk - no current plan for the Saturday but the Sunday looks like Faversham. Will take a look and let you know nearer the time the details.

I think Mark might be doing a more gentle stroll the week before but will let him sort that one out.

Cheers

News from today's team training walk...

7 of our intrepid band of walkers completed a 5 hour 12 3/4 mile walk through the Kent countryside and mud today. Recognition should go to Peps and Daz for a 9 (should have been 7) mile walk yesterday - they are very keen.

Hoops supplied the bananas, a light meter, original Leica camera and quick drying brown cords. Daz was ordnance and did a grand job with just a few diversions off piste, including a pub stop in Chiddingstone. A relaxing pint turned into a swift one as the Landlord was adverse to the consumption of our own refreshments on site. Check out the pic including an appearance from the solitary walking pole (aka Neil)...

Chris took up Cheggers mantle of dodgy life stories and lame jokes. Phil taught us about the need to ensure security at the rear end of our team and JP did a grand job of reminding me of mine. And Peps will be searching out his legendary spreadsheet to account for todays beers (our post walk training also got off to a good start). All in a great walk and team day out. God bless the Garden of England!

Live from Kent

The training walk is underway...7.5 miles down and a cheeky pint is currently being downed. More news later...

Training walk wih poles

I just got back from a walk (Sue came on her bike!), first time I have gone any distance using poles (15k) - actually, they do work, it's a very natural motion in any case, the only "technique" is to plant the pole slightly behind you so that when you push with your arm you propel yourself forward rather than up - it's up to you how hard you push, more arm = less leg.

Let's us know how the walk goes tomorrow.

Sunday's Walk

So for Sunday's 11 mile stroll (sorry 11.5 mile stroll) we need to meet at Penshurst Church for 10AM kick off (NOTE THE CHANGE IN TIME !) .

Looks like the main car park is a little further down the road from the Church.

I am thinking of maybe doing a short walk Saturday to get my ever increasing frame ready for the shock of two walks in two days...if anyone else fancies it let me know.

First team photo

Keep the posting and comments going boys. Here's our first photo...enjoy!


Body Mass Index

As I said before - the biggest favour you can do yourself in terms of prep is to lose weight. To calc your BMI take your weight in kg and divide this by (your height in metres squared). If the result is between 19 and 24, you're in good shape; 25 - 29, you're overweight (like me), 30 + then the doc is going to classify you obese.....

Walking poles

I know - you think they are not cool, but honestly, for those of you with dodgy knees, consider using walking poles to take the pressure off. They don't cost much and collapse down small for transport. Easy to use - pretend you're in the gym on the cross trainer - left foot forward with right arm forward et voila.

Well a great big warm welcome to the 21st Century!! I am finally blogging!!

Looking forward to the walk next Sunday for some training.

I am in training as I blog. Living the dream.

Calling all team members

OK chaps...here's the blog. We have impressed ourselves with novice web skills to deliver this nifty looking site. We now need you to sign up and join as members of the blog. All you'll need is a Google profile. Posts and comments will be limited to our team and the Peppers.

We also need you to email us your details for the team profile along with a photo. Once we have that published, we can start sharing the link amongst friends and family...

Kev and Mark

Neil the Project Manager is stepping up into full gear. Read his latest training guide below...

Been doing research and from my own experience (sorry it sounds so patronising I know!):

- do not worry about speed, getting the miles in your legs is more important
- as far as you are able, wear what you are planning to wear in April - I have already discounted some socks cos they rubbed more than others and found that a pair of quick dry trousers may be quick to dry but were very quick to get wet when it rained! This includes carrying your rucksack which should have straps that come round your tummy and chest and which you should fasten all the time to reduce back problems
- dont stop too long for lunch (30 mins max) or you will get cold, lose momentum, get stiff - however do stop every hour for a few mins
- do not eat Mars Bars all the way round - go to Holland & Barrett and get some nice bags of dried fruits (e.g. dried apricots, cranberries and raisins mixed up) taste nicer, give you slower release energy and you can nibble them as you go (let;s face it, if you open the Mars bar you are going to eat all of it at once) - also you will get less fat which brings me to
- we all do not really have time to do loads of practice walks, so the best thing you can do in the meantime is get generally fit and LOSE WEIGHT - you can prepare for your day sack to weigh 5, 6 perhaps 7kg (e.g. 3 litres water = 3kg) - if you lose 5 kg in between now and April you get to carry your daysack "for free"! 5 kg is probably too much practically to lose for most of us but you see what I mean..you will also reduce the pressure on your feet, shins and knees..
- so it's going to need discipline - throw in a few sit ups when you get up, a press up or 2 before bed, walk everywhere you can instead of getting in the car, go for jog, less booze (Chamonix excepted!), less pizza etc etc I'm carrying my laptop home in my rucksack everyday - I have no intention of using it, it's just a bit of practice and a bit more energy spent...

Btw - I've done the Penshurst walk its really good and some lovely scenery as well. Good luck!

Neil

First training walk completed

Hats off to Kev, Chris, Phil and Darren on their 7 mile trek round Shoreham & Lullingstone Park. Peps admits it was a bit of a wake up call as our average of double that a day for 6 days in a row will certainly be a test. Daz has got another walk planned for Sunday week with a step up to 11 miles or so...

Welcome to the "Trek for Joe" blog

We've set up this blog to help us share and communicate everything that's going on in the run up to the big walk...please read, comment, contribute and, most of all (as Bob Geldof would say) give us your fecking money!!!

There's no turning back!!!

The booking has been confirmed and we're all now signed up to walk Hadrian's Wall in April 2012. So, get your kit sorted and start thinking about a training plan...