6th July 2008, 07:12 PM
First, please note that this was posted at the suggestion of Mr. Hosty; otherwise I would not presume...
Something terrible is about to befall me; it's my own fault, I actually volunteered. You know when people contact you and ask you to sponsor them to cycle around Macchu Piccu with a big stupid grin on their face in aid of the local donkey sanctuary?
Well, this isn't one of those posts; this is all about pain and suffering and an ordeal that I am going to hate and have little confidence I will be able to withstand. I am willing to accept, from your perspective, this might also be just a little about schadenfreude; I know it would be for me.
In three weeks' time, myself and 15 other fools (variously from Network Archaeology, Atkins Heritage and Groundworks Archaeology) will attempt to walk 100 kilometers up and over the South Downs. We can take as long as we like, but if we aren't finished in 32 hours the organisers pack up and go home. That's all day, all night and into the following afternoon, trudging up and down, slowly going mad in the darkness.
We are doing this in aid of Oxfam (who do a lot of good), and the Ghurkhas. Once, as a small boy, I was saved from a burning VW camper by Ghurkhas, who appeared out of a forest of rhodedendrons near Saint Albans.
True story.
We have done quite a few shorter training hikes, but nowhere near the full 100km. Most of us are still unable to walk after the 45 mile hike we failed to finish on Saturday. We manged just 40 miles: not the morale boost we were hoping for. Strong men cried. However, that was just training; for the real thing we will have the motivation that if we fail we will have raised nothing. So, the more we can raise, the more chance we will get round, or to put it another way, the more sadistic pleasure you can have in my misery.
If you can, please sponsor me/us via our joint team website at:
http://www.justgiving.com/networkarchaeo...railwalker
Alternatively, a cheque (made out to Oxfam) would be equally welcome. PM me for an address, or send to any of the above mentioned companies.
For more general information on the walk see:
http://www.oxfam.org.uk/trailwalker
Yours faithfully,
Tom
OXFAM TRAILWALKER 100KM WALK, SUMMER 2008
A donation from you will help us to achieve this goal. The money we collect will make a difference to Oxfam's work across the developing world. For example:
- ?650 could buy ten food-growing packs, to help families hit by a disaster to start planting crops again;
- ?100 could pay for essential medicines for an entire village, providing the community with items such as aspirin and antibiotics for six months.
- ?25 could pay for 5 radios; these would support poor communities by providing facilities with health advice, education, and local news.
- ?5 could by two textbooks, giving children the materials they need to learn and develop.
Teams:
Lock, Stock, And Two Smoking Trowels: Chris Taylor, Chris Casswell, Kelly Greenhough & Matt Gault (Network)
Blazing Trowels: Kealey Manvell, Caroline Kemp, Alex Beeby & Tom Wilson (Network and Atkins)
The Good, The Bad, And The Archaeologists: Janey Brant, Richard Moore, Linda Bonnor & Jim Bonnor (Network and Groundworks)
Raiders Of The Lost Trowel: Adam Holman, David Bonner, Michelle Kane & Matthew Stilliard (Network and friends)
freeburmarangers.org
Something terrible is about to befall me; it's my own fault, I actually volunteered. You know when people contact you and ask you to sponsor them to cycle around Macchu Piccu with a big stupid grin on their face in aid of the local donkey sanctuary?
Well, this isn't one of those posts; this is all about pain and suffering and an ordeal that I am going to hate and have little confidence I will be able to withstand. I am willing to accept, from your perspective, this might also be just a little about schadenfreude; I know it would be for me.
In three weeks' time, myself and 15 other fools (variously from Network Archaeology, Atkins Heritage and Groundworks Archaeology) will attempt to walk 100 kilometers up and over the South Downs. We can take as long as we like, but if we aren't finished in 32 hours the organisers pack up and go home. That's all day, all night and into the following afternoon, trudging up and down, slowly going mad in the darkness.
We are doing this in aid of Oxfam (who do a lot of good), and the Ghurkhas. Once, as a small boy, I was saved from a burning VW camper by Ghurkhas, who appeared out of a forest of rhodedendrons near Saint Albans.
True story.
We have done quite a few shorter training hikes, but nowhere near the full 100km. Most of us are still unable to walk after the 45 mile hike we failed to finish on Saturday. We manged just 40 miles: not the morale boost we were hoping for. Strong men cried. However, that was just training; for the real thing we will have the motivation that if we fail we will have raised nothing. So, the more we can raise, the more chance we will get round, or to put it another way, the more sadistic pleasure you can have in my misery.
If you can, please sponsor me/us via our joint team website at:
http://www.justgiving.com/networkarchaeo...railwalker
Alternatively, a cheque (made out to Oxfam) would be equally welcome. PM me for an address, or send to any of the above mentioned companies.
For more general information on the walk see:
http://www.oxfam.org.uk/trailwalker
Yours faithfully,
Tom
OXFAM TRAILWALKER 100KM WALK, SUMMER 2008
A donation from you will help us to achieve this goal. The money we collect will make a difference to Oxfam's work across the developing world. For example:
- ?650 could buy ten food-growing packs, to help families hit by a disaster to start planting crops again;
- ?100 could pay for essential medicines for an entire village, providing the community with items such as aspirin and antibiotics for six months.
- ?25 could pay for 5 radios; these would support poor communities by providing facilities with health advice, education, and local news.
- ?5 could by two textbooks, giving children the materials they need to learn and develop.
Teams:
Lock, Stock, And Two Smoking Trowels: Chris Taylor, Chris Casswell, Kelly Greenhough & Matt Gault (Network)
Blazing Trowels: Kealey Manvell, Caroline Kemp, Alex Beeby & Tom Wilson (Network and Atkins)
The Good, The Bad, And The Archaeologists: Janey Brant, Richard Moore, Linda Bonnor & Jim Bonnor (Network and Groundworks)
Raiders Of The Lost Trowel: Adam Holman, David Bonner, Michelle Kane & Matthew Stilliard (Network and friends)
freeburmarangers.org
