Derek's Diary

An update from Sue Adams on Derek's sponsored Walk Around the Coast of Britain! (see sponsorship details at the end).

Sat 4th June: I think we are about ready for the off now – anything we have forgotten he will either have to do without, or buy one on his travels. Andy from 3 Counties Radio is calling Derek at 7.20am on Monday morning6th June, to interview him, then we are going for a full English breakfast on
the sea front at Lee-on-the-Solent, with my cousin......then he is off! I  had hoped he might calm down with old age, but it is clearly not meant to be! Sat 11th June: You had a narrow escape – Derek was in Eastbourne last night!(The Circuit Holiday group was in Eastbourne but we left before Derek arrived!)

Sun 12th June: Just a quick update on the Old Fella. He developed a big blister underneath his big toe a couple of days ago, which is causing him problems and slowing him down. He has rested up as much as he can this weekend and says that it is a bit more comfortable today. Derek set off bright and early for Hastings, hoping to join a Church service somewhere. He realised he was running out of time for this and hitched a lift for the last couple of miles. He found a Baptist Church where he was cordially invited in to join the congregation of about 20 people. He spoke to the Minister, Dennis Nolan, whose sermon for the day was 'The Journey'!! Derek was invited to speak
about his personal journey. He visited the local Life Boat Station and is staying overnight in Old Hastings, heading for Dungeness tomorrow (the only official desert in Britain, I am told), and their Life Boat Station. He hopes to be in Ramsgate later this week where he will be staying with an old schoolfriend of mine.

Thursday 16th June: So, Derek apparently has sought medical advice because of feet and general well-being, and I think was very politely informed that he was a "silly old man" or something like that. He was told that at his age he needed to either dump his rucksack – not really an option – or greatly reduce he distance he covers. Our daughter Amy has come up with a reasonable solution. Derek has already discovered that bivvy bag 'campers' are not welcome at holiday camp sites. He was turned away from two sites earlier in the walk at the Witterings – it having rained all that day – where he was told that they "do not have the facilities" for bivvy bags. Consequently, he has been relying on reasonably-priced B&Bs. So Amy suggested leaving his rucksack each morning at the B&B he stayed at, then walking to his next destination, finding a bed for the night, then jumping on a bus back to the first place to recover his rucksack, then back on bus to current night's B&B. He's done this a couple of nights, and it seems to work well.

Tonight, he has arrived in Ramsgate where he will be staying with an old school friend of mine – I had planned to join them, but am a bit under the weather and not feeling up to the drive, especially in this heat. Hopefully he will have a day off tomorrow as it's really not suitable to be walking He has enjoyed meeting up with crew and staff from different Life Boat Stations, each station fiercely proud of their particular boat, apparently. He spends a lot of time making new friends and talking; I'm sure that won't surprise anyone. I call in the evening to make sure he has some shelter and he is always deep in conversation with someone!

To go to Derek's Just Giving page, click here.