3rd, 4th and 5th Form Social, Abbey
During four days in the summer holidays, I walked the 84 miles along Hadrian's Wall from Bowness-on-Solway to Newcastle upon Tyne in aid of the Cancer Research charity in memory of my father.
On 17th August my mother and I started to drive up to the west coast. However, just outside Bristol in a three-hour traffic jam, we broke down and spent until 01:00 the next morning waiting for recovery and getting back to where we started. At 05:40 on 18th I caught a train to London, then up to Carlisle, a few miles east of where I planned to start. I was on a tight schedule of four days walking and there was no train to get to Bowness-on-Solway, so at lunchtime I began, with a larger bag than I had hoped, as I would need to carry my own tent rather than meeting my mother at the campsite.
Travelling through landscapes that were reminiscent of Monty Python and the Holy Grail with nothing but ancient barns and ash and oak woods along the way, I eventually made it to a small campsite. The second day promised to be the most beautiful and hard-going, with 21 miles to cover over a great deal of elevation. Passing mining villages and the first sight of the 1900-year-old wall when the rain came in.
By mid-afternoon I was out of food and water, there being no shops. Fading away, I finally made it out of the national park which features the famous Sycamore Gap from Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and many, many American tourists looking for coffee shops and ‘ace’ photo opportunities. The third day was back in farmland and abundant shops, and my mother finally made it up in a newly fixed car. We walked a few more miles and prepared for the fourth day.
Being dropped off where I left off, I began to follow the River Tyne that would take me into Newcastle. This was by far the flattest day, but all on hard pavement on the site of one of Britain’s earliest steam railways. I was met by my father’s RAF Sergeant, ‘Geordie’ Lumsden, and his wife, at the end of the wall in Newcastle, and he presented me with my father’s unit hip flask, it was all worth it! We raised over £2000 in the end and thank you to everyone who has donated to this worthy cause.
Click here if you would like to make a donation to Archie's JustGiving page
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.jpg&command_2=resize&height_2=85 "An update on the School in a Bag rucksacks we fundraised for in 2022")
.jpeg&command_2=resize&height_2=85 "Pupils and staff took on the Portland Half Marathon to raise funds for the DOCS Foundation")
.jpg&command_2=resize&height_2=85 "Fun, competitive spirit and waffles at the Lyon House Charity Dodgeball Competition")
.jpg&command_2=resize&height_2=85 "4th Form Arion girls supporting Taunton Open Door Women's Shelter")
.jpg&command_2=resize&height_2=85 "A hugely successful Charity Christmas Fair")
.jpg&command_2=resize&height_2=85 "A beautiful set of linocut cards for charity, created by Lilah, of King's Bruton scenes")
.jpg&command_2=resize&height_2=85 "A packed theatre for the Blackford House Charity Film Night")
.jpg&command_2=resize&height_2=85 "5th Form Priory organised a charity duck race in aid of the Catalyst Foundation")
.jpeg&command_2=resize&height_2=85 "Priory L6th Form pupils held a bake sale to raise money for the Catalyst Foundation")
.JPG&command_2=resize&height_2=85 "Great fun was had at the Priory House Charity Hockey Competition")
.jpg&command_2=resize&height_2=85 "Pupils were generous in their support of the Brue Larder at our Harvest Service")
.jpg&command_2=resize&height_2=85 "Boo did some busking with her flute to raise money for the Catalyst Foundation")
.jpg&command_2=resize&height_2=85 "This term our School Charity is the Catalyst Foundation")
.jpg&command_2=resize&height_2=85 "A huge thank you to all in the King’s Bruton community who have contributed to BEAT this term")
