Michael's fundraising page

Today was the final day of my challenge. In the morning I walked to St. Mary's church for the service, then back home. In the afternoon we walked the regular circuit through the Millennium Green, through the fields on the far side of South Dowber Lane, round past Stoneybrough Farm and back home. Today I walked 7.09km, taking my total for the challenge to 251.45km, thereby achieving my target of 250km in May. I have struggled a bit more to get there this year. My operation in mid May did not help. It took me a few days to build up enough strength to get me back on track. Although my operation was planned, I was not expecting it so soon and I only got two weeks notice of the day of the operation. We did not get as many trips away from Thirsk during May this year, partly due to the weather near the beginning of the month, partly because I was also busy with other things and partly because of my operation. This meant that most of the walking this time has been around Thirsk, Sowerby and South Kilvington, all pleasant places for walking. Many thanks to all of you who have donated to my challenge. If you have not yet donated but would like to do so, the account remains open for donations until 9th June. It will be closed on 10th June.

Today we had another walk on Sowerby Flatts and back into Thirsk Market Square, where we did some shopping and had delicious ice creams from the new Yorkshire Dales Ice Cream shop. In the afternoon we walked up the fields from Fairfield, round by Stoneybrough Farm and back home. Today I walked 8.24km, taking the total so far to 244.36km. 

In the morning today we walked round the two fields at the end of Fairfield. We then went by car to Studley Royal Park. After a picnic lunch, we walked on the path round the water gardens and Fountain's Abbey. In the evening I walked to Thirsk Athletic Club for a wine tasting evening in aid of St. Mary's church, after which I walked home again. Today I walked 9.82km, taking my total so far to 236.12km. 

Today's weather was rather changeable. In the morning we had gentle rain, thunder, lightning, torrential rain and hailstones. We walked along Stammergate, down to Cod Beck, over the White Bridge, alongside Cod Beck, across the Marage, through to Kirkgate and Croft View, over Castle Garth, along Sowerby Road and on the path across Sowerby Flatts to the leisure centre and through to the Market Place, where we did some sheltering from torrential rain and hailstones before walking back home. The afternoon was warm and sunny. We walked the circuit through the Millennium Green, the fields on the far side of South Dowber Lane, round by Stoneybrough Farm and back home. Today I walked 9.71km, taking my total so far to 226.30km.

Today is Wednesday, shopping day again, but our plan was different this time as I am not yet allowed to drive, so soon after my operation. I walked to Tesco, via Stammergate, over the white bridge over Cod Beck, alongside Cod Beck, across the Marage, through to Kirkgate, Croft View and across Castle Garth. Judith drove to Tesco with Zak. After shopping at Tesco, Judith drove us to the Market Place, where we did the rest of our shopping and I walked home while Judith and Zak went home by car. In the afternoon I walked to St. Mary's church for my two hour slot of 'welcoming' visitors and walked back home. In the evening, we walked the circuit through the Millennium Green and the fields on the far side of South Dowber Lane, round by Stoneybrough Farm and back home. Today I walked 10.17km, taking my total so far to 216.59km.

This was another good day of walking, keeping my target of 250km in sight. In the morning we did the circuit through the Millennium Green, through the fields on the far side of South Dowber Lane, round by Stoneybrough Farm, to the Long Street filling station for my newspaper and back home. To escape the heat of the afternoon, we again waited until evening for our second walk. We went along Stammergate, down to Cod Beck, through the fields to the weir, then along Cod Beck and across the field to Stockton Road and back home via Alexander Close. Today I walked 9.45km, taking my total so far to 206.42km.

I got back on target today with a decent day's walking. In the morning we walked across Sowerby Flatts and back through Thirsk so that I could buy my newspaper, then back home. We left the second  walk to the evening, to avoid the heat of the afternoon sun. We did the circuit through the Millennium Green, the fields on the far side of South Dowber Way, round by Stoneybrough Farm and back home. Today I walked 9.32km, taking my total so far to 196.97km.

I managed one walk in the heat of this afternoon. We walked up the fields from Fairfield over the bridge over the dual carriageway and to South Kilvington past Pasture House Farm and back across the fields to Stoneybrough Lane, past Stoneybrough Farm and back through the fields to Fairfield and home. Today I walked 6.88km, taking my total so far to 187.65km.

I have not got back to doing full walks with Judith and  Zak. This morning I walked down to the junction of the Marage with Millgate to meet Judith and Zak, who had been over Sowerby Flatts, and we walked home together. In the afternoon, I walked up the fields from Fairfield and through the first field on the far side of South Dowber Way, to again meet up with Judith and Zak, who had walked round by the Millennium Green, and we walked round by Stoneybrough Farm and back home. Today I walked 6.31km, taking my total so far to 180.77km.

I am getting back to doing a bit more walking. Today, apart from pottering around a bit at home and in the garden, we walked round the two fields at the end of Fairfield. Hopefully, I will be able to keep increasing my distances to enable me to reach my target. Today I walked 2.80km, taking my total so far to 174.46km. 

This was a day almost without walking. I left the hospital ward by wheelchair as far as the exit, where Judith had parked the car very close to the exit. Apart from a little pottering about in the hospital ward, at home and in the garden, I did no walking. I will now have to build it up again. Today I waled 0.67km, taking my total so far to 171.66km. I am still on course to reach 250km if I can get back to averaging over 8km per day. 

Today I could not do much walking as I went into Friarage Hospital, Northallerton for a planned operation. I managed 1.00km, mainly walking from the Forum car park to the hospital department. This will slow down my challenge but I will still be attempting to complete it.

Today we walked to St. Mary's Church, then through to Croft View and over Castle Garth, past Tesco, across Sowerby Flatts on the path to the leisure centre, into town for some shopping, then back home. In the afternoon we did the much repeated circuit through the Millennium Green, the fields on the far side of South Dowber Way, past Stoneybrough Farm and back home. I walked 9.11km today, taking my total so far to 169.99km.

Today we walked over Sowerby Flatts to Blakey Lane Bridge, up into Sowerby and back to Thirsk on the path to the leisure centre, through the town and back home. In the afternoon I mowed our lawns, then walked the circuit through the Millennium Green, the fields on the far side of South Dowber Lane, round by Stonebrough Farm and back home. Today I walked 11.98km, taking my total so far to 160.88km

In the morning today I walked to St. Mary's Church for the morning service, then home again. In the afternoon we walked up the fields from Fairfield, to South Kilvington via Pasture House Farm and back across the fields. Today I walked 9.19km, taking my total so far to 148.90km.

I was at Headingly again today. Yorkshire lost their remaining wickets in the morning. I had again walked from my car, which was even further from the ground this morning, to my seat in the ground. At the lunch interval, I walked back to my car to collect my cushion, which I had forgotten in the morning. I then walked a further 1.5 circuits of the ground, approximately. After lunch, the players came out but straight away very light rain started to fall, the umpires decided that play could not restart, so the players returned to the pavilion. Only 4 more overs were bowled, which I missed because I had returned to my car. By the time I reached the ground again, light rain was falling, so the players had left the field again. I walked a further lap of the ground during the tea interval but when it looked as if no more play would take place, I walked back to my car and drove home. Today I walked 6.82km, taking my total so far to 139.71km.

This was not a good day for walking as I was at Headingley watching Yorkshire play Surrey in the County Championship. My walking was limited to walking from my car to my seat in the ground, walking round the ground 3 times at the lunch interval and once more at the tea interval, then back to my car at the close of play. I did, however, see Adam Lyth and Jonny Bairstow both score centuries for Yorkshire.I walked 4.93km today, taking my total so far to 132.89km.

This morning we walked over Sowerby Flatts and back home through town. In the afternoon we did the circuit through the Millennium Green, the fields on the far side of South Dowber Lane and back home past Stoneybrough Farm. Today I walked 8.91km, taking my total so far to 127.96km.

Wednesday shopping day for us again today. Judith and Zak walked across Sowerby Flatts whilst I drove to Sowerby Road and walked to meet them, only a fairly short distance this time. We drove to Tesco, then to the Market Place. Zak and I walked home via the picnic area and left Judith to finish the shopping and drive home. The afternoon was rather wet at times. We walked alongside Stockton Road to South Kilvington and back home. Today I walked 9.10km taking my total so far to 119.05km.

This morning we walked on Sowerby Flatts and back through town. In the afternoon we again did the circuit through the Millennium Green, the fields on the far side of South Dowber Lane, past Stoneybrough Farm and back home.Today I walked 9.30km, taking my total so far to 109.95km.

This morning I did not get out for a walk as I had to wait in for an E-ON technician to come and sort out our smart meters, which had stopped talking to E-ON. In the afternoon Zak and I walked the same walk as yesterday afternoon, past Stoneybrough Farm, down alongside Whitelas Beck, then Cod Beck to Stammergate and back home. I walked 5.66km today, taking my total so far to 100.65km.

This morning Zak and I walked to South Kilvington past Pasture House Farm and back across the fields. In the afternoon we walked up the fields from Fairfield, past Stoneybrough Farm, down the path along Whitelas Beck, alongside Cod Beck to the Holmes and back home alongside Cod Beck and Stammergate, The distance walked today was 13.99km, taking the total so far to 94.99km.

This morning Zak and I walked along Stammergate to Cod Beck, alongside the Beck to The Marage then through to Kirkgate and then Croft View, across Castle Garth, along Sowerby Road to the path across Sowerby Flatts to the Leisure Centre, then through to Finkle Street, through Little 3 pub yard to Millgate, through the Picnic Site and back along Stammergate and back home. In the afternoon we again did the circuit through Millennium Green, through the fields on the far side of South Dowber Lane, past Stoneybrough Farm and back home. My distance walked today was 9.19km, taking my total so far to 81.00km.

This morning Zak and I walked up the fields from Fairfield, across the bridge over the dual carriageway and around the large field opposite. It was warm and sunny, birds were singing, there were Spring flowers, May blossom in the hedges, green fields almost as far as the eye could see, in the distance to the East, the land rose up to the North York Moors, it should have been idyllic, except that a farmer on a beast of a machine was spreading slurry on several large grass fields next to where we were walking, from which a harvest of silage has recently been taken. To be fair, his machine had several hoses at the back with nozzles which accurately directed the slurry to the ground so that it did not drift over the path where we were walking, there was a smell but certainly not as strong as I have previously experienced from slurry but the gloss had been taken from the idyll. As we reached the last part of the field, instead of slurry, farmyard manure, from a muck heap which has been on this field for several months, had been spread. This had not been done as accurately, so it had reached the ground where we were walking. Zak was pleased because he thought that this was a tasty snack. I tried to get past this quickly before he ingested too much. Thankfully he has survived with no ill effects. We then returned over the dual carriageway and back home. In the afternoon we walked through the Millennium Green, the fields on the far side on South Dowber Lane, past Stoneybrough Farm and back home. Today I walked 10.68km, taking my total so far to 71.81km.. 

This morning we walked up the fields from Fairfield, round past Stoneybrough Farm, right onto Stocton Rd., across the fields to Cod Beck then alongside Cod Beck to the Marage, into town to buy my newspaper, then back home. In the afternoon Zak and I walked through the Millennium Green, through the fields on the far side of South Dowber Lane, round by Stoneybrough Farm again and back home. Today I walked 9.51km. making my total so far 61.13km.

Today was shopping day, so Judith and Zak walked past the Leisure Centre and over Sowerby Flatts. I drove to Sowerby and walked to meet them and back to the car. We then drove to Tesco and back to the Market Place. I walked home with Zak while Judith shopped and then drove home. In the afternoon I walked to St. Mary's Church to do my 2 hour 'welcoming' slot, then walked home and after a cup of tea we walked round by the Millennium Green, the fields on the far side of South Dowber Lane, round by Stoneybrough Farm and back home. Distance walked today was 8.98km, taking my total so far to 51.62km.

Today in the morning we walked round by Pasture House Farm to South Kilvington and back across the fields. In the afternoon we walked down by Whitelass Beck to Cod Beck, along Cod Beck and back up Stammergate and home. Distance walked today was 9.28km, taking the total so far to 42.64km.

Day 4 was dryer again. We walked on Sowerby Flatts in the morning and up the fields from Fairfield  and round by Stoneybrough Farm in the afternoon. Distance walked today was 9.10km, taking the total so far to 33.36km.

It was a wet day today so I didn't walk as far! In the morning I walked to St. Mary's church for the service and back home. In the afternoon I walked around roads near home: Fairfield, Darrowby Close, Allerdale Close, Drovers' Way, Herriot Way, St. Mary's Walk, Stockton Road, Alexander Close, Fairfield and back home.I will have to walk further in the coming days! Distance walked today was 4.99km, taking my total so far to 24.26km.

We stayed closer to home around Thirsk  today. In the morning we walked up the fields from Fairfield, round by Stoneybrough Farm, across the fields to Cod Beck, back across the Holmes, visited St. Mary's church, then into town for some shopping and back home. In the afternoon we walked through Milllennium Green, through the fields on the far side of South Dowber Lane, again round by Stoneybrough farm and back home. Today's distance walked was 10.23km., making the total so far 19.27km.

I started my challenge on 1st May, a lovely, warm, sunny day. My wife Judith and our dog Zak will be accompanying me on most of my walking. After walking to the shop for my newspaper, we had an outing by car to Temple Newsam, Leeds where we had lunch at the courtyard cafe, then walked to see the beautiful display of azaleas and rhododenrons, then around the walled garden, woodland and grass parkland, calling in at the shop in the courtyard for delicious ice creams, made by Northern Bloc of Leeds. Today's distance walked was 9.04km.