Travelling in style

Sam and I left this morning at 7am.

 Journey to Holyhead took about 6 hours with a coffee stop. We shared the driving and Sam did really well driving the Zafira for the first time besides yesterday's short trial (Sam thinks this sounds very patronising but not meant to be).

Managed to get everything in the car with ease. So far only seem to have forgot one thing-Sam's Nintendo 3DS.
So one of us not in a good mood!!!(sarcastic noises coming from his direction).

Journey through Welsh countryside very pretty. Now sitting in the Club lounge on Ulysses  - many thanks to Irish Ferries for our complimentary travel. Have enjoyed some very nice canapes and drinks. Just finishing my scone and tea. So far I am coping well with the adventure, I fear it will get a lot tougher!!!

Jane

Nearly D-day!

Sam and I leave early tomorrow morning so have been rather busy getting all those last few minute things done like packing, buying toiletries, printing t-shirts,sorting out the maps, still trying to get Garda permits etc. Next time (haha) I will be more organised and my last evening will be relaxed and uneventful.

Sam and Paul currently packing the car at 10.30pm and I'm not sure how all this "stuff" is going to fit into the car plus leave room for Paul's and Annie's bits when they arrive.

Feeling very anxious, concerned and exhausted, Sam however seems full of beans and very excited possibly due to the fact I've been up since 6.30 and he woke up 11ish -will have to get our time zones in synch).

Seem to be packing about 200 chargers and similar -not sure about all this. Still not sure about the "camping" utensils and the like.

We are planning a video diary -link is http://www.youtube.com/user/and500more?feature=mhee

Ireland here we come.....

Jane

PANIC

So much to do and only today and tomorrow to get ready. Leave early Thursday. I am not sure I'll fit everything in the car. Those of you who know me well will know I will taking several gallons of sun cream (yes even to Ireland!!), several first aid kits including a special foot first aid kit. Got enough Compeed to keep their profits up this year! Paul has also bought a small camping stove, kettle etc - I am really not sure about this.

Yesterday was the hottest day for apparently 4 years.  So it wasn't the best day to choose to go to Lakeside to buy my waterproofs.Trying on waterproof trousers when hot and sticky is not funny. The changing rooms were like saunas.
Sharon and Dave came over for dinner last night. I need to say a big thank you to them since they are our house, dog and cat sitters. Also thanks go to Fiona, Sam and Alice for their help too. Couldn't do it without all your help.

Jane

Groupie

Just had to include this great photo. Auntie Mary is a big fan of Rob and Tim!!

What a wonderful day!

Yesterday we held our garden party. I should be clearing up and packing now but wanted to put down all the wonderful memories of the day.

I have to start with many, many thanks to so many people.
Thanks to everyone who came, I think about 150 plus came at some point and we had many good wishes from people on holiday and so on. Thanks for creating a great atmosphere and for being so generous with your time and money. We possibly have raised £3000 but final figure later.
What a bunch of talent we saw. Annie's friends put on a show that I could not have paid for. The singers were amazing, musicians brilliant, banter fabulous (oops not allowed that!- Kegs joke) -what more can I say. We were all thoroughly entertained. You all have wonderful music futures.Thanks go particularly to Alice, Jessica, Ed, Bart, Phillipa,Sam, Alice and Simon.
Thanks go to our celebrity auctioneers who extracted so much money from. You were stars!!
Thanks to Bob and Alan for setting up the marque to provide some shade on the hottest day of the year so far.
Thanks to the Blackmore morris Men for their great entertainment.
Thanks to Margaret, Mark, George, Dushi and my mum for doing the balloons. That was hard work.
Thanks to my brother Tim and sister in law Jo for running the bar. Just taken the recycling out -14 bottles of Pimms -you must have had  a good time but may not remember? They worked so hard and keep everyone cool and well oiled.
Thanks to Peter from Little Havens for supporting us and informing everyone of the great job Little Havens Children's Hospice does.
Thanks to everyone who donated lots and prizes.
Thanks to my wonderful family who I am so lucky to be doing this with - Paul was off to work at 7am this morning rather tired!
Thanks to all the helpers through the day -all Annie's lovely, glamorous friends. Thanks to Michaela's parents who helped clear up at the end and to Ed's lovely mum for all your hard work in the kitchen.
Finally thanks to my stars -Kate and Ellen   - you are absolute wonders. I could not have managed without your hard work, sense of humour and organisation. You should hire yourself out!!!!! Without them we wouldn't have had the great spread of food.
Thanks to anyone else who I forgotten, I am sure I will suddenly remember lots more -you will be in my next blog.
A really special day. Lots of great memories....
.... Maisie (our dog) having a wonderful time. She is totally exhausted today. She particularly liked Darcey who is the daughter of Sam and Annie's nanny when they were little. Sarah who came such a long way with Mark to support us. It was so lovely to see you all. Sarah you have not changed in the slightest unlike the kids!
....the great entertainment -I wish I could sit down and enjoy it all again
....the fact that several people have said we should do this annually (The party not the walk!) -I'm game -see you same place next year  Jo and Co!
.....my highlight ...got to be serenaded by the gorgeous Bart...very special... first and probably last time that will happen!!! ( Lots of ladies very jealous of me)
Love and thanks
Jane

Wonderful Just mobile

Have for months been trying to sort out the best and cheapest way to phone and email in Ireland. Have drawn a blank with all the UK and Irish networks until today. THANK YOU Just Mobile, Stuart Kelly one of the founders of Just Mobile has just called us up and will provide phones and sim cards. That is really great news and really appreciate this help. They may also be able to help with fund raising generally which will be brilliant. Some nice people out there.
Jane :)

More ups and downs

Getting ready for the garden party tomorrow. Having a break from cake making!
No-one said this was going to be easy but I hadn't thought certain things would prove difficult such as paying in the money we have collected. Paul held a cake sale at Thomson Reuters and made £302 (obviously like their cake -thanks). So I have diligently been bagging the money correctly and took some along to my local Halifax to pay in. No can only take 5 bags per day since they don't 'deal' with coins on a large scale!! Strange I thought money was money. If I go overdrawn by some small coins they still count that.
Arrived at another supermarket yesterday to collect as arranged by the manager a few weeks ago. When I arrived I noticed another charity also collecting. At the customer service desk was told since I had no letter I couldn't collect since the other charity had a letter. Then another person arrived from the first charity and said she was supposed to collect. At this point I thought I would simply do some shopping and leave, enough to do at home. When I got to the check out the supervisor said I could collect after all since the two people representing (and apparently getting paid by) the other charity had had a fight and it got rather unpleasant so they were both evicted!! Sam took over in the afternoon having come home from Hammersmith having finished his last exam. His room seems to be rather full now!!
It was lovely to see Jean from Australia yesterday and learn of all the news about Megan and Katie. Even better meeting up with her in Ireland and she is going to walk for a day or two. See you in Arklow!!
Also learnt my cousin Nell will meet up with us in Lahinch. I haven't seen her for almost 40 years!! It will be great to meet up with some of the family.

Last full week of preparations

Time has positively flown by and I can't believe we start the walk next week. Oh dear now I am starting to worry.
Trying to sort out things for the party and do some walking but so many other details to attend to.
Annie got together with her entertainers last night -thanks Sam, Alice, Alice and Ed for coming.
Annie's cakes nearly didn't reach Tim's on Saturday. It was pouring on the way and someone shunted the car from behind. Fortunately only hit the tow bar. Never touched the cakes or tattoes!
Spoke to Ronan on Spirit FM this morning so hopefully that will get some publicity.
Poor Sam working all the hours possible for his final exam on Thursday.
Jane

Tattooed car - only in Essex!

Many thanks to Graeme at Sign Lodge for doing such a great job on the car - really appreciate your generosity. Hopefully it will aid publicity.
Now the really expensive bit of having Sam and Annie (she will of course pass her driving test next month!)  added to the insurance. Anyone know of any nice insurance companies?
Annie had good practice baking lovely cakes for the garden party this week. She's the caterer for Iris' 80th party today. All the cakes look stunning.
Thank you also to Ian -a most generous donation. Sorry you won't be coming to the party but hopefully we will meet up after. Your support is very much appreciated. Makes the total look really healthy at over £5,600.

Publish Post

Jane

oooooh my feet!!

No not walking today but standing all day long in  Sainsburys in Brentwood collecting. I think I would feel less exhausted if I had walked all day. An interesting experience trying to get money out of people. A large proportion just completely ignore you, some pretend they are looking for something in their bag, some actually turn around and go in the other door! However as a group " thank you " to the people of Brentwood. Really touched by a lot of the kids turning their pockets and purses out. The whole day was made utterly worthwhile when a woman donated and they hugged  me and told me about the fact she is hoping her little boy age 4 will soon be going into Little Havens for respite care. Another man told me his little grand daughter sadly died before she could go to Little Havens - such sad stories that make what we are doing real.
My lovely mum joined me for the morning - thank you! Even at 85 you can fund raise!

Not sure how much we raised since poor Paul is still there having gone straight from work to let me do a shop and then come home.

On Tuesday appeared on Bryan Powis Drive show on Phoenix FM. Very appreciative of his help. However his rat story pushed our story to page 7 of the Gazette this week -oh well!

I think I'll pass on a walk tonight.. long soak in the bath with a little glass of wine might just do the job!

Now we have the total of today -£400.08 plus a Canadian cent, a few euros and a few polish coins.

Jane

The ups and downs of fundraising

When we decided on the project I knew there would be difficult bits namely the walking! However the logistics of the planning and the red tape is almost as exhausting as the walking. I have spent days and days sending out letters,emails, faxes etc. It is most disheartening when you get no response but when you do get positive replies it does make you feel it is worth it. Yesterday had  a very bad day. Got numerous unsuccessful replies from Garda stations requesting collections in their towns. Found out it would almost impossible to bank the money we collect without incurring high charges from the banks. The idea of opening a bank account in Ireland fro the UK seems to be unheard of. However this morning is getting better. Had two wonderful offers of auction lots this morning. One from Richard Weston who has donated a stunning pashmina and Diane Bernstein a private half day walking tour of London. I have never met these people and yet they have been so generous. Richard Weston appeared in the BBC 2 programme with Theo Paphitis "Britain's Next Big Thing" and his wonderful scarves are sold in Libertys. I also got my first permit from the Garda -thank you Sligo!!
Eight weeks away form home is taking some preparation. I have accommodation for each night -I hope! We have the route set. We just need to finish getting some of the kit, namely the most important water proofs. Sam coming home for a week tonight on study leave before his last exam on the 23rd. I'm bit worried he has not done enough walking.
Anyway off to Phoenix FM to persuade the locals to give loads of money!!
Jane

Radio Stars

Fundraising getting momentum.
Annie and I spent part of the week going around local businesses for raffle/auction prizes and to increase publicity. On Wednesday got caught in a terrible rain storm in Brentwood -?good acclimatisation for Ireland!!

On Thursday morning Annie and I went on the Ray Clark show on BBC Essex in Chelmsford. I found it rather nerve racking but Annie took it in her stride.
Got a lot of the press releases out so hopefully the ball has started to roll. I was called by a charming reporter from The Irish Sun this afternoon - never thought that would happen!!

First day of sabbatical

I had my first day of my sabbatical today. Have spent most of the time at the dreaded computer. So much "stuff" to sort out. Spent last few hours faxing forms to numerous garda stations to get permits to collect. Never thought it would be easy but ... red tape as usual.
Auction is gaining some lovely prizes. Total raised so far over £3500 which is really fantastic. So thank you to everyone who has donated in anyway.
Jane

Special recipe

I have numerous requests for the teabread I made last week. So here goes-
You need:
300g self raising flour with 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
125g butter
75g light muscovado sugar
4 apples (ideally crisp tart ones) with some lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 large egg beaten
70g preserved stem ginger- finely chopped(reserve some of the syrup)
200g golden syrup
Greased and possibly lined 1.2l or 2 pint loaf tin
Method-
1.butter, sugar and golden syrup in saucepan and gently heat to melt, then cool slightly
2.sift flour, baking powder and spices. add mixture from above  with the egg and stir well
3. prepare apples- peel, core and slice thinly and put on bowl of water with lemon juice. drain and dry on kitchen paper or tea towel (clean of course since we need to maintain standards!!)
4. Add 3/4 apples with preserved ginger to mixture and stir
5. put in loaf tin and arrange remaining apple on top.
6. bake at 170 for about an hour
7. when you take it out, spoon over some of the reserved ginger syrup and then cool completely.
8. slice and eat!! will last up to a week but in the Horti house this has never yet been achieved!!

A whole new world!!

Those of you who know me will understand that me and the athletic world are not natural friends!! Since the walking training has started however a whole new world has opened up to me.....twin layer socks, gait analysis, mobility control trainers and muscle memory.
In Runner's World (not a shop I normally frequent!) I have had my gait analysed. Sadly despite 47 years practise I don't walk correctly!! I apparently overpronate and need to relax my feet when walking. If anyone has any ideas about how to do the latter please let me know. I have considered a couple of glasses of wine prior to a walk but not practical, although certainly I may resort to some of that lovely black liquid in Ireland!. Perhaps a soothing bath? -no to prevent blisters one must not wash your feet and soften them prior to a long walk or so I have read on blister forums (yes they exist - told you it was a different world).
Once you learn to walk again you have to choose a pair of trainers. In the past I was swayed by the nice colour, now I have to take into account terrain, instep, motion control, cushioning,ventilation -help!! Then you have the physical shock of the price of such a pair (or of course two because you have to rotate them) of high precision footwear...ouch!
Whilst purchasing the said trainers I was asked whether I need any body glide.....this is the lubrication you require to prevent chaffing in the parts that you never knew could chafe!! It too comes in different formulations.
You then have to make a decision about whether to opt for a compression, encapsulating or combined sports bra... no I give up now!!! As I say a  whole new world has opened up.
Jane Publish Post