admaston methodist church

 

CONGRATULATIONS TO SARAH !

She successfully finished her walk on 27th

August 2007

 

Read on to find out the details of Sarah's Walk and her experiences...

 

Sarah Timms, one of our young people, is planning an ambitious walk on her own from Land's End to John O'Groats setting off on 11 May.

 

As Sarah writes:

As well as my own personal ambition, one of the aims of the walk is to raise money for the Komera Project in Rwanda which is supported by the Methodist district of Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury. We are raising money to help suppor the Kibogora Hospital which serves 200,000 people in the south west of the country.  The money will be used to build an isolation ward to help manage diarrhoeas, TB and infectious diseases.

Please support Sarah with your prayers.  We will keep you posted about her progress on the website.

If you would like to sponsor her then any monies can be sent to Admaston Methodist Church.  Please don't forget to include your name and address, if you want to gift aid your donation.

 

27 August - Sarah arrived a day ahead of schedule at John O'Groats at 6.45pm!!! Shw seemed to have new energy and determination over the last few days and put in some extra long walks. On one day she completed over 21 miles!  The weather has certainly been kind to her in the last week and she arrived at the end of Scotland to lovely sunshine and spectacular views - a very different scene from the one she left behind at Lands End.  Her face was a picture! She is sure to have lots of photos to show and stories to tell.  Many thanks to all who have supported and encouraged her along the way. She would have found the whole adventure very hard without your kindness and thoughtfulness.

19 August - Sarah had a lovely, relaxing holiday with the family in Spain and returned refreshed and envigorated for the final leg of her walk.  Returning to Fort William on Wednesday of this week, she is now at Fort Augustus approaching Loch Ness. The first few days were hard on her legs but she is now back in full swing. Last night she found that the campsite was full but was offered a space to pitch her tent at the local church.  Once there, it was decided that she could camp in the church hall - so she had warmth and the opportunity to cook herself a meal. Much appreciated.  She hopes to complete the walk by the end of August - we will keep you posted.

28 July - Well here we are on the final leg of this part of the journey. Sarah has now set off from Kinlochleven to Fort William. She plans to get the train down to Glasgow tonight and then leave for home tomorrow. She has enjoyed her walk through GlenCoe but says that the mountain tops were lost in the clouds. This part of her walk has probably been the most enjoyable as the weather has been fine and she has enjoyed good company. The West Highland Way has been a lot busier than the Pennine Way and she has struggled to find accommodation at some of the hostels, but has been able to camp or get B and B.  She is looking forward to a break now and plans to resume on 15 August to finish the final leg.

21 July - Now on the West Highland Way nearing Loch Lomond. Sarah has had some good weather and indeed last night was sitting round a campfire playing scrabble whilst the rest of us suffered the torrential rain. She hopes she will be well on the way to Fort William by the end of the week and it may be that she will have to return at this point - to have a well earned rest and holiday.  Of course she plans to complete the walk on her return.  Will keep you informed.

15 July -  Sarah is making good progress and is now staying overnight in Edinburgh, with family.  It will be good for her to have some company. She did not anticipate how alone she would feel at times, but it does not seem to have got her down. The weather has been kind to her for the last few days and apart from a few rain showers has kept fine.

10 July - In Scotland!!! Arrived at campsite in Jedburgh today. The last couple of days have been a bit anxious as the tent poles collapsed and after many attempts to rescue the situation, Sarah had to abandon the tent.  Once again fellow caravaners came to her aid - offering a bed for the night and then taking her to purchase a new tent the next day.  All is well again, and she is once more on the move.  No rain for a few days - wonderful!

6 July - Still raining!! Sarah did enjoy a dry day yesterday which was great, but as she put up her tent, the heavens opened.  Still she could lie snug and dry (but a bit shivery) in her tent and just listen to the rain.  She stayed last night at Slaley Forest and will be on her way to Hexham today.  She passed through the pretty village of Blanchford and had time to visit the coffee shop and read a magazine - bliss!  Sarah has been looking at her schedule and reckons that she will only get as far as Inverness before she has to stop.  (Has a holiday planned for 1 August) Her intention is to resume the walk once she returns from holiday - should then complete by end of August.  She hopes that this will be ok with everyone who is sponsoring her!!

2 July - So sorry for the delay in getting back to the web site but things have been pretty hectic. Mum and Sarah enjoyed some very, very wet days on the Pennine Way but managed to avoid the floods.  After a couple of days of camping they had to resort to bed and breakfast, just to dry out. Sarah did not manage to do all she had hoped with Mum in tow, but she is determined to get back on track.  She is now at Bowes and presses on to Teesdale tomorrow. The weather is still inclement but she is keeping her sense of humour.  A new pair of walking boots had to be purchased in order to keep her feet dry.. and so far no blisters, so that is good.  She is still picking up sponsors on the way which has been very motivating.

21 June - Now well into the Pennine Way, reaching a place called Crowden.  Sarah has found today quite tough as the terrain has been heavy going. Still she is staying in b&b tonight and having a well-earned rest.  She is now wondering if her boots will stay put.. but does not fancy having to break in some new ones.  Mum is joining her on Saturday for a few days, so that should be company for her. 

16 June - Sarah has worked out that she has completed over 370 miles!  She is presently in Rugeley and making her way over to Abbots Bromley, as she continues North.  Although the weather has been pretty wet and wild this week, she has had some good company for which she is very grateful.  Once again the church has come to her assistance with offers of overnight accommodation and food.  So a big thank you to everyone who has helped out. PS.. she is still smiling!

9 June - What wonderful weather Sarah and Peter have had over the past week - lovely views and scenery but not so good for walking!!  The hills have made things hard going and they have used lots of energy. They have a range of accommodation during the week - camping, bed and breakfast plus hospitality from old friends and new, which has been much appreciated. It is a good job Sarah is keeping a journal as she has so many people to thank!  She is now just south of Worcester and will soon be in home country passing to the East of Telford.  If anyone would like to walk with her over the coming week then please do let us know. Walking companions are always welcome.

5 June - Sarah enjoyed her break over the week-end meeting up with family and friends again.  She has been joined by Peter, her brother, for a few days this week, and so hopefully he will be an encouragement to her!  They returned to Bath and had a good look round before staying overnight in the Youth Hostel.  Today they have reached Tomarton by following the Cotswold Way and are setting off towards Dursley tomorrow.  The weather has been wonderful today. Clear blue skies - makes a change from all the rain!

29 May - after a miserable weekend weatherwise, Sarah has set off again with renewed energy.  You must ask her about the Sunday night in the wind and rain! She has now reached Radstock, which is just south of Bath and aims to make for Bath tomorrow.  She will take a break over the weekend, when she returns to Telford to play with Wellington Brass Band, but will resume her walk on Monday 4 June.  She has now reached 200 miles and is still smiling!

21 May - the weather has improved greatly which has lifted Sarah's spirits.  She already has lots to tell and has met some interesting people.  You will have to ask her about her experiences with the 'bikers'!  People have been very supportive and as well as giving sponsorship, some have provided free camping and food.  She has managed to do a fair amount of camping now and is getting into the routine of setting and packing up the tent.  She is now at Crockenwell and is setting off towards Tiverton tomorrow. She has completed well over 100 miles now!!

15 May- Sarah is still going strong despite the wind and rain.  So far she has camped for two nights (in the rain) and has been offered accommodation from our friends in the Methodist churches in the Cornwall area.  Sarah has been very appreciative of having somewhere warm to dry off - and also to meet with such friendly people.  She has not been able to fit in a day of rest, so tomorrow is on her way from Indian Queens.  She is tired but still seems cheerful.

11 May - Day one, completed successfully!  When Sarah arrived at Lands End - it was very wet and windy but she was undeterred and after registering to get her official stamp, set off along the coastal pathway to Penzance.  She had to take some detours inland to avoid some of the soggy bits - and needless to say ended up with a few blisters and wet feet.  Still, she arrived at the Youth Hostel at Penzance in good time.  She says thank you for your prayers.