Archive for May, 2017

Forthcoming June Crossing……………..

Monday, May 29th, 2017

Hi,
I am a member of the Emley Drama Group, an amateur drama group that also has a ‘walking group’ as an offshoot. This group did the coast to coast last year, the West Highland Way this year and is now doing the Cleveland way. We are also attempting to do the Lyke Wake Walk in June. We are doing this in honor of one of our long-standing drama member and we would like to tell you a short version of his story.

Back in 1976 (we think but don’t know for sure) a group of council solicitors decided to do the Lyke Wake Walk and succeeded. One of the group was a young man called Mr. John Emms who eventually became head solicitor for Kirklees. We know him as Henry a kindhearted, lovable gentleman who is talented amateur actor with more hobbies than you can name, including being a published author of short stories and plays.   When John was 13 he was diagnosed with Diabetes and has been on Insulin ever since. Despite looking after his health he is now struggling to remain mobile due to diabetic neuropathy.  This has meant that he is no longer an actor or able to be such an active member of the drama group,

We have decided to do this walk and fundraise for the Diabetic Society, but we have a favor to ask. John never registered with the Lyke Wake Walk society as he didn’t know how to, so he has never had a certificate or a badge or any other of your wonderful souvenirs. I am sure it would cheer him up and make him very proud if we could acquire these for him on his behalf and be able to present them to him after we have completed the walk. We have no proof that he did the walk other than his word, but he is a solicitor!

The walking group consists of Amanda Gill, our map reader and general fast walker driven by her need for yet another cup of tea, Kate Whitwam my daughter, who doesn’t know the meaning of the word ‘can’t’, Jane Fellows who along with her Jack Russell dog, will be our support team, Jane has decided to sit this one out due to being 68 and  have 2 artificial hips, and finally myself who is usually at the rear making sure no one gets lost, well that’s what I tell them.

Why did we decide on this walk? Well, it was my idea, you see, my children and grandchildren have always called me ‘the witch’ due to my uncanny ability to predict the weather and having eyes in the back of my head and I felt that it was about time I made the title ‘official’. To get the others to agree to do this walk I had to promise I would do the Pennine Way next year, a walk that has never appealed to me but is an absolute must to Amanda. Do I think we can do it? To be honest I am not sure but we intend to give it a jolly good go, we aren’t Tough old Yorkshire lasses for nowt!

Looking forward to hearing from you

Yours in good faith

Karen Kirkup

Prospective Dirgers – Steve Davies, Dave Crossman, Mark Middleton Commiserations – Andrew Carter

Monday, May 29th, 2017

Having all turned 40 this year, we decided to commemorate this milestone by completing the LWW unsupported (a mile for every year)
 
We arrived at Osmotherley at 4:30am, probably a little optimistically anticipating our crossing to take between 14 and 16 hours, posed for photos in the T-Shirts Andrew had printed especially for the occasion, and set of in high spirits.  The first 10 miles were eaten up in decent time.  The warm weather certainly helping us along.  However, on the climb up from the B1257, Andrew was struck down with crippling cramp.  Following helpful advice from fellow walkers passing us, we soldiered on. This was to no avail as the cramp continued to hamper his progress.  To the despair of all of us, he decided to drop out once we reached The Lion.
 
The very welcome sight of The Lion eventually appeared after 7 ½ hours, and the prospect of some lager flavoured refreshment hastened our pace.  Just in the nick of time as the thunderstorm which had been forecast, and we had seen approaching from the south for some time, broke and gave us a refreshing soaking just as we reached the pub.  Following lunch and making sure our friend was well set up in the beer garden, with the FA cup final on his phone, we bid him farewell and set of on part 2.
 
The walk down to the Fryup turn off went quickly and lulled us into a false sense of optimism about what was to come.  We had all read about the boggy bit, but had all underestimated how challenging it would be.  Thankfully the recent warm weather had dried out most of it, so we pressed on, albeit at a much slower pace than previously.
 
As the miles piled up, so did our fatigue.  Each stop becoming harder and harder to get up from.  We were forced to revise our very optimistic finish time of 8pm to ‘a little later’.  However, our determination to complete the walk (now mainly for our departed colleague) and adrenaline kicked in and we pressed on.  Despite losing the path for a mile or so near Filingdales, we were navigating well.
 
The silhouette of Lilla Cross on the horizon gave us a target to aim for and we bounced over the heather towards it, hopeful that the radio mast at Ravenscar and our destination would be visible soon.  It was, although by this time the light was beginning to fade.  The final drag down to the Scarborough to Whitby road was punishing.  The chat and banter drying up as the head torches came out and we struggled to navigate in the dark.  Jugger Howe was a surreal experience in the dark with the illumination from our torches reflecting the light drizzle which had begun to fall.  However once we ascended the other side and crossed the road we knew our goal was in sight.
 
Knowing the finish was in striking distance, we switched off the pain in our feet and summoned up every last bit of energy we had and began the last march up Stony Marl Moor.  As the radio mast appeared out the darkness we knew we had done it, all touching the finish stone simultaneously at 11:39pm, a total crossing time of 19 hours and 9 minutes.
 
Each of us decided ‘Never again’, although on reflection this morning… who knows?
 
Can we have a badge now
 
Steve