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