The Long Walk To Tilbury

A few weeks ago I wrote that I was looking for sponsors to support me in walking from Romford to Tilbury to raise money to buy a defibrillator for Romford Football Club (see Project 10 - Walking To Tilbury). The aim was to set out from Westlands in London Road, Romford (the site of the football club's proposed new home) and walk to Tilbury, where Romford were playing that day, a distance in the region of 16 miles. 

This was the first time I had tried this sort of fund raising and I have to say that the internet is absolutely vital in getting the message over. Without the internet my exposure would have been limited to supporters of the football club through our programme and matchday publicity and family and friends, and since I am now retired I have  no network of work colleagues to tap into. And without the internet it's a largely repetitive process of canvassing people face to face. JustGiving, well known for helping people raise money for charity, also help with Crowd Funding and their website was invaluable in publicising my campaign and collecting pledges. Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter were similarly crucial in spreading the word along with Romford FC's website and the Ryman League's site (see http://www.isthmian.co.uk/blogger-turns-walker-to-save-lives-27005). But for all the amount of publicity, I was still had no idea whether my target of £1,000 was achievable.

About to set off, 8am, Saturday 7th November 2015

I started canvassing for pledges in mid-October at Romford's game against Redbridge and within a week I had £200, which I was quite pleased with. By the end of the month this had more than doubled and that point I wondered if I could reasonably expect much more, so as you might imagine, I was delighted that the pledges continued to come and on 6th November, the eve of my walk, my target was reached.

Five miles done, eleven to go. 

But my happiness was tempered by the weather forecast, which was for heavy rain for virtually all of the duration of my walk and could have led to the game being postponed. The prospect of arriving at Chadfields (Tilbury's ground) to be greeted by a waterlogged pitch, no game, no fellow Romford supporters and then having to make my way home again on my own  didn't really bear thinking about.

Nine miles done!

Come Saturday morning, it was raining when I woke up just before five o'clock but mercifully it had stopped by the time I set off from Westlands at just after 8 o'clock. I say "I set off", but in fact I wasn't alone. My wife Val came along initially just to take a photo or two and walk as far as Roneo Corner. As it turned out she then decided to walk to Rainham but eventually walked as far as Lakeside (that's 11.81 miles) where the prospect of a sit down with a cup of coffee and some retail therapy proved too strong and she left me to my own devices for the rest of the trip. By that stage we had marched from Westlands to Roneo Corner, on to Dovers Corner in Rainham and then trudged along the A1306, getting a good drenching when we crossed the A13. After Val went off to sample the delights of Lakeside, I plodded on through Grays, which was where for the first time there was a hilly bit. Leaving Grays Town Centre, Orsett Road climbs up towards Palmers College and I was puffing a bit by this stage, being overtaken at one point by an elderly lady carrying home her shopping. Still, I bet she hadn't walked fourteen and a bit miles to get there! Oh, and I also met a couple of Mormons who attempted to engage me in conversation (bent, presumably on conversion), but I made my apologies and ploughed on.

Checking my phone, I noticed some reference on social media about whether the game was on or not. At about 10 o'clock Tilbury FC had tweeted that "as it stands (the game) is on" which was only vaguely reassuring, and when my phone rang as I approached Palmers College at 12.45 I imagined that this would be a call telling me that it was off. I wrested my phone from my pocket to be greeted by a recorded message, "We understand you may have been involved in a car accident that wasn't your fault..." I hung up and plodded on. The next stretch was mercifully downhill, along the Chadwell By-Pass, and in the distance I could see Tilbury's floodlights. My goal was in sight, but as I reached The Gateway Academy the heavens opened again.

I squelched into St Chads Road and arrived at the ground at quarter past one, 5 hours and 11 minutes and 16.34 miles after leaving Westlands. Romford skipper Matt Frew and some of his team-mates were in the clubhouse when I walked in and were obviously aware that I'd walked there. Not so the locals who at first thought I was some sort of madman, but when I explained what I'd done and why, they  became more and more genuinely interested. And I have to thank them for their impromptu collection that raised a further £54 for the fund. At this point I have to admit to feeling almost hyperactive; I thought I would just sort of collapse, but bizarrely I felt as though I could have kept on walking.

1.15 pm Saturday 7th November 2015

Considering the rain that fell at various points in my walk I was not too wet, although I was grateful when Romford manager Paul Martin lent me a spare, dry coat for the duration of the game, allowing mine to dry off in the changing room. The rain held off for the ninety minutes, but unfortunately we lost 3-1 after being a goal ahead.

By the time I got home (thanks to club chairman Steve Gardener for the lift) and checked my Crowdfunding page, the total pledged had risen to £1,040 and when cheques received and cash donated were added, the total reached £1,325. That exceeded what I realistically expected to raise, so once again, my grateful thanks to everyone who contributed.

I expected to ache a bit the next day, but remarkably I didn't, well nowhere near as much as I thought I would anyway, although every now and then a little stiffness crept into the muscles after sitting down for any length of time.

The next step is to arrange the purchase of the defibrillator and organise training courses for the users. The irony is of course that once we have bought the defibrillator, I really hope that we never actually have to use it.