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La Columna sponsored walk for PLAN UK along the Severn Valley

21 and 22 April 2007

This walk was carried out to raise money for PLAN UK, this charity was chosen as it was set up seventy years ago (1937) as the 'Foster Parents Plan for Children in Spain' to assist refugee and orphaned children during the Spanish Civil War, 1936-39. It is still helping children in over 45 countries today.

If you wish to donate then our Just giving page is open until June 2007 for online donations.

Our report on the walk...

We arrived at the very friendly Severn Valley Guest house in Bewdley on Friday night, and our first task was to check in at Bewdley police station to show the Police our deactivation certificates for our rifles we intended to carry on the march. Once this was done we then hot footed it to the pub for some seriously good food and a couple of beers.

The next morning, after a hearty breakfast, we collected our complimentary tickets from the Severn Valley Railway for the journey back from Bridgnorth at the end of the march.

We crossed over to the west bank of the Severn and then hit out north.

Next stop, Bridgnorth (eventually...)!

Outside the B&B about to leave Saturday morning

The route was deliberately chosen to be straight forward both to walk and to navigate. As long as you kept the river to your right, you couldn't really go wrong. The temperature began to rise as we headed up our version of the Rio Ebro. Every now and again we would pass under disused railway bridges - blown up to stop the fasc?

Dave in front of disused bridge or was it blown to stop the Fasc?

Passers by either completely blanked us (probably due to the sight of strange men with guns), or more often then not had a chat when they realised that we were marching for charity. With hindsight, some leaflets with La Columna's and Plan's details on would have been a handy thing to have. Saying that though, we did raise a couple of extra quid for the charity from one passer by.

Dave foot slogging on the trail

Dave pauses to take a photo with his 1930s camera

Lunch on Saturday, we carried all the food we ate with us, ensuring it was available in the 1930s (For example here we had bread, Manchego cheese, sardines and an orange. The bottle contains water honest!)

We had the added attraction of being able to watch the Severn Valley Steam trains for most of the day as the railway follows the line of the river

By 5PM we started looking for a good site for the bivouac. We eventually settled on a copse on a hillside with just enough level ground to get your head down. Apart from noisy neighbours in a caravan park on the other river bank, and a nocturnal rodent checking out James, we passed a chilly night in relative comfort.

Dawn broke with one of the loudest dawn choruses I've ever experienced! This was rounded off by a low fly past by a squadron of comedy ducks.

Very Early Sunday morning listening to the dawn chorus

Cold and tired but morale was still high

We hit the trail again by around 7 AM for the final stretch into Bridgnorth. We headed for the Severn Valley Railway station and had a well earned rest before boarding our steam train back to Bewdley.

Nearing the end

Made it! Having a well earned rest before boarding the train back to Bewdley

Hard work ? At times. Cold at night ? Just a little (that is if you haven't got a Spanish army blanket). Do it again? You bet!!

Stay tuned for more Hitting the Hills on a deserted hillside near you... who knows may be in Spain itself?

© Words Dave Wilton, Pictures James Biddlecombe

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