A BROMSGROVE man has successfully completed an 84-mile trek along Haidran’s Wall to raise more than £2,000 for the Alzheimer’s Society.
Andy Frizzell began his trek at Segadunum Roman Fort in Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, on April 30 and completed it in seven days.
He walked an average of 12 miles-a-day, although some were shorter when there was more to see and longer at 15 or 16 during the less interesting sections.
He said: “The worst parts were when it was raining as the waterproof gear makes you sweat more and there were some pretty steep descents which could become slippy.
“The middle section – over the Pennines – was hillier but the final stretch was relatively flat.”
He added it was not as tough as some of the walks he had previously completed – including the Offa’s Dyke Path in May 2017 for the Midlands Air Ambulance and his trek to Dunkirk for Help For Heroes.
“If someone wants a walking challenge that is not too gruelling but not easy, I would definitely recommend Hadrian’s wall.”
Andy originally set his fund-raising total at £1,000 but increased it to £1,500 halfway through the walk when he realised the target would be surpassed.
“I couldn’t believe the generosity of everyone – both through the JustGiving page and people who put money in my hand when I met them – I would then go home and pay it into the fund-raising page.”
The total is up to £2,095 but two auction items – a plaque with the acorn logo on and a photograph – have raised a further £95 and £50 respectively.
Another auction item – a genuine Hadrian’s Wall Path waymarker sign Andy was given during his walk as it had become worn and had been replaced – is available to bid on until Sunday, May 22.
And on May 27, the music night at the Hop Pole Inn has been dedicated to the cause and funds raised then will boost coffers further.
Andy chose the cause because his mum, who died in 2010, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and dementia.
At the time his dad was in his 80s and it was a difficult time for the family.
Over the past couple of years, Andy’s older sister was having difficulty remembering things and was struggling to complete simple tasks.
She was diagnosed as having vascular dementia and was taken into care last summer. She seems settled there but very confused when he visits her.
This year marks the 1,900th anniversary of Hadrian’s Wall and Andy’s fund-raiser is one of lots of events taking place there throughout 2022.
To chart his progress, Andy kept a daily blog of his trek – visit walking-the-wall.com to read it and to bid on the Hadrian’s Wall waymarker sign.
Visit justgiving.com/fundraising/hadrianswallcoast2coast to contribute to Andy’s cause.
