I have reached my target - in fact I am £1 over :)
£101 for the Hospices.
To be honest I blagged it with Mum; I knew she could raise the money, but wasn't sure it was possible for me.
I will continue to bump because the money is for charity and not for me, but I don't intend to make a nuisance of myself.

I know it's not possible to financially support everyone and everything, so written support really does mean a lot to me. Anything posted here helps me, and any amount of £ or $ I raise helps dying people leave this world with love and respect. People you will never meet. I think that reflects the calibre of people in the Cellar.

Sorry, I'm a tad sentimental tonight. Mum took the plunge and is now volunteering 2 days a week at a nursing home which specialises in patients who are frail and/ or suffer from dementia. She did try the hospices but there are training and counselling qualifications you need first.

I might not always praise her to the skies, but she is a good woman. And when she told me that she agreed to two days a week because that's what I was doing when I volunteered at my school I got all tearful.

Thanks to everyone.

ETA I have tried to figure out the way to thank people via the website, but it seems to be reliant on Facebook. Or I am just a plum. LJ, if you have received about 5 automated emails please forgive me. And the rest of you have nothing!

AE, you must be a British Dwellar, but I have no idea who you are. Feel happy to stay Anon but accept my thanks. PM me if you'd like me to know who you are.

The website sends out your automated response, telling donors they are angels (already?! But I've not gone yet!!!)

Proof positive. I am a plum.

£100 huh? How much is that in real money?;)

Just remember babe, whenever a woman like you feels the need to do something like this, and run, jog, or walk as a way to help her fellows in a selfless act of charity, she will be followed by an angel....



...who is checking out her ass.

£136 now (that's 212 of your funny money!). And counting ...

Nice goin!

This is known as the guardian angle.

@ SamIam

I thought you dumped that dive and got the heck out of Dodge with your partner in crime? Are you still in Dodge or did you manage to break free?

Just another reminder that I am doing a sponsored 6 mile walk at midnight tomorrow night (Saturday 14th) in aid of a local hospice.

Again, thanks to all who have already donated and/ or left messages and sent PMs of support.

The bad news is I have a raging sore throat and swollen glands, and Mum's knee is playing her up. But we're not quitters and the staggering amount of money we've raised between us (she's had nearly £300 now if she includes cash and cheques) is a definite incentive.

The good news is that the temp looks quite reasonable and was may miss the rain. Hard to get accurate weather reports. Well, it is anywhere, but especially here as the Vale has its own little micro-climate. Within a 4-5 mile radius the weather can be quite different - rain/ no rain, snow/ rain, sunshine/ showers etc. I am taking a brolly and a waterproof. Mum suggested binbags but I think those will be too hot! I'd rather go for a marginally heavier rucksack.

So if you haven't already sponsored me and you would like to, go to www.justgiving.com and enter Cherry Olney under the name search. My page is at the top - you'll probably recognise me from the photo anyway!

Well we did it :)
We got a taxi home from the finishing point (only a mile, but uphill) as Mum's knee was throbbing. But all in all we managed well.

There was a great atmosphere, and I understood why so many women bought flashing bunny ears from the charity - it was amazing to see them stretching out in front and behind. We had cars beeping their support all round the course, as well as people on pavements and even children waving from windows.

For a while we walked with a lovely chap, who was there to mark the last of the 13m walkers (we were 6 miles and not at the back, although not far off!) He was quite strict on road crossing, which baffled me as you could hear a car coming from miles off at that time of night, and I'm quite casual about road safety anyway. He said a number of times "I know ladies, but we're only concerned for your safety after all." I told Mum next time he said it I was going to tell him I might slip getting into bed tonight, so perhaps he should follow me home. That genuinely horrified Mum (who saw it as a direct invitation, not banter) so I kept it zipped!

We were dropped off at Aylesbury College by Dad.
Checked in and given water and a banana (bleurgh!)
Then hung around for a.g.e.s waiting for it to start.
In their defence it started bang on time. I'm just impatient with a 1.5 hour wait. But you have to allow a lot of time for registration because some people will always turn up late.

Nothing to do but take pics.

Then outside for a warm up.
Someone from a local Rosemary Conley (slimming and fitness guru) franchise led a couple of dance routines. Mum and I and some of the ladies around us were laughing really hard. We were closer to the starting point than the stage and simply could not make out what she was doing. When she ducked down we couldn't see her at all, and even standing we could only copy her arm movements.

But it was all very jolly.

I wish I could convey to you the sense of fun and camaraderie. But I guess anyone who has been on this sort of sponsored event already knows.

I couldn't really take any photos from this point on.
In the settings for the darkest situations the camera needed to be held very still - not likely when you are walking.

We had a great time, although some areas were really quite dark (another reason for bunny ears) and there were puddles, mud, overgrown areas where you were required to walk in the road and all the rest. Still, it was a well-planned route and Marshals every few hundred yards (you could always see one front or behind). We stopped for a pee at a designated stop (local pub, sadly closed in other aspects!) and Mum moaned that this put us at the back of the pack, then moaned that she felt vulnerable if we didn't catch up with the group in front, and that she was being carried along too fast when we did. Overall she was very good though, especially as I know she was hurting by the end.

Back to Aquavale where we were signed out, got a goodie bag (mostly adverts!), a medal and hot chocolate and a croissant or pastry. And another banana. Bleurgh.

And home. Just under £400 between us. A lesson in how kind people are if you ask.
Mum says she can't do it again next year as you can't keep asking people to give you money. I've suggested we work as Marshals. I'm sure they'll allow us to work together, or inside. That way we support the Hospice without having to be supported ourselves. I'll see.

My medal.

I'm glad you and your mum had such a good time in such a good cause. I'm sure they'll snap up your offer to be marshals next year!!

Well done Sundae and Mumdae!

Awesomesauce. You both totally rock.

midnight walk??? they give out medals for "night-walkers"?