Charity Walk in memory of Bert Stafford

A Stroll Round the Old Village - A Charity Walk In Memory of Bert Stafford

Why?

Almost every authority has stated that this winter could lead to a cost of living crisis that would be the worst in more than a generation. People throughout the country, possibly millions, will be forced to decide between heating and eating. Already our local foodbank says they are supporting several families in Geddington.

We all need to do something, however small. All of the money raised through these walks and sponsorship will go to two local charities, Friends Of The Church and The Shack foodbank.

Where?

In the historic village of Geddington. Its Roman and pre-Roman roads, its ancient bridge, its Saxon/Norman church have seen the visits of dozens of royals and was a home to some of the most important figures of medieval England. Its forgotten importance capped by the finest remaining Eleanor Cross, commissioned by a bereft man, Edward I, for his beloved wife.

The Walk

Our 2 mile, 90 minute walk will take us from prehistory to modern day, with examples of a millennia of eras scattered throughout our village. It will begin, as Bert’s walking tour began, near the Geddington Village Sign off the A4300 at the beginning of Bridge street (or meet me by the Village Hall Parking area 10 minutes before the start of the walk). It will end at the Star Pub, round the corner from the White Hart Pub and a short stroll over the bridge to the Cafe Oak. All are highly recommended.

If you cannot attend, please support us by sponsoring the walks!

I am hoping there will be several groups and several walks, and I will wear a pedometer to measure the distances. I am hoping that anyone who cannot attend but would like to help, will register for a sponsorship - anything from 25p to a £1 per mile - all of which will go to our twodeserving volunteer based charities. See our sponsorship sign-up page for details and to sign up.

The Inspiration

I was honoured for too short a while to know Bert Stafford and his wife Margaret. Bert was an oral historian, who first introduced me to the mysteries and enormous history of our ancient church. He and Margaret spent their lives contributing to the life of their communities through the Air Force, Scouting and this village and its church. Margaret died over a decade ago, and Bert barely survived her loss. Despite his passing, he has continued to guide me when I transitioned to walking tours, through his contributions to a little pamphlet entitled ‘A Stroll Round the Old Village of Geddington’. I owe Bert a great deal, and as years passed, it seemed he and Margaret were becoming forgotten. So I decided to kill two birds by creating a walk based on that booklet, and arranging that any money raised, like the pamphlet, would go to the Friends of the Church and to our local food bank.

The Cause

Choosing a worthy cause was quite easy. All proceeds of the pamphlet had gone to the Friends of the Church and like the foodbanks, it is a volunteer driven charity, where every penny goes to the work of the group, buttressed by the hundreds of hours of volunteer labour.

Price

£5 for adults, £3 for children between 10 and 17. Children under 10 free.

All money raised will go towards our chosen local charities.

Your tour guide

Kam Caddell has been leading acclaimed historical walks and talks on Geddington and the surrounding villages for over a decade. Rated five stars by TripAdvisor and Yelp, he has brought history to life for thousands over the years.

Practicalities

All children must be accompanied by an adult.

If you have any personal stories of Bert and Margaret that we can share on the walk, we'd love to hear them and share them with people on the tour - email us at toursbykam@gmail.com

Advisory

Tours may be rescheduled due to adverse weather conditions