Saturday 4 September 2010
Friday 3 September 2010
HIGHLIGHTS: DAY 3--FINAL
The day began where the Walk had ended at St James' Park and some additional recording with Dene Films--Richard Lee, John White and Shaun Philippson have been a major part of Walk for Tomorrow--2010 and they have been huge fun to be with all the way down from Alnwick.
First stop were the City Road offices of Tomorrow's People in Newcastle. Linda Ferguson one of the national organisers of TP was on hand for the final day and welcomed me. It is always special to visit the offices of TP in Newcastle because I never fail to come away inspired and encouraged and this final day was no different.
As I arrived the young people were working on ingenious ways of using straws, paperclips, and selloptape to create a bridge between desks. If someone had said this was part of the interview process for a major employer like Shell, Sage or McKinsey & Co then I would have been impressed, but this was being done by young people who no formal qualifications.
We then set off towards the Angel of the North where we met with Guy Readman who built a great north east business Tor Coatings. Guy is a highly astute businessman and respected as such and when he spoke about visiting Tomorrow's People in Newcastle it was a cool headed assessment of the value which the programmes were adding to young people that persuaded him to provide generous sponsorship of the 'Walk for Tomorrow--2010'. Guy made the point that the success of the TP approach was in the ratio of staff to clients (young people) and the fact that they followed up and kept in touch after the programme had finished--he made the point that in training as in most other areas--you get what you pay for'.
The walk continued with Leanne Smith, Toni-Leigh and Matt joining me on the walk to our next stop in Chester-le-Street the Riverside County Cricket Ground where Durham was playing Nottinghamshire. We were taken into one of the corporate boxes and had the chance to meet two Durham players--Calum Thorpe and Mark Wood. What struck me was how interested they were in talking to the young people and hearing their stories. The cricket club had a wonderful family and community feel and they made us very welcome and sent us on our way with additional support for the final leg.
I think the stretch from Chester-le-Street was the longest 7 miles of the walk for all of us--especially for the wonderful Toni-Leigh Paxton who hadn't walked further than the corner 'shops' in her life and was now trying to complete 18.5 miles. We were all inspired that despite leg cramps and real fatigue Toni-Leigh kept going and was able to lead us up the final hill in Durham and onto Palace Green to be met by Baroness Debbie Scott, Chief Executive of Tomorrow's People who had travelled up especially to be at the finish--Debbie is an inspiring person who has built and amazing organisation and for her to make the seven hour round trip to welcome the young people and myself across the finish line was a great encouragement.
Then it was off to the party at Pizza Express on Saddler Street, Durham for our end of walk meal. There was a great atmosphere as we all reflected on another successful walk which was very much a team effort: Fiona Greg, Gillian Atkinson and Leanne Smith had done an incredible job of leading the organisation of the Walk. I was very grateful to my family--my eldest son Matt, my sister, Alison and her son Daniel and my mum and dad, for the support they gave along the way providing water and refreshments and picking up bags and moving them on to the next destination. But we would all recognise that the greatest thanks should go to the young people: Matthew O'Malley, Rob Scoble, Toni-Leigh Paxton and Shaun Philippson for inspiring us all to get involved with Tomorrow's People.
Over pizza talk turned enthusiastically to 'Walk for Tomorrow--2011'?
First stop were the City Road offices of Tomorrow's People in Newcastle. Linda Ferguson one of the national organisers of TP was on hand for the final day and welcomed me. It is always special to visit the offices of TP in Newcastle because I never fail to come away inspired and encouraged and this final day was no different.
As I arrived the young people were working on ingenious ways of using straws, paperclips, and selloptape to create a bridge between desks. If someone had said this was part of the interview process for a major employer like Shell, Sage or McKinsey & Co then I would have been impressed, but this was being done by young people who no formal qualifications.
We then set off towards the Angel of the North where we met with Guy Readman who built a great north east business Tor Coatings. Guy is a highly astute businessman and respected as such and when he spoke about visiting Tomorrow's People in Newcastle it was a cool headed assessment of the value which the programmes were adding to young people that persuaded him to provide generous sponsorship of the 'Walk for Tomorrow--2010'. Guy made the point that the success of the TP approach was in the ratio of staff to clients (young people) and the fact that they followed up and kept in touch after the programme had finished--he made the point that in training as in most other areas--you get what you pay for'.
The walk continued with Leanne Smith, Toni-Leigh and Matt joining me on the walk to our next stop in Chester-le-Street the Riverside County Cricket Ground where Durham was playing Nottinghamshire. We were taken into one of the corporate boxes and had the chance to meet two Durham players--Calum Thorpe and Mark Wood. What struck me was how interested they were in talking to the young people and hearing their stories. The cricket club had a wonderful family and community feel and they made us very welcome and sent us on our way with additional support for the final leg.
I think the stretch from Chester-le-Street was the longest 7 miles of the walk for all of us--especially for the wonderful Toni-Leigh Paxton who hadn't walked further than the corner 'shops' in her life and was now trying to complete 18.5 miles. We were all inspired that despite leg cramps and real fatigue Toni-Leigh kept going and was able to lead us up the final hill in Durham and onto Palace Green to be met by Baroness Debbie Scott, Chief Executive of Tomorrow's People who had travelled up especially to be at the finish--Debbie is an inspiring person who has built and amazing organisation and for her to make the seven hour round trip to welcome the young people and myself across the finish line was a great encouragement.
Then it was off to the party at Pizza Express on Saddler Street, Durham for our end of walk meal. There was a great atmosphere as we all reflected on another successful walk which was very much a team effort: Fiona Greg, Gillian Atkinson and Leanne Smith had done an incredible job of leading the organisation of the Walk. I was very grateful to my family--my eldest son Matt, my sister, Alison and her son Daniel and my mum and dad, for the support they gave along the way providing water and refreshments and picking up bags and moving them on to the next destination. But we would all recognise that the greatest thanks should go to the young people: Matthew O'Malley, Rob Scoble, Toni-Leigh Paxton and Shaun Philippson for inspiring us all to get involved with Tomorrow's People.
Over pizza talk turned enthusiastically to 'Walk for Tomorrow--2011'?
Thursday 2 September 2010
Day 2 Highlights
The day began in Ashington at the Premier Inn and my first stop was the Woodhorn Mining Museum and fitting and spectacular tribute to the mining heritage of Northumberland. The museum is next to the Queen Elizabeth Country Park and is the perfect location for an end of summer day out--both the park and the museum are free!
Then I walked along the A197 for the highlight of the day--meeting some of the current Tomorrow's People, people at Morpeth for an 8 mile bike ride around Morpeth. I haven't been on a bike for many years but within a couple of rotations of the pedals it all came back.
It was great to pedal around the quiet country lanes of Tranwell and Stannington and talk to the young people: Rob, Toni-Louise, Matt and Miller. What struck me was that they all had no or virtually no qualifications and yet they had incredibly sharp mines and an amazingly quick sense of humour. I struggled to think how the education systems could let such people slip out without even basic qualifications. Then I recalled that when I went through my schooling in Gateshead 35 years ago I got my O level results and found that they actually spelt F-U-D-G-E! There is hope and Tomorrow's People are brining it out.
We had lunch at the Ridley Arms with Paul Williams of EAGA who are a wonderful values-based employer in the north east and increasingly nationally with over 4500 employees. EAGA have agreed to take some of the young people from the current group in Newcastle on work placement--this is fantastic news as in the absence of qualifications the importance of credible work experience will be vital and having a blue chip employer like EAGA at the top of your CV will be a huge boost.
At the Ridley Arms we were joined by some of the young people who had completed the bike ride and we all tucked in to the most glorious fish & chips. We were delighted that Matt Ridley came to join us for lunch, Matt is passionate about the north east and always keen to support initiatives here. We had a great talk about his new book 'The Rational Optimist' which argues that actually things are a lot better than we think: we are healthier, wealthier and wiser than ever before. The optimistic message was a great one for the young people to hear as we are faced with gloomy news on employment. Matt gave us a generous donation to the Walk.
Reaching Newcastle we were invited to have a tour of St James Park by Newcastle United. We went out on the pitch which looked perfect, went into the dressing rooms and the press conference room--it was great to share this with the young people and we had a really good laugh at the end of the day--I tried to do my impression of Rowan Atkinson's sketch on the geordie football manager whenw e were all in the dressing room: " thirty seven -nil!" [pause] "Well don't worry we've still got everything to play for in the second half!" I was told to stick to walking!
Still time to sponsor: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=MichaelBates
Tuesday 31 August 2010
DAY 1: HIGHLIGHTS
Managed to complete the 27 miles of Day 1 of the Walk with out too many problems--although caught too much of the sun--a phrase you don't often here in England.
It was great to meet up again with the Tomorrow's People team at the start--Fiona Greg has done most of the organisation for the Walk this year and it shows because it is so well organised and everything runs to time.
Gillian Atkinson did a great job in getting us kitted out with T shirts which have the clever advantage of having fluorsant letters on the back--clever innovation.
Shaun Philippson, one of Tomorrow's People from last year who helped film the walk and became a good friend is working with the Dene Films crew who are doing a documentary on the walk this year. Was hooked up to a wireless mike for most of the Walk which scares some politicians a bit, but managed to avoid calling anyone a "biggot"!
Geoffrey Bush was one of the founders of Tomorrow's People back in the 1980s' and it was great to have his company for the first day of the Walk this year--he was a social entrepreneur a decade before the term was invented and has done so many great things in th charitable sector he should be a poster boy for the 'Big Society'.
The Duchess of Northumberland kindly allowed us to start the Walk from the wonderful Alnwick Gardens and even turned on the fountains to give us a good send off. What an inspirational lady she is and a brilliant entrepreneur too--Alnwick Gardens which she created is now the top visitor attraction in the north of England with over 800,000 visitors. the impact on the local and regional economy has been huge--40 new businesses started, visitors contributing £50 million to the local economy and 200 people directly employed. As we walked around the Gardens before the start the Duchess was full of ideas and plans as to how it was going to be improved still further in the future and given what she has already achieved no-one would doubt that it will happen.
Ended the day at the Premier Inn in Ashington--very well looked after and great food. Completed first day without any blisters thanks to the wonder tip given by a store assistant in Cotswolds in Durham, namely use a pollyester lining sock and a pure wool over sock--simple but totally effective!
Monday 30 August 2010
Day 1--iTunes Play list
Just finalising the iPod playlist for Day 1 of the Walk open to additions or suggestions:
'Should I stay or should I go' --The Clash--too late for that but the last record I bought before joining the Young Conservatives!
'Hit the Road Jack'--Ray Charles--need I say more
'Step by Step'--Whitney Houston--great voice form a great movie 'Preacher's Wife'--shame the comback didn't quite work--know the feeling Whitney.
'Extreme Ways'--Moby dream your Jason Bourne for 4mins 22 seconds
'Why Aye Man'--Mark Knopfler-- the ultimate Geordie work song
' Symphony No.3 "Organ" Le Rouet d'Omphale by Saint-Saens--Token piece of great classical music!
'You took my Heart'--Pepper & Piano--Just to impress the young people I am reasonably up to date.
'Yellow' by Coldplay--just a great song.
Two new ways to support the Walk for Tomorrow
Through Every Click who take a slightly lower % of donations than some other sites:
http://www.everyclick.com/lordmichaelbates
or
by cheque made payable to 'Tomorrow's People' sen to:
Lord Bates
House of Lords
London
SW1A 0PW
Thank you
http://www.everyclick.com/lordmichaelbates
or
by cheque made payable to 'Tomorrow's People' sen to:
Lord Bates
House of Lords
London
SW1A 0PW
Thank you
Route of Walk for Tomorrow 2010
Day 1 (TUESDAY 31 AUGUST, 2010):
(Est 26 miles)
Leaving Alnwick Castle greeted by the Duchess of Northumberland and heading out on the A1068 heading towards Alnmouth;
At Alnmouth joining the Cycle Route 1 if the weather is bad or walking along the beach from Alnmouth to Walkworth is the weather is good.
Rejoining the A1068 through Walkworth and then down into Amble and walking down the coastal path to Druridge Bay Country Park for filming with Dene Films and my favourite film producer--Shaun Philippson! (a TP graduate from 2009)
Walking further down Druridge Bay on coastal path to Cresswell then turning in through Ellington to rejoin A1068 leading down to Ashington and Queen Elizabeth Park
Overnight in Ashington.
Day 2 (WEDNESDAY 1ST SEPTEMBER, 2010)
(Est 29 miles)
Visit to the Woodhorn Mining Museum in Ashington.
Travel from Ashington along A197 to Morpeth, arriving at Morpeth castle at 11AM to be met by Tomorrow's People young people on bikes;
leaving Morpeth on the B6524 signposted Belsay,
Take a left turn just after the A1 through Tranwell past the Farm centre and then left into Stannington for lunch at the Ridley Arms with Matt Ridley and Paul Williams of EAGA--great supporters of TP)
Then back out of Stannington around the back of the Blagdon Estate and call in at the Cheese farm then down towards Dinnington
From Dinnington down to Seaton Burn and then Wideopen
At Wideopen join the Great North Road into Gosforth and on to Newcastle
Follow Great North Road into Newcastle and up to St James’ Park to meet 'a player' (hope its Andy Carroll!)
Overnight in Newcastle
Day 3 (THURSDAY 2ND SEPTEMBER, 2010)
(Est 18 miles)
Start at St James’ Park to City Road, TP Offices to meet with Tomorrow's People young people.
Across Millenium Bridge
Past Sage and up through Gateshead High Street onto the A167 which is followed out to Low Fell and the Angel of the North to meet Guy Readman a great supporter of TP's work in the north east.
From the Angel of the North follow A167 into Birtley towards Chester-le-Street and the County Cricket Ground to meet a Durham County cricketer.
After the Emirates Riverside, Durham county Cricket Ground follow A167 towards Durham
At Pity Me going down into Framwellgate Moor and down North Road (passing the railway station and my home) in Durham City
In Durham City follow North Road to the bridge and Silver Street, up into Market Square then onto Saddler Street and up to Palace Green and the Castle and Cathedral.
If I manage to arrive by 5:15PM then I will probably go into the cathedral for Evensong which lasts 30 mins and then come out and back down Saddler Street to Pizza Express for an end of Walk party with suporters and TP young people.
(Est 26 miles)
Leaving Alnwick Castle greeted by the Duchess of Northumberland and heading out on the A1068 heading towards Alnmouth;
At Alnmouth joining the Cycle Route 1 if the weather is bad or walking along the beach from Alnmouth to Walkworth is the weather is good.
Rejoining the A1068 through Walkworth and then down into Amble and walking down the coastal path to Druridge Bay Country Park for filming with Dene Films and my favourite film producer--Shaun Philippson! (a TP graduate from 2009)
Walking further down Druridge Bay on coastal path to Cresswell then turning in through Ellington to rejoin A1068 leading down to Ashington and Queen Elizabeth Park
Overnight in Ashington.
Day 2 (WEDNESDAY 1ST SEPTEMBER, 2010)
(Est 29 miles)
Visit to the Woodhorn Mining Museum in Ashington.
Travel from Ashington along A197 to Morpeth, arriving at Morpeth castle at 11AM to be met by Tomorrow's People young people on bikes;
leaving Morpeth on the B6524 signposted Belsay,
Take a left turn just after the A1 through Tranwell past the Farm centre and then left into Stannington for lunch at the Ridley Arms with Matt Ridley and Paul Williams of EAGA--great supporters of TP)
Then back out of Stannington around the back of the Blagdon Estate and call in at the Cheese farm then down towards Dinnington
From Dinnington down to Seaton Burn and then Wideopen
At Wideopen join the Great North Road into Gosforth and on to Newcastle
Follow Great North Road into Newcastle and up to St James’ Park to meet 'a player' (hope its Andy Carroll!)
Overnight in Newcastle
Day 3 (THURSDAY 2ND SEPTEMBER, 2010)
(Est 18 miles)
Start at St James’ Park to City Road, TP Offices to meet with Tomorrow's People young people.
Across Millenium Bridge
Past Sage and up through Gateshead High Street onto the A167 which is followed out to Low Fell and the Angel of the North to meet Guy Readman a great supporter of TP's work in the north east.
From the Angel of the North follow A167 into Birtley towards Chester-le-Street and the County Cricket Ground to meet a Durham County cricketer.
After the Emirates Riverside, Durham county Cricket Ground follow A167 towards Durham
At Pity Me going down into Framwellgate Moor and down North Road (passing the railway station and my home) in Durham City
In Durham City follow North Road to the bridge and Silver Street, up into Market Square then onto Saddler Street and up to Palace Green and the Castle and Cathedral.
If I manage to arrive by 5:15PM then I will probably go into the cathedral for Evensong which lasts 30 mins and then come out and back down Saddler Street to Pizza Express for an end of Walk party with suporters and TP young people.
Monday 30 November 2009
'Walk for Tomorrow' the movie--A Shaun Phillipson Production
I am delighted to report that a short film of the Walk for Tomorrow 2009 has been produced, edited and narrated by Shaun Phillipson--a graduate of the 'Work it Out' course at Tomorrow's People. The film received its premiere in front of a discerning audience at Tomorrow's People in Newcastle on Friday and won wide acclaim for the technical, cinemagrahic and narration although there was wide agreement that the acting left much to be desired!
View at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQVsJAbwgGE
View at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQVsJAbwgGE
Saturday 26 September 2009
And finally........
The success of this Walk is the accumulated effort of a number of people who generously gave of their skills and time:
Shaun Phillipson, Louise Hawman, Craig Tallantyre and Lisa Ottaway young trainees at Tomorrow's People Newcastle whose dreams were the catalyst for the idea of the Walk;
John & Ruth Bates (mum & dad) who faithfully transferred my luggage from the beginning to the end of the walk each day for 10 days and who kept me well supplied throughout the Walk;
Alison Hubbard who identified and booked accommodation and coordinated the logistics of the Walk;
Shaun Phillipson a graduate of the Tomorrow's People 'Work it Out' programme who diligently, skillfully and cheerfully undertook recordings of the Walk for Tomorrow from beginning to end;
Gillian Atkinson (Head of Project) and Catherine Booth (Coordinator) of Tomorrow's People Newcastle who organised for the young people to join the Walk for Tomorrow at key stages and do so much to inspire young people day to day;
Fiona Grieg of Tomorrow's People who has been the driving force behind the organisation of the fundraising effort for the Walk contact: fgreig@tomorrows-people.co.uk
Hilary Florek of Hilary Florek PR http://www.hilaryflorekpr.co.uk/ is generously supporting the walk through media and PR advice tel: 07831 552 624;
Judith Garbutt who designed the brilliant 'Walk for Tomorrow' logo incorporating the Cross of St Cuthbert (Cuthbert was Abbot of Lindisfarne) of http://www.largocreative.com/ .
Chris Kilkenny Northumbrian historian (and my former history teacher!) for advising on the historical accuracy of the descriptions of the route;
Mark Easby and Paul Bell for the idea of naming the walk 'Walk for Tomorrow' and the construction of the http://www.walkfortomorrow.org/ site of http://www.betterbrandagency.com/ in Stokesley, North Yorkshire;
Malcolm Gray of W H Forster (Printers) Limited who printed the leaflets for distribution along the way http://www.whforster.com/
Sir Peter Vardy and Wendy Gallagher of the wonderful Emmanuel Schools Foundation who gave generously in administrative and financial sponsorship.
The journalists and photographers of the Newcastle Journal, Northern Echo, Shields Gazette, Northumberland Gazette, Durham Times and Evening Gazette who covered the Walk and the work of Tomorrow's People;
The 58 people and organisations who have generously sponsored the Walk for Tomorrow and thereby advanced the work of Tomorrow's People.
Shaun Phillipson, Louise Hawman, Craig Tallantyre and Lisa Ottaway young trainees at Tomorrow's People Newcastle whose dreams were the catalyst for the idea of the Walk;
John & Ruth Bates (mum & dad) who faithfully transferred my luggage from the beginning to the end of the walk each day for 10 days and who kept me well supplied throughout the Walk;
Alison Hubbard who identified and booked accommodation and coordinated the logistics of the Walk;
Shaun Phillipson a graduate of the Tomorrow's People 'Work it Out' programme who diligently, skillfully and cheerfully undertook recordings of the Walk for Tomorrow from beginning to end;
Gillian Atkinson (Head of Project) and Catherine Booth (Coordinator) of Tomorrow's People Newcastle who organised for the young people to join the Walk for Tomorrow at key stages and do so much to inspire young people day to day;
Fiona Grieg of Tomorrow's People who has been the driving force behind the organisation of the fundraising effort for the Walk contact: fgreig@tomorrows-people.co.uk
Hilary Florek of Hilary Florek PR http://www.hilaryflorekpr.co.uk/ is generously supporting the walk through media and PR advice tel: 07831 552 624;
Judith Garbutt who designed the brilliant 'Walk for Tomorrow' logo incorporating the Cross of St Cuthbert (Cuthbert was Abbot of Lindisfarne) of http://www.largocreative.com/ .
Chris Kilkenny Northumbrian historian (and my former history teacher!) for advising on the historical accuracy of the descriptions of the route;
Mark Easby and Paul Bell for the idea of naming the walk 'Walk for Tomorrow' and the construction of the http://www.walkfortomorrow.org/ site of http://www.betterbrandagency.com/ in Stokesley, North Yorkshire;
Malcolm Gray of W H Forster (Printers) Limited who printed the leaflets for distribution along the way http://www.whforster.com/
Sir Peter Vardy and Wendy Gallagher of the wonderful Emmanuel Schools Foundation who gave generously in administrative and financial sponsorship.
The journalists and photographers of the Newcastle Journal, Northern Echo, Shields Gazette, Northumberland Gazette, Durham Times and Evening Gazette who covered the Walk and the work of Tomorrow's People;
The 58 people and organisations who have generously sponsored the Walk for Tomorrow and thereby advanced the work of Tomorrow's People.
A huge thank you to you all--I couldn't have done it without you!
iPod--20 most frequently played tacks during the Walk
'Shine' (Radio Edit) by Laura Izibor
'The Impossible Dream' by Elvis Presley
'Why Aye man' by Mark Knopfler
'Hit the Road Jack' by Ray Charles
'I wish I knew how it would feel to be free' by Nina Simone
'Happy Day' by Tim Hughes
'High Hopes' by Frank Sinatra
'Days like this' by Van Morrison
'Perfect Day' by Lou Reed
'Proud' by M People and Heather Small
'The World's Greatest' by R Kelly
'I got a feeling' by Black Eyed Peas
'Climber higher mountains' by Aretha Franklin
'Climb on' by Shawn Colvin
'Run' by Leona Lewis
'I hope you dance' by Lee Ann Womack
'This is the life' by Amy MacDonald
'Chasing cars' by Snow Patrol
'What can I do for you?' by Bob Dylan
'Step by Step' by Whitney Houston
'The Impossible Dream' by Elvis Presley
'Why Aye man' by Mark Knopfler
'Hit the Road Jack' by Ray Charles
'I wish I knew how it would feel to be free' by Nina Simone
'Happy Day' by Tim Hughes
'High Hopes' by Frank Sinatra
'Days like this' by Van Morrison
'Perfect Day' by Lou Reed
'Proud' by M People and Heather Small
'The World's Greatest' by R Kelly
'I got a feeling' by Black Eyed Peas
'Climber higher mountains' by Aretha Franklin
'Climb on' by Shawn Colvin
'Run' by Leona Lewis
'I hope you dance' by Lee Ann Womack
'This is the life' by Amy MacDonald
'Chasing cars' by Snow Patrol
'What can I do for you?' by Bob Dylan
'Step by Step' by Whitney Houston
New National Holiday--Thanksgiving
On a stretch of the walk from Beadnell to Dunstanburgh Castle I contemplated the juxtaposition of four elements captured in the photograph: First, in the distance there are the ruins of Dunstanburgh Castle, built by the Duke of Lancaster ostensibly to keep out the Scott's but in reality as a defence against York in the Wars of the Roses; then we have centre a pill box built in 1940 when we feared the North East coast would be the location of a mass invasion of German troops from Norway; in the foreground we have a golf green symbolising the shifting use of this stretch of coastline from strategic military fortress to place of relaxation and enjoyment and finally, all around we see a volcanic headland whose natural beauty endures and will surely transcend the vicissitudes of human domination. So as we undergo a collective panic attack about national debt, house prices, obesity and swine flu we might like to set aside just one day in order to give thanks for the freedom we enjoy, the providence of our condition and the amazing corner of creation in which we are blessed to abide--the result may be to place our current difficulties in context of our many blessings.
Friday 25 September 2009
Final Stats:
Miles: 146.64
Steps: 272,015
Funds raised so far: £10,405 via Justgiving; £3760 (cheques and pledges); £30 Cash
Total £14,195
Steps: 272,015
Funds raised so far: £10,405 via Justgiving; £3760 (cheques and pledges); £30 Cash
Total £14,195
Tuesday 22 September 2009
Great North East Businesses: J Barbour & Sons Limited
Barbour has been synonymous with outdoor life in the UK and beyond for over a century. In 1894 John Barbour established his business supplying oilskins to the growing numbers of sailors, fishermen, and dockers--the demand spread rapidly and with the onset of war they developed the Ursula waterproof suit for sub-mariners. The Barbour wax jacket for which the firm is world famous actually has a more recent history being customised for a member of the armed forces serving in the Falklands war. The wax jacket is still manufactured in South Shields and the firm has remained loyal to its roots. the firms has been in the Barbour family; the current chairman, Dame Margaret is the wife of John Barbour's great grand-son and Helen, the founder's great, great grand-daughter has a growing involvement in the firm. J Barbour & Sons is now trading in many countries around the world employing over 500 people and has a broad product line as visitors to the firms popular factory shop on Bede Industrial Estate, Jarrow will discover. It is trading very strongly in the UK market at present with signs that in the downturn there is a flight to quality and quality doesn't come much better than Barbour.Finally, I came across a wonderful quote from Malcolm, John Barbour's son, which I think is a great lesson for any business looking to survice and flourish in the current tough economic times:
"Have you heard of the term 'service'?
It is a term that has come to stay among thoughtful businessmen. 'Service' means doing all in one’s power to oblige a customer – not sticking at a little trouble because there seems no profit at the paying end of the transaction. It means, too, the breaking aside of the icy barrier that frequently separates the merchant from his customer, a coming to handgrips, as it were, the foundation of friendship and personal feeling."
Malcolm Barbour (From the introduction to the Barbour Catalogue of 1919)
Further comment see You Tube video opposite.
Places: Tynemouth Priory
Must say that my English Heritage Membership Card has paid a handsome return on this trip and today I visited another fine location--Tynemouth Priory & Castle. I have sat outside the Priory on many occasions eating fish & chips from Marshall's, but have never until today gone in and it is a treat for those who appreciate Northumbrian history as it is the burial place of three kings most famously St Oswine, Christian king of Deira the southern end of the kingdom now trading as a little place called Yorkshire. Also buried here is Malcolm III, king of Scotland. Indeed the King's School Tynemouth has as part of its coat of arms three crowns', now I don't want to be pedantic but shouldn't it be The Kings' (rather than King's) School if that was its antecedence?
Blyth is bouncing back!
If Blyth were a listed share on the stockmarket then it may have been fair to describe it as a 'sell' a stock which had fallen from its high point at the beginning of the last century when coal was thriving and the Port of Blyth was building vessels such as the first aircraft carrier for the Royal Navy--HMS Ark Royal. But three recent developments mean that I believe that Blyth should be placed back on the 'buy' list for serious long-term investors: First, Blyth has positioned itself well as the regional centre for new and renewable energy research at NaREC and could well manoeuvre itself into a national and even international leadership role especially in offshore wind farms bring high skilled jobs and employers such as Clipper from the US to the town. Second, there is a supply of good quality homes coming on stream especially at the south end of the town and this is drawing in families who have been priced out of Whitley Bay and Morpeth to enjoy the great coastline and the regeneration which has taken place there. Third and most importantly, Bede Academy is a fantastic 3-18 state school which opened a couple of weeks ago on twin sites in Newsham and South Beach, the school is a state of the art establishment run by the Emmanuel Schools Foundation who have a twenty year track record in delivering academic excellence in the region. Moreover, the new academy has an engineering specialism and aims to provide the brains behind the blades of the future development of the industry in the town. Over the past few weeks I have had the privilege of seeing all three of the elements of economic hope at first hand and I am convinced Blyth is bouncing back! (Pic: Blyth's future: Bede pupils I met yesterday: Andrew, Lauren, Dana, Sam, Lisa and Sam)
King Coal
I find that I have a reverence for the mining communities. The feeling of admiration and respect probably stemmed from this pictures of the miner descending underground in a packed cage and then crawling along three feet seams to extract coal to keep us warm and to keep industry going--I remember seeing Ken Russell' classic portrayal of mining community in: 'Bedlington Miners Picnic' and in later perhaps a less sentimental, but still admirable 'Brassed Off'. It was that sense of a place where men were men and putting in an honest shift was matter of pride. It was an engine of social capital with their own community associations, sporting clubs, brass bands and churches. Generations of the same mining families lived in close proximity and were self-sustaining looking after each other in a spirit of mutuality. All of these emotions came flooding back as I visited Woodhorn Mining Museum near Ashington, what a fantastic record of a proud history of Northumberland and indeed of the north east.
It is not an easy visit for a Conservative politician and the accuracy of the events surrounding the miners strike would be something that I might contend, but museums and exhibitions at their best should provoke us to think and Woodhorn certainly does that in a fittingly impressive way. Looking back twenty-five years to the miners strike I think we, the Conservatives, understood the economic arguments perfectly but did not appreciate the immense social consequences, whereas the unions and the Labour Party understood the social implications but failed to be honest with mining communities about the economic and geological realities. The lesson is that Woodhorn teaches politicians is that policy should be a partnership of the socio and economic. (for additional reflection see You Tube video)
The exhibition is well worth a visit and the Queen Elizabeth II Park next door, a great family day out:
Monday 21 September 2009
Stats: Day 7
Miles: 15.01; Steps: 27,982
Total: Miles: 105.59; Steps: 195,513
Sponsorship: £9355 via Justgiving, £3700 via post and £10 cash. Total: £13,065
Total: Miles: 105.59; Steps: 195,513
Sponsorship: £9355 via Justgiving, £3700 via post and £10 cash. Total: £13,065
Media: Blue Blog
Sunday, September 20 Lord Bates says that charities have a vital role in encouraging young people into the workplace:
http://www.conservatives.com/News/Blogs/Tackling_the_problem_of_youth_unemployment.aspx
http://www.conservatives.com/News/Blogs/Tackling_the_problem_of_youth_unemployment.aspx
Fancy a little place by the sea?
Having fallen head over heals in love over this magnificent stretch of coastline over the past week, and having lots of thinking time, the thought did cross my mind about acquiring a little slice of the scenery and I narrowed it down to two options:
Option 1: Some elderly wealthy aunt of whom I know not sadly passes on and leaves behind a chunk of cash for her favourite nephew, whom she knew not. Then I would plumb for one of the Armstrong Cottages, pictured (top). Low maintenance. Just across the sand dunes from Bamburgh Castle. Done. And they only cost £250,000;
Option 2: Said elderly aunt has other favourite nephew of whom she and I knew not. Then I need something a little more fitting to my financial standing: that would be a delightful beach hut on the promenade at South Blyth (bottom). Annual rent for exclusive use £750.
Either's fine by me......and my aunt.
Breath of fresh air for regulation
As I emerged from the last stretch of the Coastal Pathway I was greeted by a large sign at Cresswell, the hairs on my neck began to bristle in expectation of some meaningless regalatory drivel prepared to comply with some 1800 page coastal pathways directive, but no, the sign essentially said just four things:
Leave nothing behind on the beach except your footprints;
Respect the beauty of the site and the enjoyment of other visitors;
Take home only your memories and photos; and
Enjoy your visit!
Brilliant, simple, clear and positive.
Can we find the author and make him/her our 'Deregulation Tsar'?
Day 6: Stats
Miles: 10.49; Steps: 19,539
Total: Miles: 90.58; Steps: 168,531
Sponsorship: £9335 via Justgiving, £3700 via post and £10 cash. Total: £13,045
Total: Miles: 90.58; Steps: 168,531
Sponsorship: £9335 via Justgiving, £3700 via post and £10 cash. Total: £13,045
Sunday 20 September 2009
People: Harry Hotspur
Now there may be some who thing 'Harry' Hotspur is some reference to a current premiership manager and there will be others who immediately recognise the character from Shakespeare's play 'Henry IV'--instinctively I would err in the direction of the former rather than the latter, until that is I visited Harry's home--Warkworth Castle. Rivalry amongst the Percy family (of whom Hotspur was a member and the Duke of Northumberland is) must be intense as Warkworth claims Harry Hotspur as its champion and Alnwick Castle, Harry Potter. A quick Internet search reveals that Hotspur's famous quote--attributed of course by Shakespeare was: "Out of the nettle, danger, we pluck this flower, safety.' Great line only problem was it was uttered before he went into the Battle of Shrewsbury where he was to meet his death. More recently we find the phrase used by Neville Chamberlain on his return from Munich. Perhaps the truth is that you can't pluck the flower of safety without experiencing the sting of the nettle. Discuss?
Saturday 19 September 2009
Places: Cabosse, Warkworth
I love chocolate and if the joyless muesli crunching health police will allow me I want to drool over the haven of pleasure and beauty that is Cabosse. The shop is owned and run by a young lady called Louise Frederique, Louise is a Choclatiere who was trained at the prestigious L'ecole Cordon Bluer in Paris and has worked with Rick Stein amongst others. Louise starts at 5AM each morning making fresh chocolate for display in her shop and cafe, as a choco-holic, to enter Cabosse is to be overcome with reverence for the art form of the Choclatiere--I wandered the carefully arranged banks of refrigerated display cases before landing upon Dark Chocolate Rum & Raisin Bouchee--they were £1:30 each, but less is more, basically it is home-made chocolate poured over home-made fudge just can't fail (see pic). Getting slightly serious for a moment there is something called 'craftsmanship' which in our age of mass production has been sacrificed to the greater competitive imperative of cost. Cabosse is very busy and successful in a town of just 2000 residents and proves that there is a market out there who would happily trade a family pack of Snickers for a single exquisite hand-crafted Bouchee. http://www.cabossechocolates.co.uk/
Lesson in trust from St Lawrence of Warkworth
There has been a Church of St Lawrence in the same place in Warkworth since 737AD and it has a tragic history but an inspiring presence. In 1174 King William of Lion entered Warkworth and set fire to the church building in which 300 of the women and children from the town had sought refuge--all perished. As I entered the church me this morning two things struck me: The first were the stained glass windows above the alter which were illuminated by glorious sunshine streaming through (see pic left taken with my Blackberry phone); The second, was the well stocked display of cards, books, gifts and candles near the entrance with an 'Honesty box' for purchases. I was imbued with a sense of trust in an age when transparency is all we have left--banks of CCTV cameras, bar codes, tags, cabinets, barriers, suspicious officials tell us that we are all suspected thieves who certainly can't be trusted. But, here was a church leading stating through its open door policy that they trusted the visitor to be honest and responsible. Now a number of churches will have similar arrangements but minimise the downside by only having on display a few dog-eared postcards and a photocopied guide. My guess is that most visitors, like myself, will find it so inspiring to be trusted that they will cough up not only the face price of the good purchased but a bit more besides. I am with the leaders of St Lawrence and am optimistic about human nature--in short, I believe that the vast majority of people can be trusted to do the right thing, not because they are being watched but because they are moral beings and desire to do write rather than wrong--given he chance.
Day 5: Stats
Miles: 17.03; Steps: 31,737
Total: Miles: 80.09; Steps: 149,002
Sponsorship: £9335 via Justgiving, £3700 via post and £10 cash. Total: £13,045
Total: Miles: 80.09; Steps: 149,002
Sponsorship: £9335 via Justgiving, £3700 via post and £10 cash. Total: £13,045
People: Charles, 2nd Earl Grey
Sometimes people ask 'can politics make a difference?' the answer is that politics seldom does but politicians often do. Without doubt the most effective politician the north east region has ever produced was Charles, 2nd Earl Grey who served as prime minister of the United Kingdom from 1830 to 1834--by modern lengths of tenure in 10 Downing Street four years is not long, but it is not the years you put in but what you put into the years that counts. One of the great mistakes of prime ministers' is that they try to do too many things and in trying to do everything they end up doing nothing, Earl Grey was absolutely focused on a single issue--electoral reform. At the time the votes were overwhelmingly in the hands of landowners and tenants didn't have a voice, moreover the system was riddled with corruption most notably with the existence of 'Rotten Boroughs' and bribes for votes. The Great Reform Act of 1832 began the process of cleaning up politics and giving ordinary people in the growing cities a greater voice in the government of the country. Undoubtedly these Acts cleaned up politics, averted the prospect of a revolution (as had happened in France), underpinned the growth of the economy and formed the basis of social welfare and employee protection. Ear Grey is celebrated by a famous statue in Newcastle at the top of Grey Street (pictured) and his papers are deposited in Grey College, Durham University. What makes the constitutional aspect of Grey's time as prime minister so interesting is that the man who effected the greatest change in cleaning up politics and reforming the composition and representation of the House of Commons was in fact a member of the unelected House of Lords adding to the truism that it is not where you sit but where you see that is the final arbiter of effectiveness in politics.(see additional comment on You Tube video from Howick Hall)
Morning thought to get us moving......
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”
Words by Marianne Williamson, photograph from Day 4 at Howick
Day 4: Stats
Steps: 20,707; Miles: 11.11
Total: Steps: 117,265; Miles: 63.06
Sponsorship: £9335 via Justgiving, £3700 via post and £10 cash. Total: £13,045
Total: Steps: 117,265; Miles: 63.06
Sponsorship: £9335 via Justgiving, £3700 via post and £10 cash. Total: £13,045
Friday 18 September 2009
Respect for two real 'Cool' Guys
A chance meeting as I set out from my B& B on Day 4 of my walk from Alnwick. I met James & Marcus in the lobby also preparing to depart on a sponsored walk, whereas my walk was just over 100 miles and was lasting 9 days they were walking 900 miles from John O'Groats to Lands End lasting six months--wait for it--pushing a fridge! I just bowed in respect for these true heroes and great ambassadors for young generation. The Great Fridge Adventure was inspired by a similar walk undertaken in Ireland which James and Marcus read. They are raising funds for The Alzheimer's Society. All was going well until they reached Sunniside in Gateshead when they momentarily went into a shop to ask directions and when they emerged both their bags had been taken. As a Gateshead man I felt ashamed that they should have walked half the length of the country encountering kindness and respect at every point until they arrived in Gateshead--I made the point that this is so 'NOT' an accurate reflection of the inhabitants of the town who are generous and warm natured. They hadn't lost their sense of humour when they declared "at least they didn't nick the fridges!'Their distress was less over the bags taken and more over the fact that the bags contained their journals of the journey which they had hoped would form the basis for a book on completion. These are two wonderful young men who are undertaking a noble effort in a selfless cause. I offered to do anything I could to help them recover the journals and would appeal to the better nature of those who stole these bags to display humanity towards these two young men and restore the pride of our town--if its money they are after then I would happily pay a £100 cash reward for the safe return of the journals.
Overnight: Haven House B & B, Beadnell
What a wonderful discovery. If 'The Haven' was a pop song then as a new entrant to the tourist accommodation world it would have shot straight to No1. A bedroom big enough for a a football team, a great breakfast and genuine warmth in the welcome from a lovely young family. Sadly, they only have the one room at the moment but plans are to expand. The message is book it--if you can: Haven House, The Haven, Beadnell Tel: 01665 720106
Beautiful Beadnell!
The 2 mile walk along the beach at Beadnell towards Dunstanburgh was one of the higjlights of the walk so far. It was the stunning and dynamic Northumberland Coast at it's best (jusdge for yourself--see pic). The thing which struck me more than anything was the sense of freedom on the beach. There were no signs or officials telling me what I must do, no demands for regulation life jackets, no admission nor commercialisation--just awsome nature at its best. I collapsed into a sand-dune and dialled up Nina Simone on the iPod with 'I Wish I Knew What it Would to be Free' and thought how sad that I was the only person on the 2 mile stretch of beach and conluded that we are so swamped with consumerism that we have ceased to trult appreciate things that are free.
Day 3 Stats:
Steps: 37648; Miles: 20.106
Total: Steps: 96,558; Miles: 51.95
Sponsorship: £9185 via Justgiving, £3700 via post and £10 cash. Total: £12,895
Total: Steps: 96,558; Miles: 51.95
Sponsorship: £9185 via Justgiving, £3700 via post and £10 cash. Total: £12,895
Wednesday 16 September 2009
People: Grace Darling
As you enter Bamburgh from the north there is a wonderful RNLI museum dedicated to the life of a true north-east hero--Grace Darling. Life must have seemed fairly ordinary for Grace until an event at 4:45AM on the morning of September 7th, 1838 for it was then that she was woken during a violent storm by the sound of a crash as a the SS Forfarshire hit rocks off the Farne Islands and broke in two. Grace was the 22 year old daughter of the Longstone lighthouse keeper and her father considered the conditions too dangerous to launch the lifeboat from North Sunderland so undertook at the urging of Grace to venture out in a small coble (rowing boat) in treacherous seas to search for survivors--they were able to rescue nine souls--48 perished. The audacious rescue mission turned Grace into an instant celebrity--artists wanted to paint her--she sat for 7 paintings at the same time and William Wordsworth wrote a poem about her heroism, books were written, songs were composed all in her honour.As I toured the museum I was struck how Grace was the product of a different age--one which loved stories of heroes and selfless acts of courage. Today no doubt there would have been a public enquiry lasting three years into the sinking of the Forfarshire whilst the lighthouse keeper and crew were suspended on full pay before being criticised for not following health and safety rules by launching the vessel which was not 'fit for purpose'. The museum thrust us back into an age of heroics, where selfless and reckless acts in service of others were celebrated by a grateful nation rather than investigated by petty bureaucrats.
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