A midnight walk from Yorkshire to Lincolnshire - and back again for Marie Curie

Last night it was a great pleasure to be part of a 130 + group taking part in the Marie Curie Humber Bridge Midnight Walk. Walking over the bridge to North Lincolnshire and then turning back to return to Yorkshire 1 hour and 8 minutes later, a distance of approx 4 miles.

It was fantastic that we raised over £6,000 for Marie Curie, which will enable Marie Curie Nurses in our area to provide one-to-one nursing care to terminally ill cancer patients at home. The nurses also give emotional support and advice to family members and friends at this very difficult time. Although the service is provided free of charge to the patient and family, it costs £20 for one hour of Marie Curie nursing care, or £180 for a full shift.

Many thanks to all those who sponsored not just me, but all the walkers prior to the event – If you were not able to sponsor - there is good news. The opportunity to give money is not lost until the end of the month, therefore anyone who wishes to contribute please get in touch.

I must mention one very special lady – Pauline Hornsey (pictured) not just for inviting me to join - but more importantly all the work she does for Marie Curie.

Thanks also to North Cave Parish Council Chairman Steve Skipsea for ensuring that I turned up by driving me to the event, and welcoming me back to Yorkshire with a cold beer!

Stories of Africa to Bubwith's Tuesday Group

Today I was invited to speak to the Tuesday Group in the village of Bubwith, on the time I spent in West Africa as a development worker. It has been a while since I have given a presentation on this (2006 if I recall), but needless to say with the help of a few slides it was great to recall that very special time from 1988 to ’92.

I’d forgotten my cement block house in the village of Kerewan with it's corrugate roof and glassless windows, the delights of using a pit latrine and bucket baths instead of a proper toilet or shower (as we had no running water or electricity), about the heat, the humidity and mosquitoes, and about the basic food I ate for months on end, including the total absence of cheese, bacon and mushrooms.

It seems so long ago that I had the misfortune to contract malaria and dysentery, and break my toe in the same month.

I do drift back on occasions - when I chose to listen to African music, listen to the BBC World Service or eat African food, but today it was great to deliberately take myself back to those great times. I think it went down quite well with the audience as they were still interested after over an hour and continued to ask questions after I’d finished.

It got a little emotional at the end when I spoke about the two members of my 'African Family' that 'adopted' me whilst out there - who with a little input from me all those years ago have become very successful in their own right.

Please see http://paul-robinson-howdenshire.blogspot.com/2008/07/africa-remembered.html

Anne Smith, the organiser and Chairman of Bubwith Parish Council was very kind in her comments at the end when she said, “I now understand why nothing you are hit with as an East Riding of Yorkshire Councillor phases you - after all that you went through in Africa”.

I think she may have a point!

I gave one hour of my time for the Marie Curie great daffodil event

This morning I spent a very cold couple of hours in Howden collecting for the Marie Curie Cancer Care Daffodil Collection. Thanks to all who took pity on me standing in the shade dressed in a bright yellow tabard with a tote tray of lapel daffodils. One memorable question… ‘Isn’t it normally women who do this?” I declined to answer!!

The aim is for as many as possible to give up just 1 hour of their time during March

For more info on the great daffodil event click utube link below or visit: http://www.mariecurie.org.uk/