As part of the Isle of Wight walking festival, RP Fighting Blindness are going to attempt to walk around the coastline of the Isle of Wight.
Colin McArthur tells Island Pulse readers…
On the week of May 7th-13th we will be walking around the coastline of the beautiful Isle of Wight and we would love you to join us.
David Yates, author of ‘ Beaches, Bars and Blisters of the Isle of Wight’* will be leading the walk and a brief outline and itinerary follows.
The object of the walk is to enjoy the wonderful views and to raise money for research into Retinitis Pigmentosa*, to enable those with this eye condition to one day enjoy these views too. *see next page
Whitecliff Bay Holiday Park is to be our base for the week. Transport to and from the start/finish each day is being arranged.
There will be several events planned for walkers and helpers throughout the week 7th-13th May, including welcome reception, a chance to hear David speak about his book and an end of walk function, which, feet permitting, we hope you will enjoy.
The basic itinerary is as follows: (Please note this is subject to alteration.)
Saturday 7th May. Whitecliff Bay to Seaview, (about 6 miles)
We will set off from reception at Whitecliff Bay Holiday Park at around 3pm. We should reach Seaview at around 5pm. An official reception will be held at Whitecliff Bay at 7pm.
Sunday 8th May. Seaview to Gurnard (about 12 miles)
Today’s walk will start from the seafront at Seaview at 10am. After a brief lunch break at Wooton Bridge, the aim is to reach Gurnard by 4pm.
Monday 9th May. Gurnard to Hamstead (about 13 miles)
The walk will resume from the seafront at Gurnard at 10am. After a brief lunch break at Porchfield, we aim to reach Hamstead by 4pm. This is a tricky place to stop, but equidistant between Gurnard and Freshwater.
Tuesday 10th May. Hamstead to Freshwater Bay (about 12 miles)
Today’s walk will begin from Hamstead at 10am. After a brief stop for lunch at Colwell Bay, we aim to reach Freshwater Bay by 4pm.
Wednesday 11th May. Freshwater Bay to Chale (about 12 miles)
The walk will resume from Freshwater Bay at 10am. After a brief lunch stop at Isle of Wight Pearl, the aim is to reach The Wight Mouse Inn at Chale by 4pm.
Thursday 12th May. Chale to Ventnor (about 8 miles)
We leave the Wight Mouse at 10am. After a brief lunch at the Buddle Inn, we aim to reach Ventnor Paddling pool at 4pm.
Friday 13th May. Ventnor to Whitecliff Bay, (about 8 miles)
The walk resumes at the paddling pool at 10am. After a brief lunch at Sandown we aim to return to Whitecliff bay by 4pm.
An end of walk function will be held at the centre at 7pm.
*A good guide to this walk is of course the book Beaches, Bars and Blisters of the Isle of Wight. Available from all Island tourist information centres and major book retailers.
*All sponsor money from this event will go to the Eye love Sight appeal which is sponsoring a research project at Southampton Hospital, which is investigating the possibility of using adult stem cells from the iris to be transplanted to the retina, to re-grow photo-receptor cells that have been wiped out by the defective genes which cause the eye condition Retinitis Pigmentosa. This condition has the symptoms of night blindness and tunnel vision, which leads ultimately to total blindness in many cases, and is one of the commonest causes of blindness in the working population.
To register, or for more details Email fundraising@brps.org.uk.
For more details about RP Fighting Blindness go to www.brps.org.uk.
Or contact us on 01983 406661 or 07935 747332.
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