My mum contacted me to let me know that one of the local cluster of churches (Stedham) has a memorial to the glider troops in it. I am hoping to get down and have a look before the event. I have pasted in below the article she has placed in their parish magazine.
"The Glider Pilot Squadron, its link to Stedham and Project 65.
On the 6th June 1944 at 0016hrs three gliders came down, silently, in Normandy to take what is now called Pegasus Bridge and start D Day and the beginning of the freeing of Europe. Hanging on the wall of Stedham Church is the standard of the Glider Pilot Squadron, laid up there because Brigadier George Chatterton of Stedham Hall commanded the squadron. Project 65 is both a celebration of that wonderful feat and an effort to raise funds for service charities.
June 4th 2009 sees 200 runners starting from Tarrant Rushton in Dorset, whence the gliders were towed, to Pegasus Bridge ( 65 miles). The runners’ route will take them via Lymington, Southampton, Fareham and Portsmouth to the ferry-midday 5th.June. On the other side each will don a T shirt with the name of one of those men who were there 65 years ago, be put into three groups to match the three gliders and run to Pegasus bridge to arrive at 0016 on June 6th the exact time of the gliders’ arrival. Each runner has been challenged to find £1000 in sponsorship which will go to the Army Benevolent Fund, BLESMA, Royal British Legion, St Dunstans and Help for Heroes. A small amount will be used to put up a permanent memorial at Pegasus Bridge to those who braved the German defenses in the dark to start D Day. My son, Kester Wilkinson and his friend Hugh Peachey, are two of the runners. If anyone felt that they could support this cause it can be done via either his website/blog- (with all the gory details of his attempt to get fit enough!) at http://thestrawhouse.weebly.com/project-65.html or me, Katharine Minchin, Kelross, Lutener Road, Easebourne, Midhurst GU29 9AT. 01730 813586. Thank You."
No training at all last week as it was all a bit hectic at work. It did however give me a chance to recover from my hamstring tear a little more. I am feeling a bit pressured as Hugh keeps ringing up to say how well he is doing and how much he is loving the training. About a month to go so I best sort this out.
On the positive side the bluebells are out in the woods at work and look amazing.
I had an email from a friend of my mum's which I have pasted in below as I thought it was an interesting coincedence.
"Just as a matter of interest there was an extract from the armistice poem on the write up. We lived in the Old Vicarage at Burton in Lonsdale for 12 years which was the house in which Lawrence Binyon, the author was born.
Best Wishes
John"
After a brutal session on my hamstring from Mark on saturday I was supposed to take it easy over the weekend but as ever ignored all reasonable advice and kept on running.
Ran with Merln on Sunday night along the top of the Malverns. The sun was just going down and there were balloons about in the severn valley below, pretty special.
At the end of the run I added an extra loop running around ragged stone hill looking for the white leaved oak i suspect I was on the wrong side of the hill - oh well next time maybe,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzLcMzwmVW0
Great run last night with the slow group of Ledbury Running club. With the lighter nights we were able to go a bit further and run back using the unlit cycle paths.
All in all, much more pleasant than sunday.
Hugh Peachey has also signed up and is running with me (two days after his 40th). He has emailed asking if he should have a full body wax to avoid chafing ! not an image i needed.
Pleased to see that Barack Obama is also turning out to greet us in France - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/barackobama/5054962/Barack-Obama-to-mark-D-Day-in-France.html
He must have heard Hugh and I were running !
Ran for two hours on sunday morning along the South West Coast Path between Lyme Regis and Seaton and return.
Although the sun was out and the setting beautiful, it wasn't a very pleasant run, in that I am clearly not fit enough, was slightly hungover, had a cold (I could go on). I got a little lost and at the end of the run had to climb up from the undercliffs through a hawthorn hedge which has left me pretty scratched.
Spent the rest of the morning mooching about with India in Lyme Regis and watching someone balancing stones.
a little hectic, but i am sure it will settle down, i took a quick inventory of what kind of shape I am in. Not good - I have a cold, my knees are sore, my back hurts and i have torn a hamstring.
So business as usual, I will try to ignore them (zinnia says no chance, I am only happy when moaning !)
Training this week has been:
sunday: adventure race in cumbria, 10km run, 20Km mountain bike and 1km canoe - we hardly covered ourselves in glory but we did get round - www.outside-adventure.co.uk/blog
tuesday: 45 min run
wed: 1hour swim - I am also training to swim to the isle of wight in july, so will be needing to increase my swimming times as well
thursday: 1 hour run, forgot my headtorch so was slow an awkward at 9.30pm
friday: 45 min run
on a brighter note, all the flowers are coming out, spring has definitely arrived and herefordshire looks wonderfull.
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