Looking back on eventual success of a mighty trek (From Andover Advertiser)

Looking back on eventual success of a mighty trek

2:30pm Friday 5th February 2010

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IT was nice of David Hayward to enquire about my lone trek from Edinburgh to London 50 years ago.

The weather here then prevented me from working, so along with that prize of £250 I just had to go for it.

My arrival at Waverly station, Edinburgh at 2am saw me picked up in a police van before spending a few hours on a hard police cell floor because unlike the south, after a certain time, no-one then was allowed to roam the streets.

At 5.30am I was made to sign their register and, having been refused a request for a meal was soon shown the heavy snow-covered pavement outside.

The snow up there was much worse. When reaching the Carter Bar (Scottish/England border) an RAC motorbike/sidecar patrolman took my picture and, wishing me luck, said he now knew all English were crazy!

In short, David, I managed around half way to York but was beaten by the weather.

Dr Barbara Moore did her trek in the summer but her time of seven and a half days would still be questioned today!

After four days I arrived home with a surprise of many letters of support, cheques and cash (£159) and when asked at the start what I’d do with the money if I won, I said: “Buy my wife a new coat” – after 50 years she’s still waiting!

Because the weather had got better two weeks after arriving home I made a further attempt with my brother Maurice but the weather had not changed up north and no walker then was successful.

Thirty two years later, 18 months after a liver transplant, with the support of many other countries’ leaders (by letter) thousands of pigeon fanciers everywhere who sponsored me so much a mile, I completed the trek in 10 days, promoting the organ donor card and raising vast sums of money for charities and organ support groups countrywide.

A best selling pigeon book I wrote for charity then raised much money, especially in helping a local girl to have life-saving surgery in America. A full chapter of my trek was included in my book.

There is no better honour in life than ‘a gift of life’ from another, which I once luckily received, and that to me is the highest human honour in the universe.

Gerald Stoodley, Turin Court, Andover.

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