Please sponsor me and my rescue dog Kiwi as we walk the 110-mile Icknield Way to raise money and awareness for the work of Luton Foodbank.

WALK DIARY

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Day 1: Saturday 20 April

On Ashridge we met a large group of young people; all of them were doing their Duke of Edinburgh Award and each had a large map and a huge rucksack. I asked if they knew where they were going and they said ‘No idea’

And we walked on to Whipsnade Zoo (no animals to be seen anywhere), the Tree Cathedral, and finally to Dunstable Downs where white gliders flew soundlessly. And a chill wind made our fingers cold.

And we discovered the elastic mile. Ordinary miles are recorded on mobiles. Elastic ones are a feature of the Icknield Way path and are Very Long Indeed.

Mike, John, me, and Astrid. Lunch near the Tree Cathedral in the cold outside because we were all Very Muddy and the dogs both stank after rolling in something.

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Day 2: Sunday 21 April - "Modern Monstrosities; Ancient Mysteries"

To-day we soon approached a new Amazon Warehouse with multi storey carpark. Kiwi’s ears went down; his tail went down as we plodded past the Amazon carpark along a dusty track,. “Why here Maggie?” he clearly asked.

We left the warehouse and walked on to Chalgrave Church sheltered among trees: what stories does this ancient church hold of the christenings, weddings and funerals held here during the six centuries since it was built?

We continued through deep, thick, squelchy, sticky mud and made our way onto another new massive build – an electric substation surrounded by tall pylons. We negotiated a bridge over the M1, another over a railway line until at last we found fields and gentle hills again.

And peace.

Above: Mike with fitness apparatus near Amazon Warehouse.

Below: Chalfont Church

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Day 3: Monday 22 April - "Sundon Hills with friends"

Sundon Hills are special. We began our walk high up and even on a cloudy, windy day like today we could see far over the Bedfordshire countryside: there were copses of trees; mysterious, dramatic folds in the land and newly ploughed fields.

Our walk ended when we had lunch in the pub and we all sang Happy Birthday tunefully to celebrate our friend’s special day.

Happy memories.

Happy birthday lunch for Eddie.

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Day 4: Tuesday 23 April - "Green lanes; Cold day"

We walked to Pirton village where legend claims that the Devil himself prevented the building of a church by removing the foundation stones each night. So they built a motte and bailey on the same site instead. No problem with the Devil.

For most of today we walked along straight green lanes often bordered by ancient hedges and the woodland was carpeted with bluebells.

And at Ickleford we passed a bricked up railway bridge with a steam train heading through a tunnel painted on it – a memorial to the railway line closed long ago which once ran under this bridge.

Our day ended with a pub lunch. I asked for the fish finger sandwich and it arrived- fish fingers arranged over a bowl of salad. Is the breadless sandwich the latest, healthy trend?

But we loved our green lanes on a cold day.

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We will continue our walk through Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Norfolk, and finish at Thetford Forest.

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Luton Foodbank supports families, the old, the young, the ill, the disabled, and those who are homeless, despairing, or fearful.

Over the past year 15,000 food parcels have been distributed in Luton and 3,500 have been for children.

And now Breakfast Packs are being made available to local primary schools so that no child need begin a day at school hungry.

Please help Luton Foodbank support those in need.

No-one should be hungry.