HJA walk the Thames for Legal Charity
22nd February 2011
Over the weekend of 19 and 20 February 2011, Hodge Jones &
Allen LLP took a team on a 40 mile, 2 day sponsored walk in aid of
the London Legal Support
Trust. The walk, led by Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers,
president of the Supreme Court, with a target to raise £50,000,
took the team along the Thames Path from the Thames Barrier to
Richmond. The first day was through East London and along the
Thames to Putney and the second day was from Putney to
Richmond.
The London Legal Support Trust is
an essential charity which provides funding for struggling free
legal advice agencies in London and the South East. These agencies
are going to struggle more than ever this year and every penny
counts.
The walkers included: Alison Vaughan, Claire Gallagher, Daniel
Fitzpatrick, Jawad Malik, Charlotte Denley, Senel
Yildirimbora, Sheena Singh, Trudy Morgan, Patricia McCluskey,
Caroline Collins, Henna Elahi, Karlene Melhado, Hayley Evans,
Graham Cliff, Nick Dent, Cormac McDonagh, Nina Ali, Susie
Labinjoh, Siddiq Fazaluddin and Sean Patterson.
If you would like to sponsor the
team, you can still do so on line at Virgin Money:
Day1
In the early hours of Saturday morning a team
from HJA braved the harsh weather to embark upon the 40 mile Thames
Walk, fighting the temptation to stay in bed on what proved to be a
dark and overcast morning. With their raincoats and umbrellas
shielding them from the rain, the team set out on their epic
adventure. Notwithstanding this, team spirit was high on the basis
of weather reports that the rain would subside later in the day,
though unfortunately this did not prove to be the case. Much of the
Thames path was deserted save for those doing the walk, and when we
arrived near the South Bank, it was akin to returning to
civilisation having been lost in the wilderness. After a brief stop
for lunch, the afternoon started to wear people down as the
blisters and aching legs started to play a part. However, once the
finish line, ie the pub, was in view the motivation was renewed and
the last stretch was completed at a significantly faster pace. The
team recovered from the trials of the day eating chips and
reclining on sofas, a most welcome relief. However, getting up
after that and travelling home was probably the most difficult
part!
Day 2
Early on Sunday morning, ignoring the twinges
and blisters, we made our way to Putney Bridge to resume the trek.
We were luckier with the weather on day two, though the previous
day’s rain had turned this more rural part of the Thames Path into
mud and puddles. Leaving the sights and sounds of the city far
behind, the route skirted Kew Gardens and ended with a full circuit
of Richmond Park, though the lovely scenery and wildlife may have
been slightly lost on us by the 36th mile. With a sense
of achievement (and relief) we reached the finishing line and a
well deserved pint in Richmond. Just in case there was any doubt
about how worthwhile and enjoyable the weekend had been: some team
members were already signing up for next year - for both days -
before we left the pub.
Well done everyone involved. If you've enjoyed reading this, why
not join the team in 2012.