THE GLASTONBURY TON

Applications for the Glastonbury Pilgrimage have risen above the 100 mark for the first time for several years, although cancellations have now brought the numbers to just 100. Nonetheless there are enough to have to say “no room at the Inn” to those who would like to join us overnight at the last moment. However, as always, day pilgrims are very welcome. A new style day pilgrim leaflet not only shows you where to join us, but also how to get back again after the walk! Gillian McLauchlan, our pilgrimage secretary, presents us with the following statistics:

This happy and mixed hand of one hundred pilgrims have a great walk in store as every route planner describes the beauty of their section of the countryside.

NEW PILGRIM ADDRESSES

Linda Green has moved to the heart of Brighton pilgrim country, Portslade. Clive Connor is  working with people with learning difficulties in Worthing,

FIRST MALE AWARDED IMPORTANT FOOT JOB

An illustrious company of ladies have taken on the job of pilgrimage nurse over the years, the blister queens: Mary Clifford, Mary Sharp, Clare de Normanville, Debbie Davies, Geraldine O’Leary, Clare O’Shea and others. This year we welcome Danny Thomas as our very first blister king!

WHERE WILL THE 1991 REUNION BE?

Will you host the 1991 pilgrimage reunion? We usually make up our minds on where the reunion is going to be during the pilgrimage, so please come along with your suggestions. If you are interested it would be very helpful if you could sound out before the pilgrimage the availability of your parish hall or some other hall, and sound out your friends on their willingness to help you with catering, walk organising and whatever else you might wish to offer the pilgrims on their traditional autumn reunion.

PILGRIM JOBS

Jean Nicholls has landed an ideal job for a pilgrim. She is working for the County of Avon Planning department, and among her jobs is producing a publicity leaflet “Walking in Avon” every three months listing the details of all the guided walks in the county.

Mary Russell (Sussex, Buckfast 2, Evesham, Lindisfarne etc) has just qualified as a primary school teacher in Manchester, and has now moved back to Lewes and is taking up a teaching job in Brighton.

Jim Reed (St Richard 2) recently took a truckload of goodies to a Romanian orphanage and spent some time working there. Mary Bazley is looking for an opportunity to do something similar.

Mary Bazley (Papal Pilgrimage, Irish Holiday) is still busy growing herbs and alpine plants, and running stalls at garden festivals. She has recently walked the Downs Link Walk and Hadrian’s Wall.

Martyn Thornton (Buckfast 2 and Wessex etc) has been out in the Gulf with the armed forces, but is now back in Germany. He was hoping to join us on Glastonbury 2 but is not now expecting leave until September.

Jane Rex (Holy Year, Pilgrims Way, Walsingham 1, Glastonbury 1, Buckfast 1, Evesham) is now in the RAF and is stationed at a hospital in Cyprus.

Michael McCabe is now teaching at Portsmouth Polytechnic and is pleased he made the move from the electricity industry. Susan is still working part time at Lymington Social Services. Together with Anne and Tim they will be leading a day on this year’s pilgrimage.

OTHER PILGRIM NEWS

Gillian McLauchlan recently walked part of a Lands End to John O’Groats walk. She walked 30 miles a day for 5 days from Doncaster to Elishaw on the Scottish border. She is looking forward to having a rest on Glastonbury Two, and making up for the lack of pub stops on the other experience!

Michael Sharp is progressing well.

Cecilia (née Mottram) and Mark Symons (Canterbury 2, Buckfast 1, Sussex) had a baby daughter Hayley Frances on 3rd August last.

Chris Dobbe (Buckfast 2, Evesham, Lindisfarne, Wessex, Walsingham 2, Canterbury 3) and Katrina (nee Doran)(Walsingham 2, Canterbury 3) are expecting their first child later this year.

Maria Holcroft (North Wales, Glastonbury 1, Lake District) is now married (Mrs Williams) and living in Scotland and gave birth to her first child, Thomas, in January this year. Her sister Nicola (Lake District Holiday) is also married now and having lived for a year in Manhattan is now living in East Dulwich. And news from our pilgrimage priests:

Rob Taylerson (Walsingham 2, St Richard 2) has recently been pictured in the Universe on a cycling trip.

Bill Haynes will he celebrating (but actually trying to keep quiet about) his half century this August.

Sylvia and Pat Wood now claim 13 grand children and to be too old to walk on a pilgrimage. This is not a good enough excuse to be asked to be taken off the mailing list, after all their illustrious help with catering and van driving on the Buckfast 1 and Sussex Pilgrimages.

Pat and Brian Harris (Glastonbury 1, Canterbury 2, Buckfast 1 etc) also report now having 5 grand children. They are living at The Barn (500 years old!), Linden Road, Leatherhead, and I am pleased to say they want to stay on the pilgrim mailing list!

Veronica Cox (Glastonbury 1) is now Mrs Veronica Gowan, and lives at 104, Bishopswood, Goldsworth Park, Woking.

Claire Brockman (now Mrs Nick Persons) also has written about happy memories of Glastonbury One, but feels her three sons, Aidan 5, Martin 3 and Euan 20 months, will prevent Nick and her coming on Glastonbury Two!

Emma Regan (Buckfast 2, Evesham) became Mrs Ian Moon in 1988 and now lives in Hastings. She is a qualified nurse in the intensive care unit at the Royal East Sussex Hospital. She gave birth to Charlotte Louise just 6 weeks ago, so she too thinks she may have a couple of years off pilgrimages!

Debbie Ellis (née Davies) also gave birth to a daughter, Charlotte Louise, on St Valentines Day, 14th February this year.

LOST PILGRIMS

The last mailing brought back several returned envelopes marked “Unknown”. We have lost Mrs T. Turner, née Edwina Holmes (Canterbury 1, Glastonbury 1), Sean McQuillan (Evesham, Birthdays), Susan Guy (Glastonbury 1, Canterbury 2), Mandy Doran (Lindisfarne), and also Mike Richards and Hilary (née Watts) (Sussex, Evesham). If anyone is in touch with any of these, do please let me know his or her present address.

EASTER IN LOURDES

Several walking pilgrims met up on the HCPT Pilgrimage to Lourdes this Easter:            Fr Bob Eccles (Canterbury 2), Gillian McLauchlan, Gary O'Brien, Fr James Bisgrove (Evesham, Lindisfarne, Wessex,  Walsingham 2) and Simon Donovan.

THE CANTERBURY TALES

Our local (Redhill) Harlequin Community Theatre Company, which includes Andrea Donachie, Pat arid Keith’s daughter, and John De'ath, Anne’s brother, are producing a ‘Chaucer made modern’ version of the Canterbury Tales. The publicity says, “Imagine an evening of serving wenches offering plates of mince pies arid mulled wine. Think of a night of bawdy jokes and visual tomfoolery.” It sounds thoroughly offensive to pious ears and right up the pilgrims’ street! I have reserved some seats for Friday 20th September at the party rate of £4. Please let me know on the pilgrimage or before if you would like to come.

MORE NEWS IN THE AUTUMN

Our next edition will tell you where the reunion is going to be held; where the next pilgrimage will be heading - could it be St David’s at last? - and any other exciting news that YOU care to send in. There are a lot of pilgrims out there who would love to know your news!