In this message, I am bringing to our attention a few Internet resources that bring back happy memories of the pilgrimage :

Buckfast Abbey Facebook Site – scroll down to 9th September to see their album of photos from the Millennium Celebration Mass, including pictures of the pilgrims, and down to 28th August to see a video of the entire mass.  (You do not need to have a Facebook account to do this).

Tablet Article about the Mass – including interviews with pilgrims towards the end of the article – don’t be put off by the headline

Fr Tony’s Flickr Photo Album

and last but not least

Our Web Diary  Since the pilgrimage, additional photos have been added and I have been through it day by day making sure all the photos appear on the right day in the right order and with captions that make sense.  So if you last looked at the diary during or just after the pilgrimage, do look again;  hopefully It is much improved.  The number of pilgrims that have contributed photos is in double figures this year.  In particular major contribution during the pilgrimage came from Deirdre, Edward, Aidan, Danny, Clare and myself, while since the pilgrimage major contributions from Maurice, Larry and Norbert have been added.  Thanks to them and all other contributors.

I am raising money for the Palace for Life Foundation by going on a sponsored 26.2 mile walk in London.  That doesn’t sound far after walking 195 miles in August, I know, but I do have to do it all in one day, and I have to get to the start at 7am on a Saturday which is what I am looking forward to least!  When I registered there was a choice of joining the fast, medium or steady group, so I plumped for fast which is 5.5km per hour, quicker than standard pilgrimage pace!  The Foundation does great work for disadvantaged children and young adults in South London, for example running a football team for Down’s Syndrome children and running programmes to keep kids off the street and away from knife crime.  So please consider  sponsoring me to aid their work .  I will be very grateful for any donations received.

I think this is the first time I have sought sponsorship for anything since I last did a marathon-length walk over 30 years ago, and certainly the first time that I have had my own just-giving page: http://www.justgiving.com/john-chenery

John Chenery, Chief Route Planner

Update 27/09/18:  Thanks so much to everybody who has donated.  I have now exceeded my £300 target!  More donations welcome, however small; they will also be used to do great work by the Foundation.  Still two weeks to go to the big day.

Saturday 10th – Sunday 25th August 2019

It was agreed at the recent AGM that our Pilgrimage for 2019 will start at Lincoln Cathedral with our final destination being St Hilda’s Abbey, Whitby in North Yorkshire. It is envisaged that the route will include Hull, Beverley Minster, and Bridlington Priory.

Committee Members are now working on the route and booking accommodation. A list of daily destinations will be available at the forthcoming Reunion Weekend on the 26th October and will be posted on the website. Further updates and a short history of St Hilda will be posted shortly.

Talking of the reunion, don’t forget to book! I will add the booking form to the reunion link as soon as possible

I hope everyone got back safely from Buckfast and all have recovered from the walking. “Strenuous” was one description of this year’s route; strenuous yes, climbing on to the army ranges from the shore on Mark and Danny’s day, and negotiating the ups and downs and steps of Goat Island come to mind, but magnificent as well. The sound of the sea in the secluded bays, Durdle Door, and crossing the Exe estuary on the ferry. The strange sensation of walking among streets with traffic in Ashburton after so long being on paths where cars can not follow.

This Sunday 16^th September our AGM takes place at St Joseph’s, Ladbroke Road, Redhill at 3.00 pm until 6.00 pm.We will be reviewing this year’s pilgrimage and discussing our plans for next year. All pilgrims are welcome to attend the AGM and contribute to the discussion.

Francis
Coordinator

For those who’ve missed the update I posted against the original post on the website…

Gill’s funeral will be held at St Peter’s Church, Portland Road, Hove at 12 noon on Thursday 13th September, followed by burial at the cemetery in Old Shoreham Road, Hove. Father Jerry will officiate.

After the burial, Gill’s daughter Caroline is arranging some refreshments at her house, so people are welcome to come back afterwards. I won’t post the address online for obvious reasons, but can provide it  on request.

This morning we have received the sad news that Gill Henderson, one of our oldest pilgrims, died at 19:30 yesterday. Gill and her husband Derek first walked with us in the mid 2000s, and after Derek’s death Gill continued to join us each year.

Gill was an inspiration to us all. I remember a prayer stop several years ago where she gave a moving reflection, talking about life in Italy at the end of WWII, when the treatment of supposed collaborators was potentially worse than anything suffered during the war. I’m sure others will have their own memories to share.

May she rest in peace, and our condolences to her family.

Update:

Gill’s funeral will be held at St Peter’s Church, Portland Road, Hove at 12 noon on Thursday 13th September, followed by burial at the cemetery in Old Shoreham Road, Hove. Father Jerry will officiate.

Our 2018 pilgrimage diary is now live, and from Saturday 11th you will be able to follow progress as the pilgrims make their way west from Salisbury to Buckfast Abbey.

www.thepilgrims.org.uk/2018/home.php

The diary pages include our itinerary and links to printable documents (which are still undergoing final tweaks, so refer back to the website for the latest details).

The start of the Buckfast Pilgrimage is under 2 weeks away, and the team have been working hard to finalise arrangements so that we can share them with participants and the wider community.

Rather than wait until every t is crossed and i dotted we’ve decided to release some of the details in “final draft” form. Final versions will be posted as soon as possible, and the key details are unlikely to change.

• Bumpf for Pilgrims 2018 2 – Information from Clare for pilgrims who have booked
• Cajufad2018 (Come And Join Us For A Day – summary of the pilgrimage)
• RouteCards2018 (The detailed version, some times might change a little)
• Countryside and Pilgrim Code 2018 MARK 2 guidelines for ALL pilgrims
• Theme 2018 – details of the daily theme
• 2018 Who are we working document – information for people we meet on the journey
• New Medical Form 2018 Every participant MUST complete this form prior to starting the pilgrimage (forms are kept securely and destroyed after the pilgrimage).
• Alternative Transport 2018 for those who need to take a break from walking

30 pilgrims were amongst a packed congregation at St Joseph’s Redhill last week.  Some pilgrims joined the choir and two were wearing pilgrimage tee-shirts.  The tribute, read by Pat’s daughter Rachel, mentioned the love and sense of community that Pat found in, and brought to, walking pilgrimages.  I attach the photo from the front of the order of service.

John Chenery