All posts by John Chenery

Report on the Redhill Reunion – 19th October 2024

Nobody had offered to organise a weekend reunion this year, so we were grateful that Anne Leggett stepped in and offered a day walk. So it was that 13 pilgrims in total gathered at her house for pre-walk refreshments on Saturday morning. It was raining when we set off but it soon cleared up and remained fine for the rest of the day.

Our route took us up Reigate Hill through the grounds of Gatton Park which are normally closed to the public but we had privileged access as Anne is a gardening volunteer. We knew that the pub we planned to stop in would be very busy so those not carrying their own food bought snacks at the Junction 8 Café on top of Reigate Hill and we sat on the benches there to eat, before proceeding on to the Sportsman at Mogador for drinks. On this walk we had no timetable to keep to so we were able to stop and explore according to whim and we had a very relaxing and enjoyable day. The walk back from Mogador took a similar but more direct route with Maurice leading some of the way. We noticed that Anne chooses narrower and trickier paths than Maurice, for example right along the edge of the North Downs escarpment.

After further refreshments in Anne’s house, the remaining 9 pilgrims concluded the day with dinner in one of Maurice’s favourite places, the Sun Inn, which is the Redhill branch of Wetherspoons. Thanks go to Anne and her brother Mike for their hospitality and Maurice for additional walk-leading expertise.

All this is recorded with photos in the reunion web diary

Invitation to the Pilgrimage Reunion day Walk – Saturday 19th October – Redhill

Anne Leggett invites you to this year’s pilgrimage reunion.  It will consist of a day walk only (no overnight stay) starting from Anne’s house, 103 Ladbroke Rd Redhill, Surrey, RH1 1JT. This is 0.3mls North of Redhill railway station almost opposite St Joseph’s Catholic church at the highest point of Ladbroke Rd.  Parking for the first 4 cars will be in the drive of the house, then others have permission to park in the St Joseph’s Church car park.  Please gather at the house at 9.30am for a 10am prompt start (drink and biscuits will be provided).

Here is a map. The PW in the top right hand corner is St Joseph’s and number 103 is just before it on the other side of the road.

The morning walk will be through Gatton Park (normally only open to paying visitors, but Anne is a gardening volunteer authorised to take you through). Then across to Reigate Hill car park where there is a cafe and toilets.

Then along the North Downs Way, stopping to for lunch at 1 pm at The Sportsman, Mogador Rd, Mogador, Tadworth KT20 7ES, Phone: 01737 224950.  https://www.thesportsmanmogador.com/the-sportsman-menu

Pilgrims have 3 choices for food:

  1. If wanting a main meal, you must order it in advance from the above menu and if you want to eat in inside, book a table.   We have not booked a table as a hefty booking fee is required for a table of more than 5 people.  Groups of 5 or fewer pilgrims might want to book a table themselves.
  2. Order food on the spot from the bar snack kiosk in the garden.
  3. Eat own sandwiches on the benches outside the pub on the other side of the road.

The walk is expected to finish between 4pm and 5pm, after which pilgrims might want to attend the 5.30pm vigil mass in St Joseph’s.

If you plan to come to the reunion, please email Anne at reunion@thepilgrims.org.uk ASAP to let her know: (We need to know the numbers needed for Gatton Park access).   We will put the pilgrims who have booked in touch with each other so they can organise car shares, lunch table reservations, perhaps plans for an evening meal, amongst themselves.

Annual General Meeting 2024

Sunday 22 September 2024 at 14.00 BST


Join Zoom Meeting – If you have not already received a Zoom invite by email and want to attend, let us know – no later than 21 September please:

AGENDA

  1. Apologies
  2. Acceptance of the Minutes of the September 2023 AGM
  3. Review of The Heart of England Pilgrimage.
    A. Halls
    B. Routes & Timings
    C. Induction Service & Arrival/Celebration Day and Prayer Stops
    D. Service for Deceased Pilgrims
    E. Anything else
  4. Treasurers Report: latest 2024 accounts
  5. Election of Officers for Committee 2024-2025
    A. Coordinator (*** The new Coordinator may then chair the remaining meeting)
    B. Deputy Coordinator
    C. Chief Route Planner
    D. Chaplains
    E. Bookings Secretary
    F. Treasurer
    G. Communication & PR
    H. Safeguarding, Fire Safety & Security and Medical
    I. Minutes Secretary
  6. Phil McCarthy: Plans for a National Walking Pilgrimage 2025 (not in August)
  7. Progress on A&B Pilgrimage Routes & Theme for 9-24 August 2025 (provisional)
  8. Support Team functions:
    A. Accommodation
    B. Church Liaison
    C. Ecumenical and spiritual development (inc prayer stops)
    D. Catering
    E. Quartermaster
    F. Equipment & Storage
    G. Drinks Car
    H. Van Drivers
    I. Webmaster
    J. Cross Design
  9. Progress on Autumn Reunion 2024
  10. Other 50th Anniversary Events – Spring Reunion?
  11. Any Other Business
  12. Meeting Dates 2025: suggested 12/1/2025, 27/4/2025, 22/6/2025 and the AGM
    on 21/9/2025

News Update September 2024

HEART OF ENGLAND PILGRIMAGE COMPLETE

This year’s pilgrimage from Worcester to Peterborough via Coventry was a great success. 55 pilgrims in total took part with 37 present each day on average. 14 pilgrims were new to the unique flavour of the A&B walking pilgrimage and I think they all mucked in and enjoyed themseleves. The scenery was perhaps less spectacular than on many of our pilgrimages but people appreciated a genuine esperience of rural England. Our route planners found clever routes into and out of the hearts of the cities and towns we visited which avoided the suburbs. Experiencing the ruins of the old Coventry Cathedral alongside the splendour of the new cathedral was a highlight.

If anybody wants to write a longer account of the pilgrimage from their perspective, for publication on this site and perhaps other pilgrimage and church sites, please let me know.

I thank the large team of people who made the pilgrimage possible by volunteering their efforts during the months leading up to and on the pilgtimage. It couldn’t happen without you.

Thank you to everybody who contributed to the web diary More photos have been added since the pilgrimage, and Aidan and I have tidied up all the pages, so do take a fresh look at it.

BURGHLEY HORSE TRIALS

Those who walked the first section of our last walking day this year, out of Stamford, will recall that we crossed the Burghley Horse Trials cross country course, near the “Cottesmore Leap” fence. The cross country part of the three day event took place today, and viewers in the UK can watch the highlights on BBC2 at 2pm tomorrow. I will be looking out for the Cottesmore Leap, and wondering what happened to the footpath today.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO HOST 2024 REUNION

There was some chat about hosting the reunion on the pilgrimage, and now we need a firm offer. The reunion takes place over a weekend and the usual format is a walk on Saturday with overnight stays in a hall on the Friday and Saturday nights. It usually takes place either side of the school half term so this year that would be 25th-27th Ocotber or 1st-3rd November, but it could be another weekend. The venue is usually but not always in Surrey or Sussex. It was in Manchester once! Let us know if interested.

AGM 22ND SEPTEMBER – SAVE THE DATE

The agenda for this year’s AGM will be published shortly. This is the crucial meeting where we review the pilgrimage just completed and put the team in place for next year’s pilgrimage, so please set the time aside to attend if you can. It will be on Sunday 22nd September at 2pm on Zoom.

John Chenery, this year’s Pilgrimage Coordinator

Pilgrimage Support Team Place Available

It’s less than 6 weeks to go to the start of this year’s pilgrimage from Worcester to Peterborough and planning is going well. However we do have an opportunity for somebody to take a free place on the pilgrimage by becoming an additional member of the support team. This would suit a pilgrim who has previously walked with us, is unable to walk this year, and would like nonetheless to be part of our pilgrimage community again by serving in this way.

The role that is available is the one that Tineke has been doing in recent years, that of “quartermaster”. (Tineke is well but feels her fitness level is insufficient to take up the role this year) The role would involve:

  • Travelling in the van with the driver John Russell
  • On arriving at the hall, picking up the keys from the keyholder, recording the information they provide and passing it on
  • Checking the equipment, lights, fire alarms, wifi, recycling, rubbish facilities in the hall
  • Putting the non-kitchen hall equipment carried in the van in appropiate places before the walking pilgrims arrive
  • Working out how the bed spaces are going to be arranged and reserving spaces for the frontmakers, backmarkers and others who need this service
  • Putting up the hall arrows
  • Setting up for sandwich making and supervising it
  • Making sure volunteers have come forward for all necessary evening and morning tasks, liaising with the coordinator
  • Checking the hall after the walking pilgrims have left and returning the keys to the keyholder

It may be possible for the successful candidate to walk some sections of the route. Having somebody to do this role, for the whole 2 weeks or a shorter period, will reduce the load on the other members of the support team and help the pilgrimage run more smoothly. If interested pleace let me know.

John Chenery, coordinator for 2024

A pilgrimage taster day walk in Sussex for young people

This is not an event for existing pilgrims. Rather it is an event that we want existing pilgrims to encourage a younger generation to take part in. Here are the details:

WALK FOR YOUNG PEOPLE 16 plus

ST WILFREDS CHURCH SOUTH RD

HAILSHAM, BN27 3JG

SAT MAY 25th

9.30 registration

10am Start walk

12. 30 prayers/lunch St Pancras

Arlington

14.00 Michelham Priory

1600 Arrive St Wilfred’s church hall

1630 prayers and depart

Please bring packed lunch

Wear suitable clothes and footwear

For more info email garyobrien4@yahoo.co.uk

Bill Ward Funeral Details

Bill’s funeral will be on Wednesday 1st May:

12.15 Mass in Friary Church, Haslett Avenue West, Crawley, West Sussex, RH10 1HR,

followed by burial at Snell Hatch Cemetery, 35D The Dingle, West Green, Crawley, RH11 7JG

followed by reception in Friary Church Hall.

If you are planning to attend, please reply here in a comment, to help Bill’s widow Chris get a feeling for numbers.

Bill Ward RIP

Pilgrims will be saddened to learn of the death of Bill Ward on Maunday Thursday, 28th March. Geoff Murray gave me the news and told me that Bill had sadly been suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease and he had been in a nursing home for the last 16 months.

Bill was a regular on our pilgrimage from 1991 into the 2010s. He loved our pilgrimages and was a much-loved figure. Many will remember the prayer stops that he led, full of wisdom.

Here are some photos to remind us of Bill. The last one was captured on the 2004 Crawley Reunion that he organised and shows him with his son and future daughter-in-law.