Day 216 & 217 - Mechanical nightmare, starting the Paisley 10k Fun Run with the Provost and then walking with the Lord Lieutenant, Scouts, Guides and Cadets in Renfrewshire

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 216 was a bit of a mechanical nightmare.

 

 

 

Fantastic support from Landrover, Motability, the AA,
911 & Kwikfit to recover me 3 times in 24 hours after 3 punctures

 

 

The gifted BRIT Range Rover has been fantastic for 216 days, but with a huge amount of cross-country driving, on Saturday I picked up three punctures in one afternoon.

 

Support from Kwik Fit to replace three punctures in 24 hours on the gifted BRIT vehicle(1)

 

 

The first puncture was all sorted with the support of the AA, Kwik Fit, Motability and the superb coordination of Land Rover Assistance, however, on the way back I picked up a further two punctures which resulted in me being recovered by a Breakdown Vehicle and then recovered first thing this morning to Paisley to make sure I was there for the start of their 10km Fun Run.

Paisley Abbey-Cradle of the Stuarts
Once one of Scotland's greatest Abbeys, the reformers stripped it bare. It is now
a Presbyterian Kirk. The sixth High Steward, Walter, married Marjory Bruce,
daughter of the famous Scottish King Robert the Bruce (who had defeated an
 English army at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314) in 1315. The following year
 Marjory died at the Abbey following a tragic riding accident nearby, but the baby
 in her womb was saved and he became King Robert II of Scotland,
the first of the Steward Monarchs.

Paisley is the largest town in the historic county of Renfrewshire. The town is situated on the northern edge of the Gleniffer Braes, straddling the banks of the White Cart Water, a tributary of the River Clyde. The town came to prominence with the establishment of Paisley Abbey in the 12th century, an important religious hub in mediaeval Scotland which formerly had control over the other churches in the local area.

By the 19th century, Paisley had established itself as a centre of the weaving industry, giving its name to the Paisley Shawl and Paisley Pattern. Many trades sprang up and the first school was established in 1577 by the Town Council. By the mid-nineteenth century weaving had become the town's principal industry.

The Paisley weaver's most famous product were the shawls, which bore the Paisley Pattern made fashionable after being worn by a young Queen Victoria. The Paisley pattern remains an important symbol of the town: the Paisley Museum maintains a significant collection of the original shawls.

Presenting Duke of Edinburgh Award Silver Badges with the the Lord Lieutenant, Guy Clarke

It was a pleasure for me to meet the Provost of Paisley this morning and start the Paisley 10k Fun Run together. The atmosphere was electric and I thoroughly enjoyed meeting many of the runners who were supporting hundreds of local, regional and national charities.



A pleasure to start the Paisley 10k Fun Run with the Provost
 on Day 217 of my BRIT 2012 mile walk

From there (& a little delayed due to the puncture repairs on the gifted BRIT Range Rover) I met the Lord Lieutenant, Guy Clarke, http://www.renfrewshirelieutenancy.org.uk/PageProducer.aspx who warmly welcomed me to the county and had coordinated a wonderful welcome of Cadets, Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Guides.

 

With Scouts, Guides and Cadets on Day 217 of my BRIT 2012 mile walk

 

The walk was also supported by Scouts and their carers from the 77th (Disabled) Scout Group http://www.glasgowdisabledscouts.org/ in Glasgow. This remarkable 77^th Scout Group provides adventure and personal development for boys aged 8 to 25 with physical disabilities and life limiting conditions.

Learning more about Beaver Badges in Renfrwshire on Day 217 of my BRIT 2012 mile walk

 

 

They have a Cub Pack, Scout Troop, Explorer Unit and Scout Network, all of which meet on Monday evenings in the south side of Glasgow. They set no 'catchment' area - in fact, the only geographical restriction is the time it takes to get to them.

I was delighted to be joined by Girl Guides and thoroughly enjoyed listening to the Guides about Girl Guiding and the activities they participate in.

 

Walking with Guides from Renfrewshire on Day 217 of my BRIT 2012 mile walk

 

For more information on Girl Guiding, please follow this link; http://www.girlguiding.org.uk/home.aspx . I was honoured to be presented with a Girl Guides badge and necker by the young girls who I had walked with.

Today was also a great opportunity to spend more time with Scouts and I was delighted to spend time with the 77^th (Disabled) Scout Group, the Greenock and District Scout Group and the County Commissioner.

 

Being presented with a necker from the 77th (Disabled) Scout Group

 

I was delighted to be presented with neckers from the 77^th (Disabled) Scout Group and the Greenock and District Scout Group. For more information on opportunities to join or to volunteer, please follow the link; http://scouts.org.uk/

With the Scouts and Scout Leaders from the 77th (Disabled) Scout Group on Day 217 of my BRIT 2012 mile walk

It was a wonderful day and I am sincerely grateful to the Lord Lieutenant, the Provost, the Scouts, Guides and the Cadets for making Day 217 such a special one.

With Army Cadet Force cadets from Renfrewshire on Day 217 of my BRIT 2012 mile walk

With best wishes,

Phil