My
BRIT 2012 mile blog; sharing encounters and memories from every county of Great
Britain and Northern Ireland throughout 2012
2012
BRIT miles with a spinal cord injury; the equivalent of 310 marathon distances
in 331 days to support young people post-trauma
Thanks
to everyone for supporting me on my toughest challenge
This
month’s BRIT 2012 mile walk is December in London
Just a few days left of my BRIT
2012 mile walk and to be brutally honest, a very tough 48 hours. Yesterday (Day
325) was one of the worst of the year and with a general feeling that a virus
has set in, the two locations were well away from young people as I walked in
both the London Borough of Bexley and the London Borough of Enfield.
For my visit to the London Borough
of Bexley, it was a pleasure to walk in the stunning location of Danson Park
which is designated Grade II on the English Heritage register of parks and
gardens of special historical interest. It occupies 78 hectares of land.
Records show that an estate at Danson has probably existed since before the
13th century. At that time the estate would have been arable land, pasture and
woodlands.
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| At Danson Park in the London Borough of Bexley on Day 325 of my BRIT 2012 mile walk (Low Res) |
As Bexley's flagship park, Danson
Park is recognised nationally for its historic landscape and buildings. In 2004
the Council successfully attained a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund for
the restoration of the historic setting of the grade I listed Danson House and
surrounding area.
The park was originally set out
as a private estate and its design has been attributed to Capability Brown and
to a Mr Richmond. An immensely wealthy merchant, John Boyd, purchased the site
and built Danson House, designed by Robert Taylor (who also was the architect
of the Bank of England) in the style of a classic Palladian villa, between 1762
and 1767.
The park became a public open
space in the early 20th century when the Bean family sold the property to the
Urban District Council of Bexley. The house has undergone extensive restoration
by English Heritage and is managed by Bexley Heritage Trust.
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| Charter Oak - A large Oak Tree (pictured above) in the centre of mid park has been recognised as one of "The Great Trees of London" |
It is now over 200 years old. The
tree was part of the Danson House estate and now provides a central feature to
the park scene. It was under this tree on 30 September 1937 that Lord
Cornwallis presented the Charter which elevated Bexley from an Urban District
Council to a Municipal Borough.
This oak tree is now featured on
the Borough Coat of Arms. The tree has been enclosed to protect its delicate
root system and increase the amount of valuable moisture.
After walking at Danson Park, I
travelled to the Forty Hall Estate. Which is Enfield’s “Jewel in the Crown” and
one of England’s finest historic houses.
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| At Forty Hall Estate in the London Borough of Enfield on Day 325 of my BRIT 2012 mile walk (Low Res) |
The Hall was built by former Lord Mayor of London, Sir Nicholas Rainton in
1632. Stood at the edge of London, this historic house and estate is important
to understanding the growth of the Capital City and of the life and times of
the merchant classes.
It is a stunning location and I was intrigued to see and learn more about Forty
Hall Farm http://www.fortyhallfarm.org.uk/
Forty Hall Farm is an organic
farm nestled on the outskirts of London. The farm is run by Capel Manor Cottage
http://www.capel.ac.uk/
The aim of the Farm is to become
a centre of excellence that demonstrates and promotes sustainable food
production.
The Farm serves as an educational
resource for students across a range of part and full-time courses,
particularly those within the College’s Animal Care, Arboriculture and
Countryside Management departments.
In addition, it supports a range
of volunteer and community activities, as well as events and educational
visits.
The Farm was historically part of
the Forty Hall estate and it is leased from the London Borough of Enfield.
Forty Hall is a mixed farm with a variety of animals, including many rare
breeds. It is also home to London’s only commercial organic vineyard, the Forty
Hall Community Vineyard, and the new Forty Hall Farm Orchard. The Farm provides
educational opportunities for Capel Manor’s students, as well as hosting events
like their annual Lambing Weekend.
Despite feeling unwell, it was good to have some fresh air and to walk in
two beautiful locations.
On Day 326 I visited the London Borough of Wandsworth.
I am absolutely delighted that on the Thursday and Fridays of December I
have been supported by and have been working so closely with kids Company.
Day 326 started at the Bolingbroke Academy http://www.arkbolingbrokeacademy.org/
in Wandsworth.
Bolingbroke Academy has high
aspirations for all their pupils with an aim for the highest standards of
educational achievement. They pride themselves on the respect and value of
every pupil and support each to reach their full potential.
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| Super welcome from Bolingbroke Academy on Day 326 of my BRIT walk |
Their motto, Fortiter ubique,
or “Ever courageous” is based on the motto of the Bolingbroke & St John’s
League of Friends. It came from the family coat of arms of Canon John Erskine
Clarke, who was vicar of St Mary’s Church, Battersea and a founder of the
Bolingbroke Hospital. It embodies their belief that perseverance,
self-discipline and determination will enable their students and staff to
succeed at school and beyond.
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| With the young people of Bolingbroke Academy who walked with me on Day 326 of my BRIT 2012 mile walk |
They will realise their vision by adopting the
following core principles:
·
Excellence: exceptional expectations and
achievement for all pupils.
·
Whatever it takes: pupils, teachers and
parents all committed to doing everything needed to ensure that each child
succeeds.
·
Responsibility and respect: excellent
standards of behaviour and conduct in school and the local community at all times.
·
Personal development: developing
confidence and leadership skills through inspiring teaching and role models,
and an extended and enriching curriculum.
·
Talented and committed staff: trained and
supported to create an academic centre of excellence.
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| The super students of Bolingbroke Academy on Day 326 of my BRIT 2012 mile walk (Low Res) |
They have built a skilled and
committed team to create a centre of academic excellence and drawn on ARK
Schools’ http://www.arkschools.org/
exceptional experience of developing outstanding new schools to establish a
strong and positive culture and rigorous academic programme.
It was a pleasure to visit the academy and a delight to meet Claire Edis,
The Principal. I thoroughly enjoyed talking to the students and it was a
pleasure to be joined by students and staff on the walk.
From Wandsworth, I travelled to the London Borough of Lambeth for the
second of my walks today. I was delighted to be hosted by the Evelyn
Grace Academy http://www.evelyngraceacademy.org/
in Brixton.
The core values of the Evelyn
Grace Academy are central to their work and underpin their daily activities.
The Academy talk about them during assemblies, lessons and meal times and they
ensure that students demonstrate them in all aspects of academy life.
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They believe that every student
can achieve excellence
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They believe that success is
achieved through self-discipline, self-confidence and hard work
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They do whatever it takes to
ensure that all our students are successful
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| The students of the Evelyn Grace Academy who welcomed me on Day 326 of my BRIT 2012 mile walk |
It was an absolute pleasure to
spend time with the students and then to walk with them this afternoon. Our
conversations were both intensely emotional and very honest. Today was one of
those days when I walked away feeling that I had learnt so much more about
young people and the difficulties they face.
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| With some of the young people from Evelyn Grace Academy who joined me on my BRIT 2012 mile walk |
I finished the today with 18
miles to go.
Before signing off I just wanted
to say how much strength I have taken from the friends and advisors who support
me.
This year I have realised more
than ever before that the friends who really do look after me and support what
I am trying to achieve are those that have nothing to prove, are sincere and
don’t take any emotional energy from me. Their friendship is unconditional.
What gives me great strength is that they know I need to find an improved
life/work balance and grab the opportunity to relax. I have wonderful Trustees
and Advisors as well as super friends; they all understand me well and are
steering, guiding and supporting me through this extraordinary journey to
provide a lifeline to young people.
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| Major General George Norton CBE - great friend and supporter |
Last night I was feeling under
the weather, but was honoured to be invited to supper with Major General George Norton CBE. As I mentioned
in my Tuesday blog on Whitehall, General George is currently the General Officer Commanding London District and Major-General
commanding the Household Division. It was a pleasure to meet General
George’s wife, Lexi, and to spend time with their friends. It has been a long
time since we have been able to catch up and I was able to relax and their
company was so good for me. It will read as no surprise that General George is
an absolute gentleman; sincere, genuine and kind. They made me feel so welcome
in their home and it was a reminder that it is vital for me to be with good
friends.
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| Richard Thompson - My friend, manager and one of my close advisors and mentors |
Today I managed to spend time
with Richard Thompson who has been a super friend, advisor and mentor to me
since I retired. Richard is the Chairman of Merlin Elite who is my management
agency. For about three years, Richard has looked after me professionally and
understands me well. I have not worked professionally for a year whilst the
BRIT 2012 mile challenge has taken place, yet Richard has always been there for
me and given advice, guidance and support when I have needed him. His patience,
understanding and friendship mean a great deal to me as I am highly principled
in the areas I want to avoid and Richard appreciates I am constantly learning
about myself and what feels comfortable.
Today we had one of our valuable
catch ups and it was an absolute pleasure to spend time with Richard and talk
about 2013. I am sincerely grateful to Richard and everyone at Merlin Elite for
looking after me. I am not a conventional client for Merlin Elite and yet
Richard shows great patience in giving me the time and space to explore where I
would like to be involved and what projects and work feel right for me.
I would be lost without these
friendships and together with the guidance of my Trustees, I feel very safe and
secure with such supportive friends and professionals around me.
My very best wishes,
Phil