I was up early to drive up North
yesterday. Unfortunately my bladder infection is still giving me problems and I
don’t think I’ve had one this bad for well over a year. This was Day 3 of the
infection and despite antibiotics there had been no change. I had made a
decision over these next 10 days or so, to reduce the mileage as my body is
finding it hard to recover and this was a wise decision now the infection has
set in.
For more information on Urinary
Tract Infections (UTIs) this is an information link page; http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/utiadult/
and this is the NHS link with a good video talking about the symptoms and
treatment; http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Urinary-tract-infection-adults/Pages/Introduction.aspx
This is the Net Doctor’s website
link which also provides advice and guidance; http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/menshealth/facts/urinaryinfection.htm
So, packed to tackle Cheshire,
Merseyside, The Humber and Greater Manchester, I set off in the gifted BRIT
Range Rover and started the drive North to the County of Cheshire.
The first three and a half hours
of the drive I was met with torrential rain and spray from vehicles on the
motorways. I finally left the floods and heavy rainfall behind in the South
East when suddenly the rain stopped and the sky brightened and I entered the
County of Cheshire with the sun shining.
My destination today was
Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) campus in Cheshire http://www.cheshire.mmu.ac.uk/
The MMU is the second largest university in the UK with over 36,000 students
and the Cheshire Campus has approximately 5,000 students.
 |
| With some of the staff & students of Cheshire Campus, Manchester Metropolitan University on Day 140 of the BRIT 2012 mile walk |
I was met by the Dean of MMU
Cheshire & Pro Vice Chancellor, Dennis Dunn, who kindly and warmly welcomed
me to the university campus and introduced me to staff, students and members of
the Olympic team from the Solomon Islands who have been training at the
Department of Exercise and Sport Science http://www.cheshire.mmu.ac.uk/exspsci/
in their new £10million Sports Science facility. The 2012 Pre-Games Training
Camp they provide is outstanding and you can read more on their work here; http://www.cheshire.mmu.ac.uk/2012camp/
It was a pleasure to meet Pauline
Kwalea and Chris Malasi, both of whom will represent the Solomon Islands in the
100 metre events at London 2012. I thoroughly enjoyed talking to them about
their journeys from their childhood through to being international athletes as
well as their experience at the Cheshire Campus of MMU.
 |
| With Solomon Island Olympic Athletes, Chris & Pauline, at the Cheshire Campus of the Manchester Metropolitan University |
I was also delighted to meet
Claire Fiddeman, Faculty Marketing Officer, who assisted in hosting me for the
day, and also Student Ambassadors, Sophie Jebb and Lee Hatch who gave me an
insight into the courses and life on the campus.
I finished the day with 1045
miles to go.
Today, the 141st Day
of the BRIT 2012 mile walk, I drove to Tatton Park in East Cheshire; http://www.tattonpark.org.uk/
Tatton Park is one of the UK’s most complete historic estates. It is home to a
Tudor Old Hall, Neo-Classical Mansion, 50 acres of landscaped gardens, a
rare-breed farm and 1,000 acres of deer park. Their adventure playground,
events and educational programmes combine to make Tatton Park one of the most
popular family days out in the North West.
Tatton Park has over 50 acres of beautiful gardens reflecting
over 250 years of garden design. The gardens are renowned for their remarkable
glasshouses, the Japanese Garden, considered the finest in Europe and the
extensive Kitchen Gardens. Their working rare-breed farm is open for the public to
see the rare breed cattle, horses, sheep, pigs, goats, poultry and donkeys.
Herds of Red and Fallow deer roam
freely in 1,000 acres of parkland and the meres, woodlands and rough grassland
provide a perfect habitat for wildlife. The parkland is a stunning and it was
an absolute pleasure for me to walk todays BRIT 2012 miles in a beautiful
location.
Tatton hosts over 100 events a year including the RHS Flower Show,
Summer Picnic Concerts with the Hallé Orchestra, car shows, antiques fairs and
much more. For further information, this is the link to their “What’s On” Page;
http://www.tattonpark.org.uk/whats_on_at_tatton_park.aspx
I was delighted to meet Jon
Wooley, Watch Manager at Knutsford Fire Station, and Fire Fighters from
Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service today and was also honoured that the Mayor of
Knutsford, Councillor Vivien Davies, came to meet me at Tatton Park before I
started my walk through the grounds. I’m looking forward to meeting more
Cheshire Fire and Rescue Fire Fighters tomorrow when I walk at the University
of Chester.
 |
| With the Mayor of Knutsford & Firefighters from Cheshire Fire & Rescue at Tatton Park |
I finished the day with 1041
miles to go.
Best wishes,
Phil