A different kind of walk today

Our monthly Faith trail down Leeds Road – starting with showing visitors round our church, then visiting a local mosque, Hindu temple and Sikh temple, finishing at Bradford cathedral.

Today we were joined by a bishop, several police officers (in camouflage) and residents from Leeds and Yeadon. Plenty of food and discussions on the way ….

Still managed to get in my target 12,000 steps!

See https://www.bradfordcathedral.org/visit/faith-trail/

The Finchale Camino: A Living with Loss group gets ready to walk

We are looking forward to our first Living with Loss Pilgrimage next week.

Our route is the Finchale Camino in County Durham. It is officially part of the Camino de Santiago and is signposted with the typical yellow shell markers.

We begin at Finchale Abbey and finish at Escombe Saxon church. We’ll be visiting Durham and Bishops Auckland on the way.

It’s not a very long walk – about 22 miles in total – and we’ll take our time over the three days to visit the sights and pause to reflect.

The symbolism of pilgrimage

There is so much symbolism attached to pilgrimage.

For starters, it’s not just a long walk or a meander through countryside. It’s a walk with purpose or intention. There’s a starting point, a journey, and a destination. The only way to reach that destination is to go forward, one step at a time.

We walk in remembrance. Everyone walking on this pilgrimage has been bereaved. Someone – or more than one person – who has been significant in their life journey has died. We walk in company with those who understand this difficult grief journey.

Some of us will be carrying pebbles to symbolise sorrows or burdens that we will leave at the end. This very much fits within the theme of we are all unique individuals, with our own life stories and loss stories too.

Even though we are all on the same basic journey, it will be different in some ways for each of us. Some of us will be slower, some of us will be faster. Some may prefer to walk silently while others will chatter.

“Be kind to yourself” is essential for coping with grief. Some people are purists about pilgrimage, but that’s not us. In recognition that we are all of different abilities, ages and health limitations, and in honour of the “be kind to yourself” principle, we have a kindness plan for anybody who get too tired: our support team (John) will be ready to give them a ride along the way. We’ve also got some nice meals planned for the evenings and a few treats along the way. We have some comfy self-catering accommodation to return to each evening. Yes, we’ll be kind to ourselves!

Being out in nature is enjoyable and relaxing, and there is also a spiritual element to this. Celtic Christianity see nature was one of the two sacred texts of revelation, alongside the scriptures. “Just as God can speak through the words of the scriptures, so can we hear the voice of the divine in the elements, the creatures, and the land.” (Christine Valters Paintner) This will be an opportunity to reflect deeply, if this is what we want to do.

We’ll be walking with Brother Sun according to the weather forecast. Here’s hoping!

The merry band

This is our first “Living with Loss” organised pilgrimage. There are 15 of us, including John who is the support team. If you’re in the Durham area between 10-12 June, keep a look out for our group and say hello!

What exactly does this pilgrimage mean to everyone taking part? What do they hope to gain from it? We’ll be talking about that on our first evening, so I can’t tell you for sure. For some, it is a holiday and a chance to be in nice company. For many of us, it has been a motivation to train and get fitter. And there may be deeper reasons too.

If you want to follow our journey and our preparations, keep visiting this page.

“Buen Camino” or “Good way” is the greeting shared on the Santiago de Compostela, a route that winds under a field of stars (the actual meaning of Compostela). Buen Camino to all pilgrims!

Pilgrimage is more about the heart than the soles of the feet.

David Adam in “The Awesome Journey”

This way!

What to carry with me?

Not for me a stone, I don’t think.

But when Violet’s permanent gravestone was finally put up I took the temporary wooden cross from the grave and asked to have it put in the grounds of our church. As it was a bit big, I cut it down in size ….

So for me – yes, a photo, but with a bit of our own ‘true cross’ to leave at the pilgrimage final destination, the old Saxon church at Escomb. I think she’d like it there …

I’ve been walking…but not blogging

This blog was almost entirely forgotten – by me! What a shame, as since my last post, I have done loads of walking – Cornwall, Peak District, Northumberland, Wales, etc. etc.

Now I’m getting ready for a new challenge. Instead of my usual walking by myself, this is a 3 day pilgrimage I’m leading – a group of bereaved people from my “Living with Loss” project.

Not sure yet if I’ll post the story and pictures here or on my A Valley Journal blog – watch this space.

A 40 mile walk in memory of my son Pax, whose 40th anniversary was last week. I walked some miles every week, from home. This was the last day of the challenge and was in Staffordshire.

Two Saints Way – Cannock to Trent & Mersey Canal (Day 2 – S-N)

As I explained in the previous post, I’ve decided to avoid walking through urban areas during this pilgrimage. The first part of the walk was from Cannock to Milford. Then, instead of going to Stafford, I went via Tixall on the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal up in the direction of Stone. I didn’t get that far – to be continued.

Here are a few highlights from this day’s walk. Total – about 16 kms, and only 170 m ascent. Much easier going! Another lovely autumn day. There’s a chill in the air but when the sun shines, it is glorious.

Starting out. This is Fair Oak’s Pool in Cannock Chase where John spends very happy days fishing. Lots of great carp to be caught – and returned. (These waters belong to the Prince Albert Angling Society of which he is a member)
On the trail. The emblem on the Two Saints Way marker going north is a goose – part of St Werburgh’s story. According to legend she resurrected a goose!

And I’m off on a quiet path overshadowed by trees. Today’s walk had quite a bit of variety
Tall conifers on hilltops. This area used to be a deer park (Middle Ages). The very first time I walked here, a deer walked calmly across my path. I’ve never seen one since…
It was a sunny Sunday so there were other walkers about, but not too many where social distancing was an issue. Elegant trees. This is a very ‘more-ish’ walk. You want to keep walking more
A memorial to the Katyn massacre in Poland during the second world war. This was a moving place for quiet reflection that I’ll write about elsewhere.
After walking through woodland for some miles, the path takes a turn through more open country with wide views. This is still Cannock Chase.
Wide views, big sky, open path
And magnificent old trees. I can’t get enough of these beauties. Sometimes I stop and have a chat – “who have you seen in your hundreds of years? What conversations have you overheard?” The trees haven’t yet answered but it does set the imagination wandering.
The view from the elevated path upon which I walked. Down there is a lovely valley walk – another route for another time. Autumn russet browns and golds are particularly beautiful.
Old bricks on a section of mud-baked path. It makes me wonder if this was an old road or what the history was here.
The last stretch of the route through Cannock Chase followed the Heart of England Way. There had been a steady descent from the heights of the Chase.
Time for lunch. I crossed Milford Common for a little detour to the pub. A nice table in the sunshine and I decided a prawn cocktail would be today’s meal of the day.
Now I made a decision. The actual route turned left at Milford to go to Stafford. To avoid the city, I decided to go right instead. I crossed a few narrow bridges at Tixall that took me to the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal.
Tixall
The sun was on my back as I walked eastwards along the banks of the canal. Easy walking with no hills to climb. Very peaceful with barely a soul in sight.
No people but a few ducks
The canal meandered. A few boats were moored
There was a little garden planted with a few memorial items. It appears a few people whose boats are moored there created a ‘thankfulness’ garden with a plaque that they had made it through the first Covid Lockdown. What I understood from the sign is that each boat or couple planted a different plant or bush in acknowledgement of this. What a great idea .
Coming to the end of the Staffs and Worcestershire Canal – the canal went over a small viaduct before joining with the Trent and Mersey Canal.
A T-junction for canals. My route now took me in the direction of the Potteries.
Coming up to Lock 76 and the end of today’s walk.

Pilgrimage, plagues and pandemics

What a wretched title for a post: Pilgrimage, plagues and pandemics.

It’s clear from the historical record of the Middle Ages that pilgrims were one of the vectors for the spread of the Black Death or Bubonic Plague.

According to a recent study of the Center for Scientific Research in which 1,311 medieval settlements have been included, of which 403 were part of pilgrimage routes such as the Jacobean Route and 2,084 connection points . The most vulnerable points of the medieval trade and pilgrimage routes were undoubtedly the most connected and central centers of population, with greater traffic, and where the terrible plague struck harder. It has also been concluded that better connected cities were much more prone to recurrence of outbreaks.

https://vivecamino.com/en/the-medieval-pilgrimage-routes-key-to-the-spread-of-the-black-death-no-372/

Travelling largely on foot, stopping at inns and hostelries, buying food enroute: all of that is a lot of personal contact between travellers and local residents, so the fact that the plague was unwittingly spread by them is not surprising.

Now, in our own 21st century pandemic, are we also faced questions as to the wisdom of undertaking pilgrimages. Current pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago report on restrictions in hostels and requirements to wear masks as they walk, but some are still making the journey regardless.

For my own small pilgrimage on the 2 Saints Way, I have decided to skip the urban areas. I’ll figure out some substitute routes for parts of the way. However, the latter part of the pilgrimage will have to wait until later. The route ends up in Chester, passing through West Cheshire, an area under the ‘High’ Tier 2 pandemic restrictions.

Changing my route or delaying parts of the pilgrimage are very minor details in a world that is fighting a virulent pandemic. Hopefully there will be time enough in 2021 to do the routes properly.

Wherever you go today, I hope you will be safe and well.

A rather beautiful detour on the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal, to avoid going through Stafford. More pictures from Day 2 on the route coming soon.
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