Two sisters recently reinstated a charity walk we did regularly in the previous decade; no T-shirts or requests for money, we just paid to take part. The original walks started at the Hengistbury Head end of the promenade in Bournemouth and we walked to Sandbanks in Poole at the other end of the promenade. As it was for fun as well as charity, walkers could join and leave at any point. Along the way we stopped for morning coffee on Bournemouth Pier, lunch at Sandbanks and afternoon tea on the way back. Poole Bay claims seven miles of beaches, so in those pre Fitbit and smartphone days we probably walked about fourteen miles. We took all day, but talking you don’t notice the miles.

This time it was decided to start at Bournemouth Pier as everyone was older and it was the easiest point for everyone to get to on the bus from all over the area. It was such a nice day I walked from home in Southbourne, not quite the beginning of the prom. The cliff top was lovely with gorse in full bloom. Friends who couldn’t come donated money. How did we get on?

A busy sunny Saturday, everyone was out.

But DANGER lurked

The cliff is always falling down.

Coffee Break

Have we reached the end?

Yes, the very end of the promenade, but the Jazz cafe is too busy so we make a detour onwards to the promise of lunch…

…around Poole Harbour….

Well not all the way round…

Cafe in sight, but turns out it’s being renovated…

However, this is Sandbanks and a kiosk is selling designer sourdough sandwiches

Lunch with a view and some walkers get a lift home..

Four of us make it back to Bournemouth and disperse to our buses after a cup of tea. I round off my pix with a walk to the end of the pier, but don’t linger as a strong easterly wind has sprung up. With my high tech devices and a note book, my phone tells me 12.7 kms were covered on the main walk and my Fitbit notched up eight and a half miles. I walked 18 kms since leaving home, or nearly ten miles since getting out of bed. Not quite the marathons of celebrities, but we raised enough money to share between two local charities. Thanks to Brenda and Sheila for organising the walk.

Looking towards home

Have you been on any interesting, dangerous or even totally insane charity walks, runs or climbs?