Walkers Peter Henshaw and John McKay never lost their way once during a six-day pilgrimage along St Oswald's Way in Northumbria. A satnav app on Peter's mobile phone kept them on course, along with the reliable instincts of John's dog Nora, as they raised £6,800 for East Cheshire Hospice.
An Unforgettable Experience
John remarked, "If we walked 100 miles, Nora probably covered at least twice that distance by running ahead to check the route before rejoining us. It was an amazing experience. We were blessed with beautiful weather; it must have rained for only 15 minutes. It was my first long walk, so I didn't know what to expect. Every day brought different scenery."
John, a former doctor at the hospice, now works as a chaplain at Macclesfield District General Hospital. He also serves as a Deacon at St Philip's and St Peter's Catholic Churches in Stockport, where Peter is a parishioner. Peter also attends St Alban's in Macclesfield.
Community Support
The walk was sponsored by parishioners, friends, relatives, and colleagues. Peter expressed gratitude, saying, "We're overwhelmed and humbled by their generosity and the acts of kindness we encountered on the walk. It was a spiritual journey retracing the footsteps of Anglo-Saxon king St Oswald, ending on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne."
At the finish line, they were greeted by their wives Rachel and Mary, and Peter's daughter Chloe. Last week, Peter led a church group to a medieval shrine at Walsingham in Norfolk.
Donate
To contribute to their Northumbria challenge, visit justgiving.com/page/peter-and-johns-st-oswalds-way-sponsored-walk.
