FOUR CANAL! Another chit-chat charity challenge!

HOT OFF THE PRESS

Rachel is lost and distressed in west Norfolk after following the Great Ouse, not the big booze.


I shall do my best to comfort her.

Justgiving logo

We're currently undertaking some essential monthly site maintenance. Our techies are working as fast as they can and we'll be back very soon.
Thanks for your patience.


site maintenence




Give me a shout when It'S BACK UP IF YOU GET CHANCE. oops caps

It's up and running now, Kenny.
A friend of Sparky has donated recently today.

Still no word from him since 15:22, by the way!

Any news on our hero? Maybe he got as far as the second or third pub and just stayed there.

Fair play to him if he did

HALLO! I made it to the end, although my progress was severely interrupted by a Rachel. Muntz and co are asleep on my floor, they missed a train! FOUR CANAL!!!

Battery on my phone died btw.

Well done sparky.

thank you.

indeed.

well done sparky and team, a fine effort.

If I'd seen the photo of Rachel earlier, I'd have done the walk with you.

I've pressed the donate button, and the plese wait sign has been flashing for the last 15 mins!!




   1. I'll stick to the terms of service and I know that JustGiving will never spam me or try to sell me anything. Ever.
   2. I'd like to donate faster next time. Remember me and my payment card.

      Please enter a password so you can manage your payment card at any time. This gives you a JustGiving account.
          * Password

            (min. 6 characters)
          * Confirm your password

We're ready to process your donation.

Just click 'donate now' to confirm, and you'll be able to add a message on the next screen.
Please wait…

still flashing

Dunno! Works OK for me...nothing's come through...maybe refresh the page? And Rachel will be delighted!

what's refresh F6?

not sure, but it's the two arrows at the top of the explorer browser!

got there, cheers.

Money received, many thanks!

You're very welcome. What was the ratio of miles walked, pints consumed?

about 5:1. We had a lot of fun though. Muntz and friend have just left. I'll upload some photo in a bit, although I'm sure you'll be devestated to learn my camera had died by the time I met them!

Well done, Sparky (et al). After that effort, I've temporarily suspended my application to have you deported.

I have uploaded photos as evidence!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/50889261@N03/

There seem to be an awful lot of attractive women involved in this walk.  Stoke has been given a poor press.

They just follow me. I'm the pied piper of clunge.

And Basildon must seriously regret not paying me.

Well done Sparky and Muntz!
And thanks to all the lastest donators.

Great photo of the Dragonfly, Sparky - and your blisters!
Can't stop smiling at your 15:18 remark!

*latest

By the way: It's not too late for any further donations on the Just Giving site, for anyone who'd like to make one.

http://www.justgiving.com/fourcanal

Better news still! We're going in the paper again tomorrow, the Sentinel just phoned! I told them we'd raised 2100 cos I think with all the pledges and stuff we'll end up around there. I also said Sainsbury's are giving us 600 quid, although that amount isn't fixed either. I asked them to include Rachel's name as well as the walkers, as she did drive up :-)

Ha ha! (about Rachel) - excellent news Sparkster!

It's not a dragonfly, it's a damson fly! Mind you I've many a time mistaken a dragon for a damsel!

I thought the damsels had long tails? That's why I was unsure of which sex it was at first.

I'm probably mixed up, though!

[Tail - as in abdomen]

I only know Tommy, because there was a big board set up with a picture because they're so proud of the protection work they've done! 'They' being some anonymous canal people! If it had been me I'd have possible identified it as a very small aeroplane.

BING BONG Another tenner for the cause - my mate Jake, who says 'I wanted to make sure you did it first!'

Thanks Jake!

Total amount raised, after gift aid and justgiving's fee, has now passed £2100

Well done all of you, a fine effort.  Especially with a hangover.  I can imagine those last few miles were really tough.

Thanks UTI!

A few things I don't think I got round to mentioning...

I totally missed out a few pubs I was hoping to visit. The first, at Stone, was closed when I got there (and met Muntz' family). The second, at Salt I missed the exit for, leaving me to conclude that i was horribly late. I did make it into the Woolpack at Weston where the barmaid was fit but thick, believing that Great Haywood must be further away because it was 'bigger' than Little Haywood. It was just 3 miles down the canal. I also witnessed an unfolding tragedy in the toilets. When I first went in I went in the bogs to check the state of my feet and I noticed there was no toilet paper. Ten minutes later, while having a wee, I noticed someone was in there. haha, I thought. 20 minutes and two pints later, I went in again, and there was a kid stood waiting by the sink and his mate inside the cubicle..."No, wait for me outside the pub..."

Had a whale of a time with Rach and Scott (her ex, who'd driven her up) in The Clifford Arms in GH, where we discussed the above incident and how, as a bloke with socks, you've always options. The term 'a two sock job' for a particularly violent toilet incident was coined. We all needed to eat so they drove to the next pub while I pegged it two miles down the canal...they'd ordered in advance and had got me EVERY side-order!!! It was awesome!

The last two hours though, man that hurt! Decided I was gonna just get a taxi all the way back - 36 quid but they ciouldn't send one until 12.15! In the meantime some of the worst karaoke ever was performed and a man picked me up for no apparent reason. Muntz and co left, and came back, having missed their train, and we all got happily sozzled.

"two-sock job"

job

Yes a very funny summing up, Sparky!

Well done again to you and Muntz and the walkers with Muntz.

You hurtled through the beer garden upon your arrival at The Boat, Sparky - we almost missed you!

Oi Sparky...where are the pics of the actual walking? All I can see are pretty views and pretty women and a few men drinking....

Well done to Jacob , Theresa and John!

That's a good point Jimmy...I was on my own so it wasn't really possible...that was one amazing thing, the canals were DESERTED. Not even many boats out! I've got some more pics of rach coming though!

Dom can you put up the group one?!

And yes! Over 2.1K now! AND we were in the Sentinal again today, with a bit more info but they OMITTED the extra names I sent them :-(

I've put the group photo on my blog (in the last few minutes!)

It's a bit out of focus, but the camera is kaput - not John's fault!

http://fourcanal.blogspot.com/2010/07/woo-hoo.html

Thanks to John (Sean's sister's boyfriend) and Theresa!

Muntz, I accept we look better blurred, but they took clearer pictures than that of The Alamo!

Sadly, they did!  Possibly something wrong with the focus on my camera - nothing comes out in focus any more

Just read the Sentinel report, Sparky. Excellent news about Sainsburys.
As for the picture, Muntz, it's about 1% better than the spitfire photo in Brum!

Tommy, there's news and there's 'news'. Sainsbury's don't know they're supporting us yet, but now I've put their name in the papers...

Thanks Tommy!

Ah, I see, Sparky. A cunning plan, eh?!

Roll on next year!

They have a matched earnings scheme Tommy, so I didn't want to claim until we'd got as much as we could, but also wanted to make sure they saw some benefit! It's actually a benefit perhaps that the Sentinal only mentioned me and Muntz as they might...and I stress might, give us half, which would be amazing!

It would!
I still haven't received the cheque I was promised. As so much of my post goes missing these days, I'll give it until tomorrow and if it doesn't come then, I'll e-mail my friend to put a stop on it and send another.

have you got sainsburys to match your funds effort?

That's the plan DFMS. Not made the claim yet though, for obvious reasons...another 355 quid today!

Sparky - around £1200 has come from you, your connections, and betfair people other than me

£530 from Sean's connections

The rest from me, my family (with a bit more to come, I hope!) and soccerlotto people

Muntz, was the £330 today from Walker's too?

Yes, it was - John is Sean's sister's boyfriend.  We met him at Penkridge.  He took the photo!

Well that's brilliant, Muntz - £530 plus gift aid from the crisp makers at Walker's!

Had Sean's sister's boyfriend taken his glasses off too, Muntz?!

Muntz, the forum donations are for all of us, they're neither mine nor yours, and a good many are more for Tommy - bottom line is we all...you, me, sean, Tommy, your brother and other family, Rachel and her ex...all did their bit.

But yeah, I'll try and stress my involvement when asking for money!

No, it's the camera.  Every picture I have taken with it comes out out of focus, and has done for a couple of weeks now.  Day's only disappointment.

Muntz, you may have turned the flash off?

Saturday's pic was taken with the flash!

Ok the camera's fecked then! They cost like about 30 quid now though so so don't worry!

what the bloody hell is it up to now?

Well done all.. fantastic effort!!

Muntz.  I can't believe that with all your quizzing prowess you still thought Red Bull was milk based.

I'll have to put it on your "Things you used to believe which turned out not to be true" thread.

I'd thought it was something like Nurishment, for some reason.  No idea why, I just did.  Imagine my surprise when I actually tasted it!

It did seem to give me an energy boost, admittedly.

I find it revolting stuff I have to admit.  Only time I drank it was with vodka, used to be able to stay out later than I normally would.  Don't do that anymore.

I probably would have it again - if I were doing an all-day walk when I'd had almost no sleep the night before . . .

I only ever use lucozade sport for running.  energy drinks and gels and stuff are big business now, Triathletes and long distance runners spend quite a lot and do a lot of research in getting the right drink/gel/snack bar for during the race.

I had six pints and a massive plate of chips. Seemed to do the trick.

15 quid overnight from Aide 'I'm not gay but I DO moisturise a lot' Rushton and Ruth 'I've not spoken to in 15 years' Doughty!

I had a couple of bottles of lucozade, too.  My brother - ex-marathon runner - provided us with some fruit bars.  Tommy Toes suggested (Stupidly, I didn't ask him until afterwards) I should have taken jelly babies for the day itself, and eaten pasta the night before.  Overall I was quite happy with my energy levels at the end of the walk; nearly all my discomfort came from my ankles and calves.

Yes, I've used jellybabies (and similar) sweets before when on long runs.  The gels are sickly so I don't use them

Your contacts doing very well, Sparky!

lol Matt and Rachel are new Yearbooketeers. Rhiannon has given us all the she could without going overdrawn, which is kind of a new take on the 'all that I have' Jesus story! She was also the girl we wrote the website address on at my birthday party!

She didn't charge a fee?

No although...I probably bought the majority of the drinks!

sparkmaster. Joined: 07 Aug 01
20 Jul 10 10:39   

"I had six pints and a massive plate of chips. Seemed to do the trick."

Great stuff Sparky!
Well done to all the latest donators too.

Whose big sister is that? A very generous 25 quid! Can't believe we're STILL getting donations!

Martin's big sister.  And, strangely enough, mine!

Hurrah! Been an interesting thing, getting sponsors, very few of my 'best' friends have sponsored, but a lot of other people I know have.

ttt for any last scrapings from drunken big winners!

Well done to all participants.  A great effort!

Ha ha! Well done Mark Little - and Muntz's sister.

Yes - well done Mark Little, his portrayal of lovable rogue Joe Mangel added a comic element to Neighbours, which made the early 90s a golden period of the show.

Actally while we're about it, can I also thank my mate Dave Little for sponsoring us on our walk.

Ha ha!! have I got the name wrong - again?!

yes!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-10717922

Could have been us!

ffs

I don't think Rach fill the shirt out as well as Muntz or myself, but at least she got some use out of it - emergency festival wear!

http://i34.tinypic.com/2wp5us2.jpg

And yes, www.justgiving.com/fourcanal is still accepting funds!

Rachel

I think she looks just the weensiest bit better in it than you or I did, Sparky!

Yeah...well...she's got make-up on and stuff.

Still, wouldn't mind a big handful of Penkridge right now.

Laying my head in Stoke looks a bit more comfortable than last time I did it!

Only a week to go until the appeal closes!

Thought I'd recover a Sparkmaster thread in his memory. Perhaps we could all rescue one from the archives when we get a spare moment?