Final Day - Dalkeith to the Palace of Holyroodhouse - I DID IT!

Crossing the finishing line..!



Flying the flag with Ben!

 

The final walk to the front door..

 

Into the arms of waiting parents..

 Ok, before I go any further, I have to say that I did it – I crossed the finishing line and walked through the glorious gates of the Palace of Holyroodhouse – Wahaaaaay!


Luckily, after such a miserable day walking from Lauder, I had a much needed rest day yesterday. Ben came up to join me last night and we set off in stunning sunshine this morning – just the same as when I walked away from Buckingham Palace all those weeks ago. I had come full circle weatherwise and we had definite springs in our steps (it was also seriously cold so we had to keep moving!) when we arrived at Dalkeith for the last part of my journey. I had a really easy day today – ‘only’ 7 miles and we ambled along the A7 into Edinburgh. I felt an extraordinary sense of relief mixed with nostalgia as I went through the usual routine of buckling up the rucksack, filling up with water, zipping all my kit up and putting on my loyal, well worn boots. Soon I would be back down in London, back to reality but not just yet – i was going to savour every last mile. The walk went too quickly and Ben and I had to ‘kill’ time a bit to ensure that i was on schedule to arrive at Holyrood at the agreed time. We had to pop into shops and buy supplies and loiter in the sunshine and admire the view. We got lots of funny looks as Ben took photos of me standing and grinning ear to ear underneath the ‘Welcome to Edinburgh – the Inspiring City’ sign. I couldn’t stop smiling. My body felt tired – almost as if it knew that i didn’t have to walk much further and it was time to relax at long last.

Then Ben left me on the Old Dalkeith Road into the city and i walked the last bit on my own. I knew that my family and friends were waiting at the gates and I took a moment to soak in the feeling of sheer elation. This crazy idea that I had dreamed up one evening in the bath had amounted to this incredible adventure, not to mention an enormous amount of money (£30,000 and still going) for the wonderful Lymphoma Research Fund. I felt like I was sleep walking through the busy crowds of shoppers and I had to pause at the top of the Royal Mile and take a deep breath. My journey was nearly over and I had come so far. I told myself to remember this moment and I set off down the old cobbled street towards Holyrood (rather slowly actually as I imagined slipping over a few feet from the gates which would have been a bit tragic really). Then I saw all the faces of my family and friends waiting for me – Mum, Dad, Ben, my godmother Morag and a few of the wonderful friends who walked with me – Ioni, Philly, Rowena and Katie. There were cheers and clapping and a group of Holyrood staff – all dressed in their very smart tartan and waving Union Jack flags. I couldn’t focus properly and I felt the tears roll down my cheeks as I walked towards the gates and (I LOVED this bit) pushed away the ribbon across the gateway with my chest (Olympic runner style!) I pushed through the ribbon and straight into the arms of my waiting parents. I said to my father (the inspiration behind all of this) “I did it – I told you it was just a walk and boy was it a long one!” Huge thanks to the fabulous team at Holyrood and for their warm welcome and delicious tea of chocolate cake and champagne. There are so many ‘thank yous’ to make and I’d rather not risk sounding like an Oscar recipient so I will just thank my parents for their unending support despite having to put up with their daughter risking her life on a daily basis and not dismissing the idea when I first mentioned it. My father is the reason this walk ever happened and his bravery has been my constant inspiration...and to my mother for her positive thinking and courage (and for being a brilliant ‘Director of Finances’ !) Thank you to my brother Charlie who was much missed today but flying back from Sydney especially would have been a real extravagance! He got me through the first 2 days and this walk was never just ‘mine’ – it was ‘ours’ after all we’ve been through as a family .....ok, I DID do the hard graft I suppose! My final thank you goes to my wonderful Ben (lucky me), without whom this walk would never have happened and I’d probably still be stranded on the roundabout of the A19. His guidance and reassurance these past few weeks have got me through it all – not to mention his patience (I did telephone a LOT of times asking for an alternative route and a way out of whatever wrong turn I had taken!)

And finally to all those many people who have supported me and donated so generously. Every penny will make a difference. The battle against cancer is an ongoing one but it is not a lost cause. The wonderful staff who treat my father and others at the Nottingham City Hospital are true heroes. We, as a family, will always be in their debt.