A long line of walkers on the final stage of this year's Walk the Wight on Sunday. Pictures by Jennifer Burton.
VIDEO FOOTAGEAROUND 10,000 people took advantage of perfect walking conditions to take part in Sunday’s Walk the Wight in aid of Newport's Earl Mountbatten Hospice.
Early morning cloud and drizzle were replaced by glorious sunshine as participants walked, ran, stilt-walked, hobbled and limped their way across the Island.
Before Sunday, 8,275 walkers had registered to walk either the full 26.5 miles between Bembridge and Alum Bay, half the distance, or the newly-introduced eight-mile Flat Walk along the cycle path from Sandown to Newport, and organisers have estimated that more than 1,000 more registered on the day.
Hospice fundraiser Karen Eeles said: “After last year’s torrential rain, who would have thought we’d get so many people? The atmosphere was fantastic.
“It takes a year’s hard work to organise but on the day, it’s all worth it.”
Fundraisers are hoping the total raised will exceed last year’s figure of £230,000.
One walker who completed the whole Bembridge to Alum Bay course, 64-year-old Mary Ralph, of Alverstone, said: “The day was full of courageous people helping each other with a wonderful spirit of camaraderie.
“They say one in three people will get cancer, so it seems fitting that we should do this walk for the hospice because it’ll probably touch most families.
“It was great to see people of all ages and abilities, with lots of youngsters in particular taking part."
Earl Mountbatten Hospice Walk The Wight 2008.
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• Pictures from our online gallery www.iwcpgallery.co.uk below. Click on the image for a larger version.
• PARTICIPANTS in Sunday’s Walk The Wight were almost blown off their feet by a helicopter filming the event, it has been claimed.
Police had a complaint from a marshal the helicopter was flying so low some walkers were nearly blown over.
However, the helicopter’s pilot and owner, Maurice Hynett, deputy chairman of Bembridge aircraft firm BN Group, said he was unaware of any complaint and denied flying low.
“I have been flying for 53 years, as a civilian and in the military. There was a job to do and I did it, but there was no low flying.
“When people saw the helicopter they were cheering and waving,” said Mr Hynett, who was carrying a cameraman from Island-based company UK Entertainment Channel.
Mr Hynett and the channel, who donated their services free, were asked to help film the event to produce a charity DVD to raise further cash for the Earl Mountbatten Hospice.
A police spokeswoman said the marshal was told any complaint would have to be dealt with by the Civil Aviation Authority.
A spokesman for the CAA said they were looking into it.
• Full reports and pictures in the Friday, May 23, County Press.