Page 239 - The Bugle 2018

LIGHT INFANTRY 50-50-50-50
The Idea
It was over a year ago that Paul (Coco) Cocoran was on holiday with Richard Davey in Dorset when they came up with the idea of 50-50-50-50; on the 50th anniversary of the forming of the Light Infantry, 50 LI veterans would take part in a 50 mile walk from Hereford to Shrewsbury and raise £50,000 for the LI Association to fund the Reunion.
Planning
Coco set about recruiting his team and along with Richard Davey got down to some serious planning. They chose a route from maps and had two recces before they decided where we were to camp over the two nights. In addition, we needed to be fed and watered in the style that we have come to expect, so arrangements were made with some public houses en route.
Coco arranged a coach free gratis from the Shrewsbury based Longmynd Travel to take those of us who would assemble in Shrewsbury to our starting point in Hereford. He also got a load of single man tents at no cost for those who would need one.
Robert (Chad) Choudhury used his charm skills to convince Percy Thrower’s Garden Centre to allow us to assemble, have breakfast before it opened, park our cars in their secure area for 3 days and to have sandwiches laid on for our return.
Colin Davies warned a lot of the proprietors of Ludlow’s drinking holes that 50 old soldiers would be walking by on day 2.
In addition, Richard arranged the 50-50-50-50 T-Shirts for all of us to wear.
The Run Up to the Off
Unfortunately, there were a few LI veterans that could not take part in the march. Dave Matier got in touch with Coco to say that he was living in Canada and was unable to take time off from his job in a haulage company, but he wanted to take part as best he could. It was agreed that on his travels he would take a selfie wearing a 50-50-50-50 T-Shirt in 50 different places which he did raising some funds along the way. Well done Dave.
Also, Tom (Sooty) Sutcliffe was not able to take time off working for Rick Stein in Cornwall. He decided that he would walk to and from work wearing a 50lb back pack. Over 50 days he totalled 300 miles which was a great effort.
In the run up to the march there was some bad news. Maurice (Mocca) Crossley had had a bad accident on his bicycle hurtling down a steep hill in Scotland. He was not able to join us nor to attend the Reunion. It is worth noting that Mocca took part in the Sas Sore memorial walk last year on his bike. He cycled to and fro from Nescliffe and Copthorne Barracks continuously until we walkers arrived at the main gates of the Barracks in a far shabbier state than Mocca. We wish him a swift recovery and return to the cycle track!
On a more cheerful note, Julian Allen joined us but not to walk but in his BMW. Julian had suffered from a very bad accident whilst serving in Germany which damaged his back and meant that he could no longer serve. However, he has kept in touch with the Regiment and has assisted Coco with some of his
fund raising activities albeit on four wheels and not two flat feet. He has benefitted from what Tedworth House has to offer and recently he has been training hard to become a GB squad member for the Invictus Games. Unfortunately, he did not make the final cut for the games in Australia later this year. Bad luck Julian; but we are proud of you.
David Coward, who I have not seen for 3 decades, got in touch to explain that he would not be able to join us for the 50-50-50-50 march nor the LI Reunion which was a great shame. The reason for this was that the BBC, for whom he was making a documentary in the Yemen, had extended the time that David and team were due to stay in the Yemen. He was very disappointed as indeed so were we.
TO AND
FROM WORK
WEARING A
50LB BACK
PACK. OVER
50 DAYS HE
TOTALLED
300 MILES
WHICH WAS
A GREAT
EFFORT
With literally a few days to go, Coco received a call to say that the campsite which we were due to stay on the first night were now not able so to do. Paul Gillum came to the rescue by getting Old Luctonians Rugby Club signed up to allow us to pitch our tents on a training pitch and to host us free of charge over night.
The March
Day 1. On 13 June we assembled at the Percy Thrower Garden Centre, ate a cooked breakfast and then jumped on the coach and an hour or so later we arrived at the Three Elms pub where we met up with the rest of the volunteers. After getting our kit off the coach and sorting it out, having a briefing, uploading the kit into the minibus, a crisp bugle call or two by Kirk (Bear) Jimmy Cohen we then headed off north (the banter started immediately); our target being the Bush Inn at Bush Bank. As we approached the Bush we could see Rory Evan’s mum and dad who had set out from the Three Elms
HE DECIDED
THAT HE
WOULD WALK
THE RIFLES
REGIMENTAL ASSOCIATIONS 245
Tom Sutcliffe doing his own walk in Cornwall