Rotary Club of Shrewsbury GUEST SPEAKER – Lynne Siviter
Lynne Siviter pictured with Rotary Club of Shrewsbury President (and husband) John Siviter At the Rotary Club of Shrewsbury’s luncheon on 16th September 2015 our speaker was Lynne Siviter who told us about her sponsored Offa`s Dyke Walk which she did to support John in his year as President of Rotary.
The walk follows, it is said, the Western boundary of Offa’s 8th century Kingdom. It runs for 182 miles from Chepstow in the South to Prestatyn in the North and is marked by well-defined 15ft banks and ditches. There are 600 styles and gates to be manoeuvred. Lynne started from the Southern end, walking about 15 miles a day, staying the night at B & Bs, though towards the end of her journey she returned home at night. John even managed {just} to accompany her on one of the days and her daughter and energetic grandson on another occasion. The scenery was always spectacular and the places by which she passed quite fascinating – Chepstow Castle, Tintern Abbey, the perilous Pontcysyllte aqueduct at Trevor, to name but three! The walking was often demanding, especially when she climbed up an ill-defined path on the Black Mountain through streams and forests of ferns! Lynne`s walk raised £1,600 in sponsorship and she is to be heartily congratulated on making such a gruelling solo marathon. Summary report by Rtn David Jenkins.