It takes a special kind of fan to set off to Bowness Knott in torrential rain early on Sunday morning to accompany your hero round Ennerdale Lake, but there again, Francis Dunnery’s fans are rather special.
They had come from all over the world, USA, Italy, Denmark, Sweden and Germany to walk in aid of the Charles & Kathleen Dunnery Children’s Fund, the charity Francis set up in memory of his dearly loved parents in order to help children in his home town.
This year students at Wyndham School will be receiving the benefits. The international visitors were joined by local families, including very young children, who ate a hearty breakfast in the rain ready for the start. Their courage was rewarded by a break in the rain, though every footpath on the far side of the lake had become a running stream, and in a lovely spirit of comradeship walkers formed chains to help other people’s children across the many torrents.
Just before the walk began, Francis told the walkers of Kate and her daughter, Liz. Kate had hoped to come over from the States to join the walk, but her daughter Liz had suffered a set back in her fight against a brain tumour. Everyone joined in a minute’s applause to send the all the fighting spirit they could across the Atlantic to Kate and Liz.
That evening the same party joined a capacity audience at Rosehill to cheer an inspiring concert. Our review will follow in a few days.
PUBLISHED OCTOBER 24, 2006
Published in Egremont Today