ROUND THE GREEN - 50 TIMES

Chair Dave Thompson successfully completed a special fundraiser on the first Saturday in August walking 50 times round the 500-metre Church Green in his home town of Witney.

Dave, 79, says: "The weather was perfect and there was loads of support, including from my wife Jean, daughter Marie and her old school friend Georgina who all did a few laps with me."

The sum raised to date is £800 but could be more as the JustGiving page remains open until the end of August.

Dave started the walk at 1300 and finished just under five and half hours later at precisely 1824 in a nod to the RNLI bicentenary which is being widely celebrated this year.

"It was a great afternoon and special thanks go also to Roger Watts and his wife Suzie who were on hand for most of the time and provided and set-up the gazebo which can be quite a task. Thanks also to David Barber, another great helper as the laps gradually counted down."

Next up is Shrivenham Fete on August 24 when the stall's main attraction will be a raffle of knitted ware with an RNLI/seafaring theme created especially by Helen Benton, an old schoolfriend of Jean's.

Dave says: "They're all lovely items, beautifully knitted and there's sure to be a lot of interest."

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