Life In Recovery: tourist

Friday, 22 May 2015

'Doing your bit': London Legal Walk 2015

A little bit of a more general/personal post today! But, as with the voting post I did here, it's ultimately all about helping the community and improving lives and well-being.

On Monday 18th May 2015, I, along with over 9000 other people, took part in the London Legal Walk.
The 10 kilometre walk around London is held each year to raise funds for free legal advice charities in London and the South East. Individuals, universities and law firms took part. I even saw babies and dogs tagging along! To find out more visit the London Legal Support Trust website here,
So far, with just this walk, over £600,000 has been raised!

Personally, it was an incredible experience. The weather turned out beautiful, after a very dull and wet morning! I had been a little concerned about making it round the whole 10km course, but I'm thrilled to say I managed it in just over two hours. This is a bit of a milestone for me, as two years ago I was struggling to walk 10 metres, let alone 10 kilometres!

So, overall, it was not only a brilliant opportunity to raise money for an awesome cause and meet some inspirational people, but also a personal triumph.

As you can see from the photos, we saw lots of different parts of London. It was a great opportunity to explore London, even though I've been here a while now it's still so much fun to play at being a tourist! We started and finished the walk behind the Royal Courts of Justice, just round the corner from the Law Society, in the heart of the legal district of Chancery Lane...an apt setting and one which I find both inspirational and aspirational. There was a street-party afterwards and we danced to Samba music, drank beer while the stilt-walkers weaved in between the crowds and dressed up for silly photos in the (rather cool) photo booth.

I highly recommend the event to anyone who is interested in law, justice, equality or social care. It's superbly run and organised. It's also a fantastic opportunity to network whilst getting some good exercise and raising money for a deserving cause. You'll definitely see me there next year!

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Friday, 7 November 2014

Tower of London Poppies

Today I finally managed to see the installation of 888,246 ceramic poppies at the Tower of London that have been marking the centenary of the start of World War 1.

If you are unaware of who created the installation and what the sea of red poppies is all about then please read on for an extract from the official website.

"The major art installation Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red at the Tower of London, marking one hundred years since the first full day of Britain's involvement in the First World War. Created by ceramic artist Paul Cummins, with setting by stage designer Tom Piper, 888,246 ceramic poppies will progressively fill the Tower's famous moat over the summer. Each poppy represents a British military fatality during the war.
The poppies will encircle the iconic landmark, creating not only a spectacular display visible from all around the Tower but also a location for personal reflection. The scale of the installation intends to reflect the magnitude of such an important centenary creating a powerful visual commemoration."

Below are some photos I took while visiting this incredible and moving sight.

If you can get to the Tower of London before they remove the installation then I urge you to do so. It is a powerful and evocative sight. The mass of poppies deftly show the scale of the loss while creating a resonant and iconic image. I believe the artists have managed to create both a visually stunning and touching commemoration to the lives that were lost during World War 1.