A number of us from the leavers years between 1967/69 got together as a result of the Friends Reunited website and have enjoyed several get-togethers since - a 50th birthday party, home lunches and M & S shopping evenings together with regular contact via e-mail. We all agree that the resulting friendships have added enormous pleasure to our lives and cannot get over the fact that we have so much in common after all these years.  The highlight of the  year must surely be taking part in the 'Playtex Moonwalk' suggested and arranged for us by Denise Foggin.

             WALK THE WALK WORLDWIDE
                           May 10th 2003

When it was suggested last year that 8 'old' schoolfriends should register for the Playtex Half Moon Marathon in aid of Breast Cancer we agreed to forfeit a nights sleep plus spend many hours training for an obvious good cause.  What we didn't realise was how much fun we would have.

The event promotes awareness by encouraging participants to don decorated bras (plain bra supplied by Playtex) and walk either 13.1 or 26 miles along the embankment and up into the streets of London under the cover of darkness. (This they say is to avoid traffic, etc).  We undertook the 13.1 option!

Our team got together via the Friends Reunited website and all I can say is peer group pressure still abounds so training commenced!! We enjoyed many get togethers beforehand which involved walks between 3 & 10 miles duration all strangely ending at a pub for lunch (superb planning).                                                                             On the night we dutifully arrived at Battersea Park wearing our decorated bras in gay abandon. Our team name was 'Ansteys Angels'. We were Denise  (nee Foggin), Sue  Dunsford (nee  Cumpstey), Sandi Taylor (nee Hobbs), Julie Gaymer (nee Samson), Alicia McKilligan (nee White), Judith White, Jenny Ody (nee Earwaker) and Diane Heighes (nee Coster). Covered in flashing lights, sequins and ribbons we were a delight. My daughter-in-law had produced an item of miraculous beauty (pink felt feathers) turning my non-existant chest into proportions worth a second glance! I will always be indebted to her!
                                                                 We mingled with the 15,000 throng having amazingly entered the meeting tent at the same time of 9 pm having only spoken by mobile 3 times. The organisation was brilliant.  We were fed and watered then warmed up with an aerobic workout before setting off at 10.45 pm.
 

left to right - Diane Heighes (nee Coster), Denise Taylor (nee Foggin), Sandy Taylor (nee Hobbs), Jenny Ody (nee Earwaker),  Sue Dunsford (nee Cumpstey)

Walkers ranged from 20's to 60's with a few men joining in (also wearing bras).  The atmosphere was amazing.  We set off towards Vauxhall Bridge onto the embankment with cars honking and late-night tourists bemused by the sight of British women on a Saturday night out!

London by night is to be highly recommended with my only advice being - take a sweatshirt - as we were most unsuitably dressed and never managed to warm up.  I eventually covered up but many completed the route without and I am full of admiration for them.

We split our group into 4, 2 and 2 and my group came in at 4 hours 58 minutes which was an hour behind our intended time but 'pit stops' took forever and if one suggested stopping we all had to go!!

Remembering walking over the finishing line and receiving our medals still makes me strangely emotional (must be the age). Wrapped in foil blankets eating bacon and egg toasties with a mug of hot coffee at 5 am has to have been our best picnic ever!!

Six of us have agreed to repeat the experience next year  whilst two swear never again! - but who knows they may fall foul of that peer pressure again.

If you want to take part yourselves contact www.walkthewalk.org

Diane Heighes (nee Coster)