After raising in excess of £25,000, the team behind the very successful Winter Sale have decided to take a well earned break. They wish to thank all their loyal sponsors, supporters, volunteers, customers, stallholders, Shipseys and the staff and management of the White Horse in Downton without whom none of this fundraising would have been possible.
JC cooked up bacon and mushrooms enough for everyone to have a breakfast roll to get them off to a good start. Jude rounded everyone up for registration and we had all finally got underway by 9.45am.
By lunchtime we had already stopped at the Butt of Sherry in Mere and the Red Lion, Kilmington – oh and had a coffee and homemade cake stop. Lunch was at Home Farm in Stourton, with a tasty sausage and chorizo casserole to keep everyone going.
Final stop the White Lion in Bourton. As usual people in dispute about the miles that they had walked, but it was in the region of 14 miles. A fantastic day and better still over £2,000 raised.
Many thanks to all walkers, helpers and supporters/sponsors.
We had another successful weekend at Stourton, lots of visitors kept the footfall very high, once again. The weather was not too good on the Saturday, but our faithful local customers/supporters turned out in force and did a great deal of shopping with our favourite traders including new ones: Wiltshire Liqueurs and Country Mouse Gifts who both reported excellent sales.
During the weekend we raised £2,000 which is a fantastic result!
Huge thanks for the generosity of our customers, bakers, traders, volunteers and other supporters.
Stourhead Gardens in a blaze of colour in the Autumn
For more information about Stourhead House and Gardens, please visit: nationaltrust.org.uk/stourhead
You can eat and drink at The Spread Eagle Inn, right next door to Stourton Memorial Hall: spreadeagleinn.com
Alternatively, try the excellent Red Lion at Kilmington, just a couple of minutes down the road and near to King Alfred’s Tower: theredlionkilmington.co.uk
If you need accommodation combined with great local beers and food, try the White Lion at Bourton: whitelionbourton.co.uk
Visit Mere’s finest:
Yapp Brothers, award winning wine merchants: yapp.co.uk
Sprout and Flower, fabulous florals and fresh local fruits and veg: sproutandflower.co.uk
Beaumont Gallery: beaumontgallery.co.uk
Accommodation available at the lovely Castleton House B&B: castletonhouse.com
On Wednesday, 14th December we were lucky enough to be trading at the Christmas Market to raise funds for Rory’s Memorial Fund for Wheels4Life.
It was the first day of good weather that week and we were able to set up in good time in the sunshine. Yes, it was cold, but a lovely fresh day.
Friends and family had been very busy baking and amazingly we raised over £1,000 selling cakes, tree decorations, sunflower seeds and mulling spices, including some generous donations.
On behalf of the family, a HUGE thank you to all the bakers and to all our customers. Also a thank you to Salisbury Christmas Market staff who were so kind and helpful during the day, as well as in the lead up to it.
We are hoping to get a chalet at the 2017 market – watch this space!
Without a doubt, the most impressive fundraising feat for 2015 has to go to Will Oldham, who ran ‘The Big School Run’ in memory of Rory in June 2015. Starting at Marlborough college, and aiming to run over 350 miles in 8 days to all the schools BWS play at rugby, Will didn’t give himself much space for failure. With a knee that was torn to pieces on day 1, Will soldiered through on foot and on bike through each gruelling mile, always with a smile on his face. With the support of his mates, his brother and even some old Bishops rugby boys on the final day, Will reached the finish line at Bishop Wordsworth sports field with his courage intact, and his leg almost intact.
Not only did Will’s run make a huge amount of money for Wheels4Life in memory of Rory, it also proved something even more important. It proved the lengths that Rory’s mates have gone to remember him. The real question is, who’s up next?
Rosie Walworth
On 11th of April 2015, over 50 people (and over half as many dogs) embarked on the annual charity walk in memory of Rory to raise money and awareness for Wheels4Life. It was a beautiful spring day, and unlike past years, the rain and clouds stayed away and allowed for a great day for walking.
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The walk began in Milton on Stour where Lucy and JC’s back garden became a swarm of chatter, sloe gin cocktails, tea, coffee and bacon butties to fuel the walkers for the journey ahead. It goes without saying that some tucked into the alcohol more than others, and as follows, some began the walk at a quick pace, others at a casual stroll.
The walk allowed for dogs and their humans alike to make new friends and sniff each other’s bottoms (the dogs that is). As well as giving those who knew Rory fondly to recall memories and laugh about the time they got to share with him, the walk also allows stories to be told to those who didn’t know Rory, and to keep his memory alive in that way.
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A ‘Rory’ walk wouldn’t have been complete without multiple tea and cake stops, with huge thanks to everyone who helped out, and an extra thank you to JC for his unrivalled lemon drizzle. Not only this, but each walker was even treated to a huge vat of chilli to gorge themselves on at lunchtime. Needless to say, the second half of the walk was done at a more casual pace.
With bruised feet, and blister plasters a-plenty, the tired crowds eventually reached their final destination, the White Lion at Bourton. With plenty of pints to numb their aching limbs, everyone sat down to celebrate another successful walk in Rory’s memory. It’s only left to thank the continuous generosity of time and energy from Lucy and her Gillingham/Mere lovelies for their stoical support for the charity and the walk every year. Keep your eyes peeled for information on the next walk on this web page.
Rosie Walworth
During the weekend of November 16th and 17th of this year, we will be holding our annual Christmas Fair at the entrance to Stourhead Gardens, Wiltshire. We have some familiar friends returning and some great new exhibitors too. You will find a list below.
We will be selling raffle tickets (available now, please complete the contact form for more information) and amongst the prizes is a unique handmade quilt, designed and stitched in fantastic detail by Greer Tilbrook. Greer very generously donated the quilt to the Walworth family to raise funds for Wheels4Life.
Exhibitors:
Andrew Walworth – oil portraiture – http://www.andrewwalworth.co.uk
Frosty Fox – snoods, mutt mats, hugmees – http://www.frostyfox.co.uk
Party String Lights – lights for all occasions – http://www.partystringlights.co.uk
Strawberry Fields Food – award winning preserves – http://www.strawberryfieldsfoods.co.uk
Plum Duff and Stuff – traditional Christmas puddings – http://www.plumduffandstuff.co.uk
Little Delicious – handmade, gourmet marshmallows – http://www.littledelicious.co.uk
Henry and Primose – decorative and festive accessories – http://www.henryandprimrose.co.uk
Blooming Hill Plants – traditional plants for modern gardens – http://blooming-hill-plants.me.uk
Phoenix Trading – festive cards and gift wrap – http://www.phoenix-trading.co.uk
Owen Barry – leather and suede accessories – http://www.owenbarry.com
Fanny Adams – recycled vintage items, now one-off designer pieces – http://www.fannyadams.me.uk
The Recycled Glassware Company – eco friendly gifts and homeware – http://therecycledglasswarecompany.co.uk
Confusion Glass – beautiful handcrafted glass jewellery – http://www.confusionglass.co.uk
Sensual Soaps – handmade soaps, shower gels and bath bomb ballistics – http://www.sensualsoaps.co.uk
Sunday only:
Chattering Marmot – ladies accessories – http://www.chatteringmarmot.co.uk
New Forest Chocolates – hand crafted chocolates – http://www.newforestchocolates.co.uk
Stourhead Gardens attract many thousands of visitors throughout the year, but the Autumn colours are very well publicised and for very good reason!
For more information about Stourhead House and Gardens, please visit: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/stourhead
We very much hope to see you at some point during the weekend.
Rory Walworth Fundraising 