The trilogy is complete – In the name of Thiago – Day 181

 

After the longest walk I’ve ever been on in my life yesterday, today was only ever going to be about ‘topping up’. I had a far more leisurely start to the day too – well I have been off this week.

 

After brewing up the builders, who arrived at around 7, I did the lunches and agreed that I’d take Elisa to school. I decided that I’d then turn that into the start of today’s walk to my Dad’s place in downtown LA as my mate Steve refers to it. So, while the Longton area is probably only about seven miles door to door from my gaff to walk, I deliberately turned it into something more to satisfy my desire for miles in the bank. Today’s walk worked out as 12 miles.

 

 

This is what walking to school with Elisa looks like these days. It’s fair to say that she’s a lot more frustrated than I am about the school’s rightful insistence that a responsible adult – or in this case, me – be present at the beginning and end of the school day to drop off and collect the children.

 

After a massive circuitous detour to get things going after dropping off her ladyship, I’d managed about four miles by the time I got into Newcastle town centre and started wandering around a few of the subways.

I'm not going to pretend to be a great connoisseur of subway art, but I liked this. I like the colours that have been used and there’s also something about the miner’s facial expression that I can’t quite place. Is he deep in thought, focused, in something of a trance or is he just sad?

 

 

This one’s slightly easier to pick apart I would say. Having said that, while I am prepared to forgive the lapse in the spelling of deaths, I find the description of the Tories as being cuts slightly more troubling!

 

It was about another mile from here before I got to the place I’d planned my route around today, and that as you can see below, is where my good lady Angélica works and my little man Thiago was born. I also made a little video while I was stood outside the front of the hospital, which made me quite tearful today.

 

 

I’d like to give a big shout out at this point to my fellow bereaved parent Gayle Routledge, who ten years ago today, lost her son Lewis to neuroblastoma cancer. Through her wonderful charity A Child of Mine, she has created a National Bereaved Parents Awareness Day. It’s a wonderful legacy for Lewis and something that she should be rightfully proud of. It won’t take away any of her pain but as I’m finding, doing something like this is great for your mental wellbeing. Gayle, I shall light my candle at 7pm.

 

Angélica has just placed a gin and tonic in my mitt, which may be a polite way of saying wrap this up boy. I am delighted to oblige as it’s Friday night and some fun needs to be had. Before you have your fun folks, do consider donating to the wonderful cause of helping me create a legacy for my son Thiago on National Bereaved Parents Awareness Day. If you can help, I’d be incredibly grateful.