Category: Living With Cancer Strollers

International Friendship Day Walk

The August Living with Cancer Strollers coincided with International Friendship Day. International Friendship Day is a United Nations day that promotes the role friendship plays in promoting peace in many cultures. The Stand up to Cancer support group spent the day celebrating the special friendships that offer support, love and laughter during some of life’s most difficult moments.

The Living with Cancer Strollers celebrated the day with a gentle walk in the August heat around Cosmeston. There’s plenty of friendship and laughter on these walks so if you want to join us, see you the first Thursday of September at 10:30am.

 

 

National Meadows Day

National Meadows Day

National Meadows Day is an annual celebration of wildflower meadows across the UK. The event takes place on or around the first Saturday of July every year. National Meadows Day events are helping to raise awareness of the importance of meadow conservation of a fast disappearing habitat.

The Living with Cancer July Stroll coincided with this special day and the strollers felt fortunate to be walking under bright blue, cloudless skies amongst a huge range of wildflowers, insects and grasses. Cosmeston has an abundance of wildflowers and Tess and Helen did a great job naming a selection including knapweed, orchids, oxeye daisies and cow parsley.

The strollers were also treated to the sight of a grey cygnet with its proud mother.

 

We are lucky to have Cosmeston on our doorstep with its myriad of paths. It’s different every time the strollers go there! You’re welcome to join us: the first Thursday of every month at 10:30am.

 

 

Sunshine, Orchids And Blue Skies

 

Sunshine, orchids and blue skies were in abundance on this month’s Living with Cancer stroll in Cosmeston. A happy band of people met at the information centre at Cosmeston and welcomed Alan a new walker.

So what did the strollers think about the walk? I asked them for their thoughts on what they enjoyed about the walk:

“Sun shining. Great walk.”

“A lovely peaceful walk in sunshine and shade. How lucky are we to have Cosmeston on our doorstep?”

“I enjoy the camaraderie.”

“I loved the serenity of our gentle walk today.”

“So many wild flowers to enjoy.”

“The company.”

“Chatting while we walked.”

What a thoroughly positive group….if you want to join us, see you next month on the first Thursday at 10:30am.

 

 

 

Cosmeston Stroll

 

Why does a walking report have a picture of smiling people sitting in a cafe, sipping coffee and eating cake, to accompany it?

 

The answer is straightforward: the chat and the coffee (other beverages are available!), are an important and integral part of any Cosmeston stroll. On this spring walk, Betty and Helen found themselves leading the walk. When Lynne caught them up and asked them to guide the group back to the cafe, they replied that they were too busy talking to know how to get back!

The good news is that we did get back. Two Canadian visitors joined the walk and thought Cosmeston Lake was as impressive as any lakes they have seen in Canada. I think they were being generous in their praise, but Cosmeston certainly is an attractive place at this time of the year.

If you would like to share in the beauty of a short stroll around Cosmeston and enjoy a chat during the walk and afterwards in the cafe, then we will meet you at 10:30 on the first Thursday of every month outside the information centre

May Walk Report

 

Why does a walking report have a picture of smiling people sitting in a cafe, sipping coffee and eating cake, to accompany it?

The answer is straightforward: the chat and the coffee (other beverages are available!), are an important and integral part of any Cosmeston stroll. On this spring walk, Betty and Helen found themselves leading the walk. When Lynne caught them up and asked them to guide the group back to the cafe, they replied that they were too busy talking to know how to get back!

The good news is that we did get back. Two Canadian visitors joined the walk and thought Cosmeston Lake was as impressive as any lakes they have seen in Canada. I think they were being generous in their praise, but Cosmeston certainly is an attractive place at this time of the year.

If you would like to share in the beauty of a short stroll around Cosmeston and enjoy a chat during the walk and afterwards in the cafe, then we will meet you at 10:30 on the first Thursday of every month outside the information centre

 

 

St David’s Day Walk

 

Welsh cakes were distributed before the March walk to celebrate St David’s Day and to provide an extra boost of energy to combat the extremely windy conditions.

The Living with Cancer Strollers were advised to avoid trees around the park due to the wind, so the walkers stayed on the more open paths. This meant that newly cleaned and shining boots quickly became immersed in thick mud, as the rain the previous day had turned many of the grassed areas into mini quagmires. Nothing a quick wipe with a cloth wouldn’t be able to handle!

Our two youngest strollers enjoyed the puddles and mud so much that they abandoned the walk at the

Play  area! The rest of the group battled through the wind and red cheeked, and in some cases, red nosed, arrived at the cafe for a well-deserved hot drink.

If you want some gentle exercise, with a welcoming and sociable group, join us at Cosmeston on the first Thursday of every month at 10.30am.

 

 

Some Simple Steps To Improving Your Mental Well Being

Psychotherapist Noel McDermott has said there are some simple steps to improving your mental well being. They include

Getting enough sleep

Meditation

Doing housework

Gardening

Ignoring your phone

Getting a pet

Smiling

Getting more friends

Exercise

Going outside

While it may not be possible to alter your body clock to get more sleep, the living with cancer strollers can help you smile more, get exercise outside and meet more friends!

February’s stroll around Cosmeston certainly made us smile as the sun shone, then showers nearly caught us and mud pools were avoided. We took a new route to take in the new bridge and couldn’t resist a photo. No troubled waters in Cosmeston!

If you prefer a leisurely walk in good company rather than improving your well being by hoovering, or tidying the garden…..then join us at Cosmeston on the first Thursday of every month at 10:30.

 

 

Walking Off Christmas Excesses

There was a great turnout for the first strollers meeting of 2019. Two year olds mixed with “slightly” more elderly walkers as all sought to walk off the Christmas excesses. Christmas bobble hat gifts were in abundance, but all agreed that Pam’s bobble outdid the rest! The walk circumnavigated the entire park and was the longest the group had attempted. But with plenty of opportunities to admire the scenery, rest and chat, the walkers easily completed the challenge.

A recent article in the i newspaper celebrated the walking achievements of an octogenarian from Edinburgh. Jim Snodgrass was prescribed regular walks by his doctor to improve his health. He had a series of serious health problems including cancer, hearing loss and a heart by pass, but after taking his doctor’s advice to walk, he racked up more than 1000 miles in less than a year! He said, ” one friend told me that I am the only person she knows who gets younger every year.”

So….the living with cancer strollers group can’t promise you an everlasting youthful appearance, or a 1000 mile count on your step watch, but it can offer a friendly walk with a sociable group in a wonderful lakeside location.

Make it your 2019 resolution to join us for a stroll, on the first Thursday of the month at 10:30, at Cosmeston Information Centre.

 

 

The Final Walk of 2018

The living with cancer strollers had an unusual and unprecedented experience on their final walk of 2018. The walkers got wet! Since its inauguration the walkers have been fortunate every month to walk in dry, sunny conditions. The weather did not dampen our enthusiasm, although our Christmas hats wilted in the drizzle!

After a long stroll through the trees the walkers were treated to a wonderful Christmas lunch at the lakeside cafe. Crackers pulled, jokes told, turkey eaten, the group disbanded until January’s walk. If you want to join a sociable, friendly group for a short stroll, meet at the Cosmeston Information Centre the first Thursday of every month at 10:30

 

 

“Social Prescribing”

 

GPs are going to be encouraged to refer people for activities including dancing, cooking and walking groups. GPs will be able to refer people to these and other, social activities, Theresa May has announced. Instead of prescribing pills and medicine, doctors will be encouraged to use “social prescribing”. In this way, Mrs May believes there will be reduced demand on the NHS and an improvement in people’s quality of life.

The good news is that there is no need to have a prescription from your GP to join the Living with Cancer Strollers. If you would like a sociable short stroll, in lovely surroundings with an amicable group of people then just turn up at the Cosmeston Information Centre on the first Thursday of every month at 10:30am. November’s walk circumnavigated the perimeter of the park and we all appreciated the Autumn leaves which were bathed in sunshine.

December’s walk will have a Christmas theme and Santa hats are an essential item of clothing, alongside the walking boots of course!! I hope you can join us.

 

 

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