Striding Out at 80 – Former Councillor Walks For Charity

Published on: 22 Jun, 2015
Updated on: 22 Jun, 2015

Keith Chestrton, suitably equipped with extra ears, ready for his fund raising walk to celebrate his 80th birthday.

A former councillor is to mark his eightieth birthday by walking from London to Portsmouth for charity.

Keith Chesterton, is a former county councillor (1989 to 1993, Guildford North) and a former borough councillor (1999 to 2007, Stoke), both for Labour, is hoping to raise money for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People.

Keith strides out while preparing for his 90 mile walk.

Keith said: “When I reached 80, I asked my children not to give presents but to help me raise money for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People. They agreed – but still gave presents.

“My father became totally deaf when I was ten-years-old. His life altered in lots of ways and he had to give up his job as a policeman. But one help was his dog, Scruff, who alerted him to people around.

“I decided to try to help other deaf people get a properly trained dog, so decided to do a sponsored walk to raise money for Hearing Dogs for Deaf People.

“I’m going to walk from London to Portsmouth, visiting the sites of the 16 Semaphore Towers that linked the Admiralty to the Fleet at Portsmouth from 1822 to 1847.”

Keith intends to average 16 miles a day over the 6 days from June 29th to July 4th on a route he has planned using mainly footpaths. His children and grandchildren will join him on some or all of the walk.

He will start at Nelson’s Monument in Trafalgar Square and finish by HMS Victory in Portsmouth Dockyard. The 1st navy semaphore signal station was on the roof of the Admiralty and the last on the Square Tower on Portsmouth seafront, later at the Semaphore Tower in the dockyard.

The semaphore tower at The naval semaphore tower at Chatley Heath, one of 16 that Keith will pass by on his walk.

The only preserved Semaphore Tower is on Chatley Heath by the A3/M25 junction. Other local ones were at Semaphore House on Pewley Way, in Sandhills near Witley and on Haste Hill above Haslemere.

Keith added: “In the past, as a regular walker, I would have found it easy, but I’m afraid my age and an artificial hip joint, inserted two years ago, means it will be a personal challenge, but one I’m determined to finish.”

Anyone wishing to support Keith’s walk can do so via the website: www.justgiving.com/Keith-Chesterton/

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