Latest news with #KevanBall
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
'As we laid a pennant by his headstone, we reflected on how thankful we should be'
Four men from Bolton on a cycle challenge have reflected on "how thankful we should be" for those who laid down their lives in the First World War. Colin Higham, Kevan Ball and Rob Taylor are in the middle of cycling 634 miles along the Western Front Way this month, with Russell Jones providing support. The trail follows the historic frontline of the First World War, from the French-Swiss border to the beaches of Belgium. The quartet reflected during a poignant moment, stood by the grave of Richard Nelson in the middle of rural France, hundreds of miles away from his home on Lee Lane, Horwich. They said: "We thought this challenge was one of the hardest things we would have ever done, but then we met an English lady in our hostel who was walking from Canterbury to Rome, which put our task into perspective. The lads at the grave of Richard Nelson (Image: Submitted) "Then we thought no matter how tough either challenge was, they pale in comparison to what those lads faced along this front in the First World War. "On Monday we all stood together in a graveyard in the middle of rural France next to the remains of a lad who lives in a butcher's shop at 201 Lee Lane, Horwich, a shop we have all walked past hundreds of times. Read more: Bolton schoolfriends' epic journey to pay tribute to those who died in the Great War Read more: 'Successful' charity music festival set to return to Bolton Read more: Free cat welfare clinic to take place at shopping centre "As we laid a Rivington and Blackrod School pennant by his headstone, we reflected on just how thankful we should be for the lives we now lead." The grave of Richard Nelson (Image: Submitted) The quartet are also raising money for three charities - the Royal British Legion, Children in Need and St Ann's Hospice. To donate, click here: As of Friday, June 16, they have completed 566 miles of the journey and have raised £2,455. For more information on the Western Front Way, visit the Western Front Association's website: The quartet, who will all turn 65 this year, met when they were schoolboys at Rivington and Blackrod School, and will visit the graves of 16 of the 24 young men from their old school who died during the war. Colin Higham was struck by the idea after reading The Path of Peace: Walking the Western Front Way by Anthony Seldon.
ITV News
01-06-2025
- ITV News
Friends take on Western Front Way to honour old primary school's First World War heroes
ITV Granada Reports journalist Andrew Fletcher has been speaking to the cyclists preparing to take on the Western Front Way. Three childhood friends are undertaking an "epic" charity cycle challenge to visit the war graves of fallen soldiers from their old school. Colin Higham, Kevan Ball and Rob Taylor will cycle 634 miles along the route, with Russell Jones providing support, to pay their respects to 16 of the 24 former pupils who died in the First World War. Their names are etched on a remembrance stained glass window inside Rivington and Blackrod School's chapel in Horwich, near Bolton, where the friends, now aged 65, once attended. The retirees have been preparing to take on the Western Front Way - a 620 mile trail that follows the historic frontline of World War One, stretching from the Belgian coast to the Swiss border. Colin was struck by the idea after reading The Path of Peace: Walking the Western Front Way, which describes the footpath on No Man's Land - the perilous strip between opposing trenches where many soldiers lost their lives. He said: "We have done a lot of research into these boys. The last grave we're going to visit on the way is a boy whose brother also died on the Western Front and his father was the headmaster at this school. "We're hoping the children in the school now will relate to these stories and we can all learn a lesson of what happened during that terrible time." The cyclists say they are committed to ensuring that their local heroes are remembered and honoured. "This challenge is about more than just a cycle ride," said Kevan Ball, a veteran who served for four decades in the British Army. "It's a journey of remembrance, honouring the memory of local heroes and supporting vital charitable causes that continue to make a difference in our community." The entire expedition will be self-funded and all donations will be distributed between a several charitable organisations including The Royal British Legion, Children In Need and St Ann's Hospice. They will leave home on Monday, 2 June, before beginning the ride in Basel on Wednesday, 4 June.
