AN appeal has gone out to everyone taking part in the 44th annual Bridgnorth Sponsored Walk on Bank Holiday Monday to ensure that it is completed safely.
Police will be on duty at the Ludlow road junction with the bypass where traffic lights will help to ease about 1,000 walkers through as they return to the town.
“A lot of time, effort and resources has gone into providing the lights in conjunction with police officers and the council highways department,” said Walk committee
chairman Derek Moorhouse. “We would ask everyone to respond to police instructions at all times.
“We now have to officially ‘close’ the walk at 6pm when the police duties will end, but stragglers need not worry as we will ensure that nobody is left stranded or unaccounted for,” he added.
Signs have also been put up on the bypass advising motorists about the walk. And Mr Moorhouse has also appealed to drivers to take particular care on the narrow roads while the walk is in progress.
Mr Moorhouse said the ‘full house’ signs had gone up on Walk entries for the fourth successive year.
A total of 1,200 seniors are registered for the 22-mile walk which will start from High Street at 10am and go to the summit of the Brown Clee and back, while the junior walk has a capacity 250 entries.
“We expect about 1,000 seniors to turn up on the day – last year we had 1,050,” explained Mr Moorhouse. “The numbers had dipped a little until Peter Davison took up the role of entries organiser.
“He has widened the scope by putting the Walk details on the internet and this has prompted a lot of interest from outside. Everything else is much the same as before and we hope, weather permitting, that everyone has fun.”
Mr Davison said entrants would be coming from as far away as London, Southampton, Weymouth, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne and Newbury.
He urged walkers and spectators to park their cars early in readiness for the start when the mayor, Councillor Val Gill, will cut a tape. The mayor’s husband and consort, Ray Gill, will be among the walkers.
There will be a number of attractions between the Town Hall and Waterloo Terrace and a food fair. High Street will be closed to traffic.
The Walk presentation evening will be held at St Mary’s Church on Monday July 19.