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2025 LDWA 100 – Monday Morning and the End of the Event

Just to finish off my riveting series of posts about the LDWA Flower of Suffolk 100, I decided to just stay at the event all day on Sunday until the last entrant was in. One could say that I’m a loyal servant of the LDWA or, equally, one could comment that I was too tight to pay for a third night of hotels. It is true though that I like being at the event near to the end, it’s when so much excitement comes in and the entrants who have walked throuh two nights come in. Here’s the lovely Susanna who arrived to help in the kitchen, a particularly generous offer of help as she was going straight to Hay in the morning and her sleep was planned for the car journey.

The evening and early morning menu.

The tracker screen went off so we had to look at this all night. Simon and I didn’t say anything. It wasn’t quite what we had expected to watch.

A rather peaceful view from the roof of the sports centre that we were based in for the weekend.

A really rather lovely breakfast, many thanks to the chefs!

Richard fixing his computer.

Richard didn’t do a rota for the event, so I helpfully did one. I note Simon let him see it….

There aren’t many photos of the actual event as I moved to a role of welcoming entrants back in, but the media unit has lots of footage of this and will be producing numerous videos. As usual, the event is over-catered and that’s necessary to ensure that entrants don’t go hungry, but it also has the advantage of meaning that I had a second breakfast. Jayne did a marvellous job of dealing with all the catering, she did the event proud once again.

This is the hall where all the action was taking place just a couple of days before. It is strange to see a space empty, then so full of people and excitement, then empty again.

And Simon eating again.

Anyway, that’s mostly the end of my little series of LDWA 100 related posts, although I’ve recorded lots of footage and taken lots of photos for the media team, so there might be some more highlights to come. Thanks again to all of the volunteers, their contributions were very much appreciated and there are so many stories still to come from the event.

May 31, 2025
Grudziądz – Klimek Tower

[I originally posted this in June 2018 but have updated it to fix the broken image links]

I walked up this small hill to the entrance. It transpired it wasn’t the entrance.

This was the entrance….. My confusion had a fortunate side effect, the large school party at the site had left by the time I had found my way in, so I had the tower to myself.

I don’t like heights, so this at first sight didn’t seem my most sensible choice of the day. However, the stairs were wide, so unless I peered over the edge, I wouldn’t struggle with heights. I peered over the edge (because I’m like that) and immediately didn’t like it.

On and on….

There are numerous pictures and photos of how the tower used to look to gaze at whilst struggling up the steps.

The final steps.

The views made the climb worth it!

At the base of the tower there are some remains of the castle which once stood here. There were lots of useful information boards which added context to the site, and they were all in English.

These are the old drains.

View from the base of the tower.

This is the southern wing of the former castle, partly restructured when some of the building fell down into the Vistula River in the fourteenth centuries (great civil engineers they had….)

This was a really nicely laid out site, especially since it’s free of charge.

May 29, 2025
Grudziądz – Solidarity Memorial

[I originally posted this in June 2018, but I’ve reposted it to fix some broken image links]

Located on ul. Józefa Wybickiego, in front of a prison, is a memorial to the Solidarity movement. I haven’t been able to ascertain why it’s placed where it is, although the town did have a role in the 1970s in the creation of what was to become Solidarity in the 1980s.

This means August 1989, which is when Solidarity took over part of Government, so I assume that the two are linked.

A memorial to Anna Walentynowicz, one of the founders of Solidarity who was imprisoned for a period in the prison behind (which is possibly why the main memorial is here). She died in 2010 and her dismissal from the Lenin Shipyard was one of the causes of the mass strikes which hit Poland in 1980.

Underneath is a memorial to Edmund Zadrożyński, a local trade union activist who stood up the authorities when it was highly dangerous to do so. He spent some of his final years in prison and died in Grudziądz on 22 November 1982.

An information board, with a few of the faces covered over with dirt. Politics is a dirty business….

May 29, 2025
Grudziądz – American Burger

[I originally posted this in June 2018, but have reposted it to fix some broken image links]

OK – it doesn’t look much from the outside, but it’s the best rated burger restaurant in Grudziądz and so it deserves a visit.

The menu is simple, I like that, complexity rarely works well.

There’s a nod to the US diner theme, and lots of American flags. It’s basic, but it looks fine and it’s clean.

There was a selection of beers, but Lech is fine with burgers. So that’s my piwo of choice 🙂

The service was really friendly and although in Polish, I felt welcome. I can see why the restaurant is well reviewed, it feels like a family-run operation.

The food…. The burger bun was crispy, which gave needed texture to the meal. The burger itself was meaty, moist and not greasy, and it had a pleasant flavour. The lettuce added crunch and the chips were firm on the exterior and fluffy on the interior.

Overall, the quality was towards the higher end of the scale. It was at the appropriate temperature, neatly presented and had a pleasant taste.

The burger, chips and beer cost around £4, which I think represents very reasonable value for money. Recommended 🙂

May 28, 2025
Grudziądz – Level Restaurant

[I originally posted this in June 2018, but have reposted it to fix some broken image links]

I cheated a little with my restaurant choice today, as this is the hotel’s dining option. However, it looked contemporary in its design and the menu was interesting.

Actually, one of the main reasons I came here was my free Accor drink. White wine, I have no idea what type…

Beautifully presented, although a little bit random perhaps. There are warm shrimps, mango, orange, avocado, peanuts and coriander. There’s meant to be a Thai sauce, but it just tastes of orange to me.

However, despite the textural challenge that the peanuts presented, the ingredients actually worked well together.

Not normally a dessert person, but I was intrigued that they had Eton Mess. They had got a little excited with the fruit, but the meringue sections were light.

All good meals need a beer. Unfortunately they took the bottle away, but this is from the local Olbracht Brewery. It’s a dark gingerbread beer, called Gourmet Foch.

Total price, excluding the wine, was around £8. Expensive for Polish standards, but the environment is pleasant and the service is efficient.

May 28, 2025
2025 LDWA 100 – My Certificate

One of the handy things about my walking the last stretch of the walk with Łukasz was that I decided I was sort of eligible for a certificate. And I’ll treasure it!

May 27, 2025
2025 LDWA 100 – Łukasz Finishes

One of the friends I was tracking around the event was Łukasz, who is a naturally very brave person who I’ve obviously inspired over the years. He was starting to tire towards the end, so as a treat for him, I decided that Richard could drive me to the last checkpoint and I’ll walk back. I’d add that Richard didn’t walk back, as it’s three miles and Łukasz and I didn’t have time to wait for him to faff about.

Navigating back, these dangerous looking cows were visible and I’m glad that they were the other side of the fence. It’s fair to say that Łukasz was not finding these three miles the easiest, but he was determined to keep going even though he wondered whether he should have retired earlier. There’s a huge amount of the 100 that is a mental challenge and Łukasz certainly has that resilience. Also known as stubbornness, but that’s fine.

It was only just getting dark, a lot of the entrants walked through two nights, but Łukasz was only really going through one other than these last couple of miles.

I wouldn’t normally take a photo of an entrant worn out, but it’s Łukasz and he’d expect me to.

I of course had a finish beer for him. The on-site medic looked at his feet which weren’t in the poor state that Łukasz had feared which is all to the good.

So ruddy bloody brave, and he was back up on his feet the next day being courageous and strong.

May 27, 2025
2025 LDWA 100 – Sunday Progresses

As the second day unfolded, Sunday proved to be an exciting affair with the entrants starting to come in which kept us busy and slowed down my progress on this blog. Here’s Richard on his strict diet.

Well, how lovely.

Peter deliberately brought bananas to annoy me.

A little jacket potato snack.

The wonderful Karen after completing another event and she always looks nearly exactly the same at the end as at the beginning of the event, so graceful!

And well down to Rob on his completion, beating his fastest previous time by some hours.

Some of the hundreds of trackers.

The steak pies were delicious….. I’d add there’s more to the event than food. Maybe.

May 27, 2025
2025 LDWA 100 – Neil Carter (My Most Favourite Entrant)

The safe return of Neil, my favourite entrant! I agree with him, I am an inspiration with my general bravery.

May 25, 2025
2025 LDWA 100 – The First Finisher and a Little Look at Control

Simon interviewing the first entrant in, Terry Brewster who completed the event in 20 hours and 30 minutes. It’s fair to say, that’s rather good.

Pam and we’ve agreed that we’re two of the best marshals going, and also very humble.

Sarah modelling with the menu.

The menu…..

Hot dog and coleslaw, delicious.

And a sneak look at the control room in mid-flow.

May 25, 2025