Comedian Ben Van der Velde is on schedule to complete his walk of London's Underground network in aid of the Refugee Council this Saturday. He aims to be in the Knightsbridge area between 4-5pm. Contact 07764 745261 for more details.
The 330 mile journey will have talen him 26 days, which so far has seen him:
- walk via 307 stations ("not the 270 I thought, damn DLR")
- be joined by 15 travelling companions
- receive 147 individual donations and counting
- raise £3425.33 and counting
- be asked 9 times if he was actually walking through the tunnels
- experience 0 blisters (but plenty of chaffing), 1.5 bleeding nipples ("don't ask"), 1 sprained ankle, 1 inflamed achilles, 2 splinted shins, 1 sunburn and one
trenchfoot ("on the same sunny sodden day")
- visit Heathrow twice ("I forgot terminal 5!")
Van der Velde, a Jewish Geordie comedian, now resident in Archway, London, was moved to attempt the walk because he wanted to do something tangible about the refugee crisis and raise money for the Refugee Council.
He said: "It's been a tremendous amount of fun to wander around an entire city for 5 weeks, getting to know it's nooks, crannies and unlikely surprises. I've been staggered by many things: how tired simply walking can make you; how supportive friends, family and strangers have been; just how much zones 3-5 there is; how bad my sense of direction is without GoogleMaps; how much ice baths hurt and what a remarkably diverse and sprawling, joyous mess London is."
"Most of all I'm so thankful to everyone who's donated to the Refugee Council, who are a remarkably steadfast bunch working so hard in turbulent times. I can't wait to finish and go do something easy like finish writing an Edinburgh show."
Ben's schedule is below.
Day 1: Northern Line (Morden – Kennington) 13.5 miles
Day 2: Northern Line (Kennington – Euston – Kennington) 13 miles
Day 3: Northern Line (Edgware – High Barnet, via Camden Town) 30 miles
Day 4: Hammersmith and City Line (Hammersmith – Paddington) 5 Miles
Day 5: Circle Line (Kings Cross- Kings Cross) 22 miles
Day 6: Bakerloo Line 21 miles
Day 7: Rest
Day 8: Victoria Line (Walthamstow – Brixton) 19 miles
Day 9: District Line (Richmond- West Kensington) 9 miles
Day 10: District Line (Upminster – Algate East) 21.5 miles
Day 11: District Line (Wimbledon – Earl’s Court) 8 miles
Day 12: Central Line (Wanstead – Rodding Valley) 7.4 Miles
Day 13: Central Line (West Ruislip – Liverpool Street) 29 Miles
Day 14: Central Line (Bethnal Green – Epping) 26 miles
Day 15: Rest
Day 16: Jubilee Line (Stanmore – Baker Street) 16 miles
Day 17: Jubilee Line (Southwark -North Greenwich) 17 Miles
Day 18: DLR (Poplar – Blackwell via Stratford High Street) 9 Miles
Day 19: Metropolitan Line (Harrow-on-the-Hill – Wembley Park) 5 Miles
Day 20: Metropolitan Line (Amersham – West Harrow) 20 Miles
Day 21: Piccadilly Line (Heathrow All Terminals – South Ealing) 20 Miles
Day 22: Rest
Day 23: Piccadilly Line (Uxbridge – Acton Town) 21 Miles
Day 24: DLR (Tower Gateway – Lewisham) 8 miles
Day 25: Waterloo and City Line (Waterloo and Bank) 2 Miles
Day 26: Piccadilly Line (Knightsbridge – Cockfosters) 23 Miles
Day 27: Sweet release of death
Day 2: Northern Line (Kennington – Euston – Kennington) 13 miles
Day 3: Northern Line (Edgware – High Barnet, via Camden Town) 30 miles
Day 4: Hammersmith and City Line (Hammersmith – Paddington) 5 Miles
Day 5: Circle Line (Kings Cross- Kings Cross) 22 miles
Day 6: Bakerloo Line 21 miles
Day 7: Rest
Day 8: Victoria Line (Walthamstow – Brixton) 19 miles
Day 9: District Line (Richmond- West Kensington) 9 miles
Day 10: District Line (Upminster – Algate East) 21.5 miles
Day 11: District Line (Wimbledon – Earl’s Court) 8 miles
Day 12: Central Line (Wanstead – Rodding Valley) 7.4 Miles
Day 13: Central Line (West Ruislip – Liverpool Street) 29 Miles
Day 14: Central Line (Bethnal Green – Epping) 26 miles
Day 15: Rest
Day 16: Jubilee Line (Stanmore – Baker Street) 16 miles
Day 17: Jubilee Line (Southwark -North Greenwich) 17 Miles
Day 18: DLR (Poplar – Blackwell via Stratford High Street) 9 Miles
Day 19: Metropolitan Line (Harrow-on-the-Hill – Wembley Park) 5 Miles
Day 20: Metropolitan Line (Amersham – West Harrow) 20 Miles
Day 21: Piccadilly Line (Heathrow All Terminals – South Ealing) 20 Miles
Day 22: Rest
Day 23: Piccadilly Line (Uxbridge – Acton Town) 21 Miles
Day 24: DLR (Tower Gateway – Lewisham) 8 miles
Day 25: Waterloo and City Line (Waterloo and Bank) 2 Miles
Day 26: Piccadilly Line (Knightsbridge – Cockfosters) 23 Miles
Day 27: Sweet release of death
Donation link:
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Ben-Van-der-Velde1
