UNOFFICIAL BEER WALK 2018

By Ken Bennett

They came in all shapes and
sizes wearing costumes and make up from hilarious to the bizarre.

But all the fun-loving entrants had just one mission: to keep the spirit of a legendary and much-cherished Saddleworth memory alive.
This year community champions Justin Brown, 49, and his sister Angie, 33, who owns a Greenfield hair salon, launched the seventh ‘unofficial’ beer walk from Greenfield’s satellite centre.
They were joined by groups of happy go lucky followers and ,after fortifying themselves with bacon butties, set off on a challenging 11-mile hike across the Saddleworth villages.
Some entrants collected money for specific charities and others, including ‘veterans’ from the original Beer Walk, renewed friendships with walkers from previous memorable treks.
The original walk was organised by Saddleworth Round Table and raised hundreds of thousand of pounds for worthy community causes. However, it had to be scrapped because of problems.
Justin, who owns a kitchen fitting business, said: “We had an excellent turn out and everyone really get on well with each other.
“It’s more like a family gathering than a walk,” he declared.“And we all really set out to enjoy ourselves.
“Overall, this weather, was a great success.We had a lots of smiles and support from locals many whom, over the years, had taken part themselves.”

Veteran beer walker Billy Lamb, who wore an original beer walk tee shirt, said: “The event is part of Saddleworth folklore and everyone really enjoys the day.”
The youngest ‘entrant’ was 18-months-old Isabelle Ransom, accompanied by her parents and friends, dressed as ballerinas – nicknamed beer-arenas. They collected £330 for a cancer research charity.
Others in costumes, many homemade, ranged from characters from TVs Dads Army to blockbuster films including Star Wars and Toy Story.
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