Camino Way trek '˜destiny' for Shoreham man

Uncanny experiences and odd coincidences have made David Solomons feel he is destined to walk the Camino Way.
David Solomons is following in the footsteps of his parents by raising money for St Barnabas House hospiceDavid Solomons is following in the footsteps of his parents by raising money for St Barnabas House hospice
David Solomons is following in the footsteps of his parents by raising money for St Barnabas House hospice

The journey, also known as Camino de Santiago, is a network of pilgrims’ ways across France and Spain to the shrine of Saint James the Great in Galicia.

David, 51, from Shoreham, has been fascinated by it ever since he heard about it and the experiences he had over several months made it seem he was destined to take on the 800km trek.

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David, who invented the Snugglebundl and is now a street entertainer, said: “It literally feels like something I have to do. Having lost my mum to cancer in December 2014, I decided that I wanted to do this walk in her memory and to try to raise some money for the St Barnabas House hospice in Worthing.

“I cannot express enough praise or gratitude for the work they do for families during the most difficult times and it would mean a lot to give a little back to them to say thank you.

“I know that my mum would be delighted that I am doing this and also really worried about me but this would be just the kind of crazy thing she would expect me to go and do.”

David’s father, Mike Solomons, is leader of Findon Friends of St Barnabas House, a group which has raised more than £23,000 for the hospice since he took it over in 2010.

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David explained: “My mum and dad have always been really big supporters of the hospice for as long as I can remember.

“I know that these days there are so many worthy causes asking for donations and we all have such tight finances but if you can afford to sponsor me even a small amount it will all help.”

He had no long distance walking experience, so allowed himself six months to train and improve his fitness levels to be able to walk 20 miles a day.

David added: “I am very grateful for the help and support of my local gym, Three Sixty Fitness in Shoreham, who are not only setting me workout goals and helping with my training but also sponsoring me, too.”

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David is due to start walking on Wednesday and aims to complete the walk in six weeks, including a bit extra at the end to take him to the coast.

He hopes to raise £1,000 in memory of his mum, Mary Solomons. Visit www.justgiving.com/david-solomons to make a donation.