By John Baron
DJ Sara Cox this week started her ambitious target of running the equivalent of five marathons in five days to raise money for the BBC’s Children in Need.
Ms Cox started the quest on Monday (November 10) in the Kielder Forest near the Scottish Borders, and is expected to finish the entire challenge of getting Pudsey Bear back to Pudsey on Friday.
On the final day she will leave Harrogate, passing through Otley and Headingley before heading through Horsforth.
Last week Friends of Horsforth Hall Park took a call from the BBC to ask for help to organise a welcome in Hall Park.
A spokesperson said: “They asked if we could arrange some music so we called our friends at LS18 Rocks, who are bringing local band Orange Lemonade to perform on the bandstand.
“We hope you’ll be able to join us at the bandstand in Hall Park between 1-2pm this Friday to cheer Sara on before the last leg of her journey to get Pudsey to Pudsey!
Ms Cox will come down the Ring Road from Horsforth to Rodley Roundabout then up Rodley Lane to Calverley before turning up Woodhall Lane to the finish at Calverley Golf Club at some stage mid-afternoon, depending on conditions.
Calverley came under the old Pudsey Borough Council boundary until local government reorganisation in 1974.
Ms Cox will cover the 135 miles on foot across four counties – Northumberland, Durham, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire – covering a distance of five marathons across five days.
Before setting off, she said: “We’re talking 135 miles of hills, moors and blisters – but I am ready for the challenge, and I will absolutely be giving it everything I’ve got.”
Children in Need mascot Pudsey Bear was created in 1985 by BBC graphic designer Joanna Lane. The bear was named after her hometown of Pudsey, where her grandfather Irvine Ball was borough councillor between 1936 and 1955 and town mayor in 1950.
How can I keep up to date with progress?
There is a live tracker on the BBC Children In Need website, where you can follow her progress here.
Other Children in Need events in Pudsey
Pudsey 2p Challenge
The annual Pudsey two pence challenge will be running, organised by Pudsey councillors Dawn and Simon Seary.
It will run all day Friday at Pudsey Leisure Centre and people are invited to drop off 2p pies es they have collected to fill a giant mosaic of Pudsey Bear on the floor of the leisure centre.
Pudsey Sixth Form College
The new college, off Kent Road, will be holding a big community and fundraising day for Children in Need on its grounds on Saturday, 15 November, from 10am to 2pm – when there will be lots of fun activities (including circus skills) and stalls.
The event is intended to give Pudsey residents and community groups a look at the new college while raising money for Children in Need.
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How ridiculous that this feat by Sarah Cox is not actually finishing in Pudsey, but rather some way short in Calverley. It must be the first time in recent history that Calverley wants to be thought of as Pudsey, besides, there are loads of suitable and deserving venues in Pudsey itself.
Not been a good week for the BBC, has it? The mantra of getting ‘Pudsey to Pudsey’ is more like getting ‘Pudsey to, erm, Calverley’.
Of course I wish it well – it’s for a great cause so it’d be wrong for me to get sniffy over this, I hope they raise lots of money. But someone at the BBC has got it badly wrong. Time for a new director general? Oh, wait…
Such a shame that the BBC have cut short the finish line by 2 miles!
Yes Calverley uses the same postal code, but for as long as I have been alive, it has never been classed as Pudsey!
Local councillors tried to over turn the finish line to bring Pudsey in to the actual Pudsey town centre (which would make more sense ?) But unfortunately was not successful.
All the best to Sarah however, no the easiest of challenges!
I can only reinforce the previous comments. Calverley is NOT Pudsey! Whilst Sara’s achievements can only be massively congratulated, it’s a massive shame that her efforts do not culminate in Pudsey!
I totally agree Calverley is not Pudsey and it is not called Calverley Bear!!!
If anyone wants to support children in need local pudsey boy 8 year old has swam ten miles for children in need
https://www.justgiving.com/page/aaryan-mitra-2?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CL
I guess the funds raised is what matters but bad planning to not actually finish in Pudsey!
Outrageous that Sara is doing a brilliant charity event that is now overshadowed by the fact that as other comments state, she is bringing Pudsey bear to Calverley not Pudsey!