From home to Rome...on foot

And every step of the 1,300-mile walk he is planning, from his Bradford home to Rome in May, the 64-year-old will be thinking about the ten-month-old grandson he lost seven years ago, on January 5.

“It is devastating – you don’t get over it. I still get emotional about it,” says Bob.

It was through little Callum Carruthers’s treatment for a rare genetic condition – a mitochondrial disorder – at Leeds General Infirmary that Bob and his family learned about Bingley-based brain tumour charity, Andrea’s Gift.

Over the years, the family have raised £27,000 for the charity through various fundraising activities.

Bob, who retires from his role as a landscaper in a few months, has always had an interest in Rome.

His father was born in Colchester, a Roman town, and he and his brother spent many memorable holidays there visiting family when they were young.

“Colchester used to be the old capital of Britain,” says Bob.

It was his interest in Roman history that gave him the idea for the charity trek.

“I am very keen on Roman history, but I’ve never been to Rome,” says Bob. “With me retiring in April, my wife said we’d go there for a holiday so I can get it out of my system!

“It occurred to me what we could do and I said, ‘you fly there and I will meet you there.’ She said, ‘what do you mean?’ I said I would walk there!”

He adds: “Because I’m retiring, I wanted a challenge, I always want to do things out of the ordinary. I thought with me being 65, if I don’t do it now, I may never do it.”

Last year Bob joined a walking group and regularly clocks up between 30 and 40 miles per week, so he’s already in training for his big adventure.

He’s determined to do it the Roman way and is plotting his trek along an original pilgrim route from Canterbury, in Kent, to Rome.

“If Roman Legionnaires could walk all the way from Rome to York all those years ago, surely I can walk from home to Rome. That’s where the germ of the idea came from,” he says.

Bob originally intended to follow the route of the Roman roads. “But I did some research and it’s proving to be rather difficult to do that because of the modern road system,” he explains. “Fortunately, I found the pilgrim route all the way from Canterbury to Rome, called the Via Francigena.

“But I won’t be walking in Roman tunics,” he laughs.

Bob is now busy planning his trek. The first leg is from his Undercliffe home to Canterbury, and from there to Rome.

He says he intends to take weekends off to savour the scenery rather than just passing through. “I’m not rushing through France and Italy. I may walk for five days and have two off,” says Bob.

“It’s not a race – I want to get there, but I want to see places I’m passing through. I want a challenge, but it’s also something I will enjoy.”

Bob is hoping to raise thousands of pounds for Andrea’s Gift. To cut down on costs, he will be camping.

Working as a landscaper, creating eye-catching gardens and driveways, Bob is used to the great outdoors.

“I’ll be backpacking, but once a week I will stay in a B&B so I can shower and get myself clean,” he says.

Bob’s wife will join him for part of the walk and will fly out to Rome for their holiday. “She will come out to do part of the walk with me because she’s getting into walking as well, and we can spend some time together,” says Bob.

“Then she will fly out to Rome to meet me there when I arrive and we’ll spend our holiday together – then I’ll walk back!” he jokes.

Bob’s daughter, Alison Carruthers, says the family decided to support Andrea’s Gift after seeing firsthand the charity’s care and support while they were in hospital with their son.

“It was through Callum that we became interested in the good work they are doing,” says Alison.

Alison, whose 11-year-old son was four when Callum died, says supporting Andrea’s Gift gave the family something to focus on.

“To me, you have a choice – either you go down the dark route or you do something positive with the experience. As a family, that is what we have done.

“We have gone through it as a family, but we found positives and one of those things was by supporting Andrea’s Gift,” says Alison.

“I deal with things in a very positive way. It still troubles me that I lost him but, in a way, I was not going to let him die and then me fall off the edge of the world.”

Alison is proud of her father for taking on his challenging trek in Callum’s memory.

“I am always very proud of my father, he is the most amazing human being. I totally believe he can do this and it’s a great thing for him to do,” she says.

Carol Robertson, fundraiser and charity development manager for Andrea’s Gift, says: “I have known Bob’s family for many years. The family found us when their precious grandson, Callum Carruthers, sadly died in 2004 at the age of ten months.

“The family’s involvement helped to shape the charity in the early days. They raised thousands of pounds by walking the national Three Peaks and holding other events.

“Callum’s dad Stephen was a charity trustee and Callum’s mum, Alison, has been, and continues to be, a fantastic supporter of Andrea’s Gift.

“Bob’s trip is another amazing fundraising event from an incredible family. I can’t imagine the planning and sheer effort involved in this event – just organising the route will be an achievement in itself.

“The support we have received from the Clarke/Carruthers family is wonderful. I never cease to be amazed by people’s resourcefulness and commitment, especially when they are facing terrible situations with unthinkable outcomes.”

- Anyone interested in sponsoring Bob is asked to visit justgiving.com/ bobclarke, or call Carol Robertson on (01943) 870770 for further details.