Arundel walker's poignant South Downs trek

THE great outdoors awaits an Arundel hotel worker about to set off on a four-day trek across the South Downs, which would have been unthinkable four years ago because of a medical condition.

Simon Aston, 50, will also spend three nights camping on sites along the Downs on his 50-mile walk from Amberley to Eastbourne, leaving on March 1, in aid of the Royal British Legion.

He couldn't have contemplated such a feat for many years, when he suffered from a condition, cluster headaches, resulting in up to six migraine attacks a day. Four years ago, however, he started taking new medication, and the improvement has been dramatic.

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"It was pretty tough before these new drugs," said Simon, who works in the kitchens at the Norfolk Arms Hotel, where he also lives.

"The headaches used to keep me indoors, and it was pretty tough. Now I am able to spend more time outdoors for the first time since leaving the Army almost 30 years ago.

Snowdrifts

"I still get the migraines about four times a month, but I am relatively clear. I wouldn't have been able to do this walk if I had still been having them as often."

He is dedicating his walk to the memory of Lord Mountbatten and 18 members of the Parachute Regiment who were killed in separate terrorist bombings in Northern Ireland in August, 1979.

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Simon was serving in the province at the time with the Army Catering Corps, attached to an infantry battalion of the Duke of Edinburgh's Regiment, and although he was not involved in either incident, they both had an impact on soldiers over there.

"It made a big impression on all of us. Security was heightened. And in the forces, Lord Mountbatten was well liked."

He has been on several walks to prepare for his hike along the South Downs, and not even last month's snowy weather could prevent Simon, originally from Congleton, Cheshire, completing a tough circular route from Arundel to Amberley, trudging through deep drifts in places.

Anyone who would like to sponsor Simon should log onto the website https://www.bmycharity.com/V2/southdownwaywalkcamp

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