A Flaming Good Idea

Ed: Readers will have seen an early account of last Saturday's Firewalk at the Bridge Inn, but we could just not resist this from our professional feature writer Stephanie Richardson – enjoy :

A Flaming Good Idea

It takes real skill to choke on air, fall up stairs and trip over nothing. I am proud to say I have those skills, which is why I thought it best to avoid joining the admirable group of Firewalkers who spent Saturday evening raising money for St Lukes Hospice.

I have seen some crazy people do some crazy things in my time on this earth, and even though I have a creative mind – imagine about a thousand tabs open at the same time – I have never ever felt the urge to take a walkabout on hot coals. After all you're only given a little spark of madness in life so you mustn't lose it. I did briefly consider volunteering, but I got cold feet and decided to leave it to the other bright sparks!

Having an inquisitive mind is a necessary evil if you live in Audlem, and being a bit of a sceptic, I decided to scrutinise the phenomena of fire walking from the comfort of my balcony which overlooks the Bridge's car park, giving me a central view of all the evenings entertainment. Besides, there was nothing good on the telly so I was hoping that fire walking could prove a bit more entertaining than Casualty.

Forewarned and prepared for all eventualities, Adam Rodda, the proud proprietor of the Bridge, had ordered extra supplies of beer and wine in case any charred feet needed cooling down, or nerves needed to be steadied.

A variety of sick bags were strategically placed in case of distress amongst the viewing public, although from my elevated position I may have seen several dog walkers surreptitiously pocketing a few.

The 'fire walk' is a metaphor designed to show us that we are capable of so much more than we believe. Apparently this unique process helps us to overcome our fears, break through our internal barriers and discover our personal power! Who'd have thought?

I couldn't wait to see these improvements amongst the cream of Audlem's volunteers.
After all, success isn't a result of spontaneous combustion. We have to set ourselves on fire!

I've also been told that the fire walk experience will always be a reminder to us that the only limits that exist are those that we set in our own minds, as our mental attitudes create the difference between success and failure. It would appear that all these volunteers had to do was saunter casually across a path of glowing embers, and end up without so much as a smudge of soot on their feet and they would face the rest of life's challenges successfully!

I must admit that if I were standing down there on the car park, facing a 20 foot long fire pit composed of several layers of wooden logs which were doused with kerosene and set ablaze to 1200 degrees, one of those many little voices in my head would have urged me to meander hastily back to my house, hopefully unnoticed.

Instead, the gathered brotherhood ( and sisterhood ) of fourteen, took those tentative first steps and, moments later, at the other end of the pit, with embers trailing from naked feet, they all emerged, mostly unscathed, looking totally exhilarated and, possibly, empowered. I guess that was the whole point?

First to have braved the fiercely heated pit was a smiling Ralph Warburton, an old hat at fire walking, who gamely led the way, walking briskly with huge shouts of encouragement from the gathered sceptics! We all crossed our fingers and wished him well as he would be a great loss to our village, should he trip and fall.

In his usual assured and smooth talking manner. charmer Ralph had persuaded one of his sons and granddaughter Honi to join him and they valiantly followed in his footsteps, hoping he had cooled some of the embers!

Having successfully traversed the length of the burning coals at a steady pace and with little evidence of personal damage other than singed trousers, others followed with only the occasional 'Ouch' being emitted between clenched teeth.

Some of us may eventually want to be cremated, but this was neither the time nor the place!

In fact the heady exhilaration of their success led the whole group to confidently return and walk the walk again! I only hope they can 'talk the talk' next week!

Fortunately there was only one casualty – an ember stuck to a foot causing a blister – luckily a bucket of beer arrived speedily and was quickly drunk as an anaesthetic!

Flushed with success, our valiant volunteers retired to the pub to quench their thirst due to dry mouths ( of fear ), freshly empowered and fully deserving of their certificates which are no doubt framed by now and will be permanently exhibited on Audlem's Wall of Fame.

Many thanks to Adam Rodda and his staff at the Bridge Pub for giving permission to use their car park for this fundraiser and to all of those who sponsored the brave but reckless individuals who willingly traversed the glowing embers in order to raise funds for St Lukes Hospice. You'll get your rewards in heaven! Meanwhile St Lukes Hospice will be receiving between three and four thousand pounds when all of the sponsorship money is received.

Footnote:

According to my husband I am a limited edition and there are no other copies. You should all be grateful for this.

I'd walk through fire for my best friend. Well, maybe not fire because that's dangerous, but maybe a super humid room? Well not too humid because, you know........my hair!