Day 2 - The Day we Went to Parliament!
- Rhiannon Eaves
- Feb 16
- 4 min read
Hey everyone! I hope you're all enjoying these little behind-the-scenes stories and reminiscing about the walk as much as I am.
Day 2 of the Walk for Pia was definitely the most eventful! It was a lovely 16 mile walk, which felt like a bit of a relief after the long distance of day 1. We purposely chose a shorter distance for the day because we had so many exciting things lined up.
One of the best parts of the day was walking through central London. It was the perfect mix of sightseeing, distractions, and stunning views of the River Thames. Plus, we had some special guests join us! Barney and Kevin, my dad’s old work colleagues, and Jonathon, one of dad's good friends, came along for the walk. Having 3 new faces join was a breath of fresh air and kept everyone entertained. Especially Barney, who thought he could tackle a 16 mile walk in espadrille shoes! Fair play, he did manage it, but it could not have been very comfortable!
We set off that morning from the hotel, and I remember stuffing my face with pastries before we began. Honestly, that was one of the perks of walking such long distances: we had to eat constantly to keep our energy up!
Around two hours in, we arrived at the Houses of Parliament for a tour. A huge thank you to former MPs Angela Richardson and Alan Cairns, who were incredible supporters throughout the walk. They showed us around and took us to the terrace, where we sat down for a coffee, overlooking the Thames and all of London. It was such a surreal moment, and I remember thinking just how big this walk had become—and how overwhelmed I was by everything.
After our Parliament tour, we were absolutely starving, so we stopped by Pret for sandwiches and snacks. We found a park to sit in, enjoying a sunny break in the heart of London. That’s when Abbie and Emily, our friends and members of the Pancreatic Cancer UK team came to meet us. As we approached their office, we were met with an incredible surprise: the whole team was outside cheering us on, waving banners, and playing music. I don’t think any of us expected that, and we were all in tears. It was such a heartwarming moment!
We chatted with the team about why we were doing the walk, shared stories about mum, and learned more about the work Pancreatic Cancer UK is doing. That visit gave us all such a boost and was exactly what we needed to keep going for the rest of the day. So, a huge thank you to everyone at Pancreatic Cancer UK for making that day so special!
During our visit, we unexpectedly had our first casualty; one of many during the walk! Laetitia was the first victim! Her and I went to the bathroom and somehow, a door smashed into her head and she had a massice gash down her face! She soldiered through, but by the end of the day had to visit a nurse on the way to the pub to get bandaged up.
After the high of our visit to PanCan, the rest of the walk became more of a slog. Despite the emotional boost, we were all starting to feel the strain. We kept pushing forward, relying on each other for support. We kept pushing on and what made us motivated to keep going was the thought of the pub in Wimbledon at the end, where some of our family was meeting us. Honestly, I was especially excited to see my newborn cousin, Emily—I couldn’t wait to hold her! I feel like a cuddle from a baby can cure everything!
So, we kept walking, and every mile became harder! But, once we got into Wimbledon town, we walked past our friend Gaynor’s house who was coincidentally joining us from day 5. She sprinted out in her flipflops and walked the last couple of miles with us. It was just what we all needed because she was in such high spirits and made us all laugh.
We eventually got to the pub at the end, and we were all so relieved. We went straight to the bar and ordered pints of cider and beer and some chips. We saw our cousins Camilla and Jonny and baby Emily, and I did not let her go! As we were all relaxing, a man in a Welsh rugby jersey came over to speak to us. He saw Emilia and I wearing our Pancreatic Cancer UK t-shirts and told us that he was a survivor of the disease. The cancer was discovered by chance at a check up for his low iron, and the early detection meant they were able to remove the tumour before it spread. Not only that, but he is from Barry, where mum and dad grew up and knew my Nonno, my mum’s dad! I was so overcome with emotion meeting him. It felt like fate that we should see him in a random pub in Wimbledon. He was so touched by our walk that he donated money on the spot. His survival story reinforced why we were doing this walk, and it gave me an even greater determination to raise as much as possible to help others like him.
Day 2 was absolutely amazing. We had so many incredible experiences and unforgettable memories. Looking back, it’s the day that stands out the most for me, and I often think about Pete and wish I could thank him again for sharing his story with us.
Next week, I will talk about day 3, where we had even more friends join us! Looking back, the fact that we went to Westminster for a cause so close to our hearts still blows my mind. It just shows how much love there was for mum and how her presence was truly felt that day. By the end of Day 2, though, I was physically and emotionally wrecked—but in the best way possible! It was such a meaningful, emotional, and unforgettable day and it was all for my beautiful mumma.
With love,
Rhiannon
Comments