Albert's boots (aged 76) are made for walking!

Keen walker ALBERT WRIGHT, of Derwent Drive, became a widower when his wife of 42 years, Josephine, died of cancer in 1990.

Ever since, the pensioner, who is a member of the Hucknall Leisure Centre-based 56-Plus Club, has completed an annual walk to raise cash for the MacMillan Nurses charity and Cancer Research UK.

The nurses provide special care for cancer sufferers and did so for Josephine.

Among Albert’s completed challenges so far have been the Pennine Way, the Cleveland Way, a walk from the east coast to the west coast of England and walks round the coastline of the Isle of Man and Isle of Wight.

He has collected a sterling total of 16,000 for the two charities and shows no signs of stopping after completing his latest challenge inside four days and raising another 618.50.

The Lake District Walk started at Penrith on May 1 – a poignant choice because it was the date on which Josephine died.

Covering 15 miles every day, Albert’s first trek took him south along Ullswater and through to Patterdale.

Then he went from Patterdale to Ambleside. On day three, he walked on to Lake Windermere and on his final day, he went to Kendal via Bowness.

Normally Albert, who used to spend a lot of time caravanning in the Lake District with his late wife, undertakes his charity walks in a team of four. But this was the first he has tackled solo.

Now re-married to Doreen, his wife for the last 15 years, Albert said: “It was a tough walk. There were a lot of ups and downs. But there was a lot of spectacular scenery to take in.

“The walks are always worth it to raise money for such good causes. I don’t know where we will walk next year.”

n OUR PHOTO shows Albert (centre) presenting cheques for 309.25 to John Barnes, for MacMillan Nurses, and Eileen Brown, of Cancer Research UK, outside Hucknall Leisure Centre.