WHEN Dave Collett arranged a Lands End to John O’Groats charity run in memory of his wife, he didn’t anticipate a reunion in Tameside with her former neighbour.
But when Dave reached Mossley, en-route from Cornwall to the tip of Scotland, there was an unexpected catch-up with Pauline Hall.
Deborah, who lived next door to Pauline on Manchester Road before moving to Halifax, died of breast cancer aged 55.
“When I planned to do this, I wanted to run through Halifax and work it round my 60th birthday,” explained Dave, managing director of a Yorkshire based transport company.
“So I put the route in Strava and for this particular stage it plotted me via Manchester Road and stopped outside 341. How peculiar is that?
“This is where Deborah lived; Pauline and Steve lived next door. We were always looking over the garden fence, chatting to each other.
“It must be 23-24 years since we last saw one another. So, it was lovely to catch up again after all this time,” said the dad-of-three.
After saying his goodbyes, Dave and running companions from Northowram Pumas made their way through Saddleworth onto Marsden towards a stage finish at Overgate Hospice, Elland.
Dave, who began his marathon journey on July 3, passed his fund-raising target of £10,000 for the Hospice – including a donation from Pauline – well before his scheduled finishing date of September 13.
• Anyone wishing to donate can do so via www.justgiving.com/fundraising/collett-jog