One Nottingham family is hoping for an Indian Summer, as they’ll be spending most of September outside. Sophia Collins and Ross Winter will walk from one end of the Trent to the other, as part of a project celebrating the river through a mixture of stories and music.
Beginning at Biddulph Moor, Staffs on 1st September and ending at Trent Falls, Lincs on 21st Sept, Sophia and Ross will walk ten miles a day, taking in 19 places along the route, including Stoke on Trent, Burton on Trent, Nottingham and Newark. At each stop, the team will put on a performance of music and storytelling, and then invite the audience to share their own stories. “No-one will have to get up on stage unless they want to, they’ll just be talking in small groups.” says Sophia. “But everyone has a story.” They will also receive support from Sophia’s mum Tricia (former mayor of Gedling, Notts) and her dad Dave, a well-regarded local singer-songwriter, who’ll join them for some of the performances.
They still have room in their schedule for more events, and anyone who’d like to host one should get in touch. Sophia says: “We’ll be doing lots of schools, community centres and pubs, but also we’re up for performing in fields, factories, on buses… As long as there’s somewhere for people to sit, and enough quiet for people to talk, we’re happy.”
Tales from the River 
Hello, are you able to let me know the dates you will be walking between Newark and Gainsborough in September? I work on the trent vale landscape partnership and send out a media email weekly to over 600 people. thank you
Hi Christine, yes, we’ll be in Newark on Saturday 15th Sept, and should get to Gainsborough on Tuesday 18th Sept.
Hi My DAD lives in Girton and close to the rRiver Trent- do you know when you would be near that way? Would love to see some pictures there, Girton Besthorpe etc- Best of luck on this journey!
Hi Elaine, thanks for getting in touch. We will be setting off walking from North Muskham on Monday morning. I guess we will pass Girton (or as close as we get to it) later on that day. As we don’t have a show on the Monday we’ll just get as far as we can and then camp for the night I think. Can you recommend anywhere good to camp around there?
We’ll certainly try to take photos!
I shall call my father tomorrow and ask him- thats if he answers the phone! There is plenty of wild camping around there for sure. He is 82 and the trees he planted have grown and are chopped to keep him warm and he traps rabbits on the land to eat- very self sufficient. hes grown up by the Trent for all his life ( the meadows city) and girton) and learnt to swim in it as well as boated on it too. Can i send you a text maybe and keep in touch? Im in Buckinghamshire btw but know this lovely river . Im sure he would love your story!
Your Dad sounds brilliant. Please do let him know about us. My Dad wrote a song about the Meadows actually, that he’s been singing at some of the shows. My Granddad used to have a butchers shop on Arkwright St.
Feel free to text or call me.