Oor big summer of fun: Family hit the trail to bag all the Wullies Oor big summer of fun: Family hit the trail to
Adventurers go the extra mile for charities
It was an epic quest marked by gritty determination, gruelling endurance and great, great fun.
Like families up and down Scotland, the Simpsons loved Oor Wullie’s Big Bucket Trail. But the adventurous clan went the extra mile. In fact, they went many extra miles to spend two weeks touring the country to find every Wullie statue.
The family, from Culross, in Fife, and who have dubbed themselves Oor Simpsons, dedicated themselves to collecting codes for all 200 Wullies.
They clocked up 1,799 miles in their car and took more than 20,000 steps as they travelled between Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, Aberdeen and Inverness in search of the nation’s favourite son.
And they managed to raise hundreds of pounds for a charity close to their hearts at the same time.
“It’s been a busy summer, but absolutely amazing,” said dad David, 43. “Definitely one of the best summers I can remember.”
David, who after 20 years recently swapped his career in finance for a new life as a sound engineer, celebrant and TV extra, decided to spend the whole summer holidays with
daughter Eve, eight, and son Hamish, five.
But he soon realised he needed to find activities to fill their time.
“I couldn’t have faced seven weeks with the kids either running wild or being bored,” David said. “We needed a challenge to get us out and about.
“On the first day of the holidays we went through to Edinburgh to see the Oor Wullies. We ended up finding 12.
“The kids had a ball. They loved the satisfaction of ticking another one off and the anticipation of finding the next one. So I asked if they fancied the challenge of finding all 200.
“We picked up a map, came home and started to make a plan.
“Of course, I had to explain to them who Oor Wullie was, so I dug all my old annuals out of the loft and told them stories about how much of a fan I was in my childhood.”
The family set up a Facebook page and Instagram account to document their adventure.
The Simpsons managed a few days here and there in between holidays and Hamish having a routine operation at the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow.
They turned the last leg into a road trip, with mum Kerry, 41, and dog Molly tagging along, and hired a motorhome to find the more far- flung sculptures.
“The statues were brilliant,” David said. “Each one was different and we all had our favourites. I liked the one of Aberdeen and Scotland
football legend Willie Miller, Hamish liked the Ash Ketchum Pokemon one and the Cogs and Gears superhuman, and Eve loved the Glasgow Galaxy.” Kerry added :“What a summer i t’s been. We’ve walked miles, had sunshine, wind, rain and I think even hail at one point. We’ve visited beautiful places all over Scotland which we will definitely be going back to.
“To have an amazing collection of art in a free- to- participate trail was brilliant. An adventure to remember for life.”
Hamish added: “I loved every minute. It was the best summer holiday ever.” Through sponsorship the Simpsons raised £ 750 for Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity, a cause close to their hearts.
“Eve spent the first seven weeks of her life in Yorkhill and has since been a regular at hospital for follow- up surgery and check-ups,” said David. “She was born at home on Hogmanay – a surprise to us all.
“In fact, she came so fast I ended up delivering her while the ambulance was on its way. “She was really struggling so was quickly taken to the intensive care unit in Glasgow where they ran further tests. We were terrified and felt helpless.
“Eve was diagnosed with VACTERL association – a rare condition effecting many different systems in her body.
“In her short life so far, she has already had six complex operations to allow her to lead a normal childhood but nothing stands in her way.
“We have received such amazing support from Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity that we wanted to give something back.”