Friday, May 19, 2017

Town crier Chem goes hot foot after cash


* Chem gets a feel for the fire on his feet.

When Llangollen’s town crier Austin “Chem” Cheminais says he’d walk over hot coals to help the Wales Air Ambulance he really means it.


Because in September the 63-year-old retired teacher, who has also just become a town councillor, plans to take part in the Year of Legends Fire Walk at Chirk Marina in aid of the high-flying charity.

Over the past few years Chem has raised hundreds of pounds for the air ambulance as a way of saying thank you for the way the Midlands helicopter zoomed in to airlift him to hospital back in 2010 after he was run over twice by a delivery van in the car park of the school in Walsall where he was headmaster at the time.

In his latest fundraising venture, along with other charity dare-devils, he’ll walk over red-hot coals in a bid to raise at least £500 for the air ambulance on the evening of Saturday September 23 outside the Boathouse pub restaurant.
Chem said: “I’m perhaps a little nervous but very excited about the walk. It should be good fun.

“It’s not often you get the chance to try something new and it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity not to be missed.
“I didn’t realise until I needed one that air ambulances get no government funding, so I’ve set a fundraising target of £500.”    

To help spur him on, local artist Chris Burton has penned the cartoon strip (below) imagining the crazy scenes as Chem takes his hot-footed challenge.
* You can sponsor him at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/chemshouts 




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