Teacher-turned-busker Guy Wilson struck the right chord while showing his support for East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH).
The 34-year-old treated crowds to the stirring sound of Scottish bagpipes after taking to the streets of Bury St Edmunds and Cambridge. He wanted to top up his fundraising total ahead of completing a daredevil abseil for the charity, descending 80 feet from the tower of St Edmundsbury Cathedral.
“My first thought was a cake sale, but I’m not very good at baking,” joked the English teacher and Head of Year Nine at St Benedict’s Catholic School, in Bury. “So, I thought the best thing I could do would be to get out and try and raise some money by playing my bagpipes. I’ve busked with my pipe band, Suffolk Glenmoriston. It’s always well received and appreciated, but this was the first time I’ve done it on my own. It was great fun and people were very generous, especially when they saw my EACH banner.”
Guy has been playing the bagpipes for 25 years, having learnt when he was a schoolboy in his native New Zealand. His dad was a proud Scotsman who emigrated to the South Island city of Dunedin.
“My high school had a pipe band, and it’s something I’ve always loved doing,” said Guy. “I also played at the top of the cathedral, performing Over the Hills and Far Away and Highland Cathedral. The whole day was brilliant and I enjoyed doing the abseil, which was great fun and very rewarding. It’s something I’ve done before but not for a long time, so it was a case of dusting off my skills.”
Guy, who moved to England seven years ago, volunteered for New Zealand Red Cross and learnt abseiling and rope skills during his time with the charity’s Disaster, Welfare and Support team. During his decade of volunteering, he was part of the rescue team that helped in the aftermath of the 2011 Christchurch earthquake.
EACH’s first abseil from the historic St Edmundsbury Cathedral on 16th August and raised nearly £19,000. To read more, click here.
