5:07pm Friday 19th March 2010
By Neil Skinner
Two sisters preparing for a charity walk along the Great Wall of China are hoping the imminent strike at British Airways does not scupper their plans.
Sharon Kelly and Julie McNicol, who are scheduled to fly to Beijing tomorrow, hope to raise up to £10,000 for the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign.
They have been planning for the 80km trip for nearly a year, carefully selecting their equipment and completing hour upon hour of training walks.
But strike action by cabin crew at the airline, scheduled to begin tomorrow, could scupper their dreams.
Mrs Kelly, of Hare Crescent, Leavesden, was motivated to take up the case by her 18-year-old son Spencer, who has a form of the debilitating condition.
Speaking this afternoon she said: “We’re just keeping our fingers crossed at the moment. We’re really looking forward to going but don’t know yet whether our flight will be cancelled or not.”
If the threat of transport chaos wasn’t enough, the sisters, who will camp in a tent for the first time, are likely to face freezing conditions as they battle what locals are describing as “freak weather conditions".
The intrepid are scheduled to fly home, industrial action permitting, on Sunday, March 28.
Members of the Unite union say they will strike tomorrow in a contractual dispute.
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