From their first concert in Truro, to their final show at Knebworth - raising funds for the Mercury Phoenix Trust, one step at a time!
For the last 25 years I have had the privilege of working for Queen as a TV, Video and online content Producer/Director. In that time I’ve been involved in 6 feature length documentaries such as Queen : Days of Our Lives and The Show Must Go On : The Queen + Adam Lambert Story, 12 DVD releases including Greatest Video Hits 1 & 2, Live at Wembley, On Fire At The Bowl and Freddie Mercury, Lover of Life, Singer of Songs, the filming of 7 concert performances, 20 music videos and many hours of online videos for YouTube, which also featured 100 episodes of Queen The Greatest. On top of that, I was one quarter of the QueenPod team, co-wrote a book on Freddie, and have been able to take part in several product launch events, Fan Club Conventions, gatherings and Parties. I’ve had the absolute pleasure of meeting so many people who are part of the Queen family, not least some of the amazing fans who share a love for the music from the greatest band in the world!
Needless to say, I’ve enjoyed every minute of it – and feel that it’s about time I gave something back!
So, I’ve decided to undertake a challenge and, hopefully, raise some money for the Mercury Phoenix Trust. The Mercury Phoenix Trust was set up in 1992 by Sir Brian May, Roger Taylor, John Deacon and Jim Beach in memory of Freddie Mercury, and focuses on education and raising awareness to help in the worldwide fight against AIDS. I was lucky enough to go on a trip to Myanmar and see, first hand, the incredible work that is being supported by the MPT in Freddie’s name, under incredibly challenging circumstances, and I’d like to do something to contribute.
With that in mind, I’m going to go on a walk – and in true Queen style, it’s going to be a big one! 286 miles in total. I’m going to start on Sunday 26th July outside Truro City Hall in Cornwall – the venue for what is regarded as the ‘first’ Queen concert. The plan is to then average about 21 miles a day, arriving at Knebworth Park on Sunday 9th August – the 40th anniversary of Queen’s last performance with Freddie, at the end of the 1986 Magic Tour.
My son, Ollie, is going to be joining me to keep me sane, and I’ll be posting our progress on Instagram @luppers71, @TheMagicWalk on TikTok. If there are any Queen fans out there who we might be passing – do please give us a wave and say hello, or why not come and join us on the Magic Walk for a few miles! We can chat all things Queen along the way, swapping stories and experiences. I love hearing what this band means to people and we’ve all got tales to tell. The company, even if it’s just for a few minutes, will be greatly appreciated. I'll be sharing a link on @luppers71 each day so you can follow our movements on GoogleMaps.
Crucially though, if any of you are able to sponsor us and help the MPT to continue their work raising AIDS awareness around the world, then we would be extremely grateful. Any donation will help make an impact, so thanks in advance for your contribution to this cause that means so much to me.
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