A DAREDEVIL grandad is set to beat the Guinness World Record for the oldest wing walker after taking on an "epic experience".

On Tuesday, June 20, John Symmonds from Warfield took to the skies strapped to the wing of a plane to raise vital funds for Thames Hospice in memory for his beloved late wife Ann.

After touching back down to earth at Rendcomb Airfield, in Gloucestershire, John said the wing walk was 'great'.

"It was great; slightly more bumpy than I thought it was going to be. It was very windy and my earplugs I was given, they were the first to go in about two seconds, but it was good, quite an experience", John said.

 

 

John added: "Originally I was going to do something a bit more 'normal' but I thought that's really not going to cut it, so I went for a wing walk. The first person I told was one of my grandchildren and I told them not to tell anybody because I may chicken out of it in the end.

"But then I told somebody else, and somebody else so, of course, in the end you've got to do it. I was looking forward to it and it lived up to what I thought it was going to be."

John, or #WingmanJohn as Thames Hospice now calls him, is set for a Guinness World Record as the oldest wing walker after his flight.

So far John has raised more than £6000 for Thames Hospice, the charity cared for his wife Ann at their home in 2021.

John said: "The palliative team were so good to us, coming out any time of the day or night to make sure that Ann was comfortable and without pain as far as possible.

"It took a lot of worry from me. Ann did not want to go in to a hospital, she wanted to be at home and Thames Hospice allowed her to do that. They were there right at the end when she just slipped away. I know it sounds peculiar, but it was a sort of a wonderful moment really. To have their support, that's why I did it."

Events fundraiser at Thames Hospice, Emma Andrews, said: “We are all so proud of our #WingmanJohn. He is a legend and I was so thrilled to be there, along with his wonderful family, to watch his wing walk. It was a very emotional day and one I will never forget."

To support John's efforts, visit his JustGiving page here.