Intrepid Caroline Lord is to swap her everyday life working in a York sub post office for a two-week expedition through the mountains and jungles of Ecuador.

GOOD LORD: Caroline Lord, a former Lady Mayoress of York, who is trekking through the mountains and jungles of Ecuador to raise money for charity Picture: Garry Atkinson

Caroline, from Heworth, York, will be trekking across the South American country to raise money for a cancer charity.

Her husband, John, died from the cancer Hodgkins Disease in 1985 at the age of 44. She is now aiming to help the charity CancerBACUP (British Association of Cancer United Patients).

CancerBACUP provides books, information and a free telephone helpline to people with cancer, their relatives and friends.

Caroline, 57, said: "When I heard about the charity, I thought that was something that would have been helpful to us.

"Having someone to talk to about living with cancer and about the side effects of treatment and about what to expect would have been so useful."

She said she had to raise £2,500 for her trip, and £1,700 of that would go directly to the charity.

The expedition in the autumn will involve a trek along an ancient Inca trail, stopping in jungle camps and visiting remote villages.

"This is something totally different for me," she said.

"I haven't camped since I was growing up and that was in the Highlands of Scotland! But it's a challenge I feel I need."

She said her three grown-up children Rebecca, Symon and Alasdair, had all travelled across the world since leaving home.

"They were all quite surprised when I told them I was planning this, but they've been very supportive and I think they're a bit jealous," she said.

Caroline, a former Lady Mayoress of York, is getting fit by walking every week with two York rambling groups and going to her local keep-fit class at Heworth Church.

Friends in Heworth, where she has lived for more than 30 years, are also helping out with the fundraising.

John grew up in the area and went to Tang Hall Primary School before going to St Peter's School, York.

Although she works part time at Heworth sub post office, Caroline loves art and weaves tapestry wall-hangings on a huge loom at home.

One of her tapestries, showing a bright seaside scene and inspired by her favourite artist, David Hockney, is to be raffled off to raise money for the trek.

Raffle tickets for the tapestry will be on sale at the shop Craft Basics in Gillygate, York, from June.

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