A retired firefighter and history lover will retrace the footsteps of fallen soldiers as he treks through European battlefields to support veterans.

Eastern Daily Press: Retired firefighter, Terry Varey from Wymondham is walking 100km in France to raise money for AFB The Soldiers Charity which makes 100 years since the start of the Battle of the Somme.Retired firefighter, Terry Varey from Wymondham is walking 100km in France to raise money for AFB The Soldiers Charity which makes 100 years since the start of the Battle of the Somme. (Image: Archant Norfolk Photographic © 2016)

Terry Varey, of Tuttles Lane in Wymondham, will embark on the Frontline Walk across France and Belgium in October in aid of ABF The Soldiers' Charity.

Starting at Lochnagar Crater and finishing at the Menin Gate with the Ceremony of the Last Post, the fundraiser marks the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme, which started in July 1916 and ended in November that year.

The 55-year-old, a retired firefighter from London, said: 'I'm very interested in military history and I go round visiting a lot of battlefields, so it seems a natural thing to do.

'It's also a great charity, so I thought 'why not?''

The national event, which runs from October 5 to October 9, will see him journey across the Western Front, with the top three fundraisers given the chance to lay a wreath at the Menin Gate.

Father-of-two Mr Varey said he had been venturing out on 22-mile walks around the county to build up his stamina.

'When I was in training school I was very fit,' he said, 'and I have tried to keep my fitness levels up over the years.

'I used to do 10 mile walks so it's not completely different, but I am taking it slow. When i retired I did let myself go a little bit, but I thought that I had to start looking after myself and I'm getting there.'

So far Mr Varey, who drives children in the area with complex needs to school with wife Gill, has so far raised £420 of his £1,200 target.

• To donate, visit https://www.justgiving.com/gilltel/

• For information on the charity, visit http://www.soldierscharity.org/

• Do you have a Wymondham story we should be writing about? Email lauren.cope@archant.co.uk