HUSBAND and wife Tracie and Paul Heard are hiking the Great Wall of China in memory of two loved ones who died from dementia.

The couple from South Marston will take on the 10 day expedition in September for the Alzheimer’s Society as a tribute to Tracie’s mum Beryl and sister-in-law Lesley.

It was seeing her mum suffer that inspired her to start raising money for the charity.

“I’m hoping that what we raise will make a difference and will help towards finding a cure for the disease.

“Six years was such a long time and I don’t think you realise how you’re coping with it until it is over.

"It really was the most difficult thing having to go visit her every week and her not knowing who I was but I felt like I needed to for her.

“My mum was such a proud person, we used to call her Mrs Bucket like in Keeping Up Appearance.

“She was always smartly dressed with matching accessories so to see her go downhill like that was just heart breaking.”

Her sister-in-law Lesley developed early onset dementia and died a month after Beryl, aged just 68.

Tracie said: “It really was such a shame, Lesley was a lovely woman and it was only a year from being diagnosed that she then passed.”

The salon owner explained she and Paul heard about the trek in an email. “We’d raised money before through my salon with things like bake sales and raffles, so the charity is always informing us about upcoming events.

“I spotted the trip in my emails in January and as it had just been Christmas and I’d had too much food plus drank too much wine I felt I needed a challenge and to do something positive.”

They will walk for up to eight hours a day.Tracie said: “I’m trying to walk five miles everyday to strengthen my legs but I'm worried because I need to practice my uphill walking.

She joked: “I turn 50 next month and my knees aren’t what they used to be.”

Paul added: “I’m excited about the trip, it is going to be a good experience. It’s great that we’re getting to do this for such a good cause.”

The pair need to raise £3300 each for the charity to go on the trip and will be holding two fundraisers.

The first is a curry and quiz night plus raffle at the Crown Bar in Stratton and the second is a race night at Jesters snooker hall on June 14.

To book a table at the quiz night call: 01793 827530. To donate go to justgiving/fundraising/tracey-heard1 or /paul-heard4