Residents braved windy conditions this afternoon to take part in the 51st annual Bermuda National Trust Palm Sunday Walk in the West End.

The six-mile route started on Boaz Island in Sandys and walkers trekked through sites such as Lagoon Park, Watford Bridge, the Royal Naval Dockyard Cemetery as well as Mangrove Bay and stretches of coastline.

Kai Tucker and her daughter were among more than 750 people who took part in the event.

She said she and her family joined the walk each year and were looking forward to exploring Sandys.

Ms Tucker added: “We come out and we just use the time to connect with people we don’t normally see and just have fun and enjoy.

“I see that the Governor is out here today and supporting the National Trust and it’s just great to see that.

“Every year when I take part I usually enjoy the routes … the route today is very long and it’s very windy but we’re enjoying it.

“There are some amazing views and there are some sites which I’ve never seen before.”

Her daughter Destiny said: “It’s very cold today and I like the idea of the walk.”

Andrew Bailey, another participant, said he had been off the island for about a decade but was happy to attend.

He added: “The route’s nice … I haven’t been up here for a while.

“It’s a flat route and it’s a very windy day out here but it’s an interesting route.”

Mr Bailey was looking forward to seeing different parts of the parish.

He added: “Seems like a lot of people are here but we started out a little bit late … so we’re playing catch-up.”

The route was designed by Myles Darrell, the BNT’s head of natural heritage, who told The Royal Gazette that the event this year featured historical elements.

Mr Darrell said: “This is our 51st year doing the event and it takes people into special places across Bermuda that they may not have seen — hopefully learning a little bit too as they explore.

“We always have ten or 12 locations that we spotlight or highlight through the walk and let people hear about them, all the ancient sites like the Royal Naval Dockyard Cemetery, which has a phenomenal history.”

Mr Darrell said he was “amazed” at the turnout, given the windy and cold conditions.

He said: “We’ve had over 750 people show up and that’s really good.

“Lots registered online so I think the turnout has been really good … I’m happy about it.”

Mr Darrell said some participants reported that they were driven to learn more about the sites in Sandys.

He said that although the route featured in earlier iterations of the event, he was enthused by the commitment of participants as well as the BNT partners that supported the walk.

“Ultimately it takes a lot of work to organise but seeing all these smiles makes it well worth it,” he added.

Mr Darrell said he was pleased that Andrew Murdoch, the Governor, had taken part.

“We always have the Governor come out and support … he is a big part of the work we do and it’s great to have him here,” he added.

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