Walk Sydney Streets Photos - Media TV Page 01

Media Items - Television - Page 1

'You're a legend, Alan' - Hon. Tony Abbott, former Prime Minister of Australia (Heart Foundation Week speech)
He was one of Australia's great characters' - 9 TV Network's Getaway 2008
A welcome dose of inspiration' - 9 TV Network News
A cyber celebrity' - 9 TV Network's Getaway 2006
Australia's Forrest Gump' - 7 TV Network's Today Tonight
The senior citizen who is leading the fight against heart disease' - 10 TV Network news

Many of the photos on this website were taken as Alan Waddell, 94, walked every street in 292 suburbs of Sydney, Australia. We have continued his legacy by regularly posting more photos from our walking - there are now over 6,400 unusual photos of Sydney. There have been over 5,033,000 pages viewed by over 1,937,000 visitors from 185 countries (latest new one is Turkmenistan) - see Visitor Countries for full list.

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In brief

Alan Waddell was encouraged by his doctor to take up walking. After a while, repeating the same route every day became boring. So Alan Waddell decided to walk every street in his own suburb.
In December 2002, this idea of walking every street was expanded to include neighbouring suburbs and so his odyssey began.

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9 TV Network’s Getaway 13 November 2008

A short tribute, including saying that Alan 'was one of Australia's greatest characters', was screened at the end of their last program for this year's series.

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Nine Network Today Show 5 September 2008

A segment about Alan's walking life was shown nationally this morning in Nine's Today show. Alan's family greatly appreciate the kindness shown to him by all journalists and photographers. They made him feel at ease, even though he was always very worked up before any media request. This was because he worried that he would let them down by being too nervous to speak properly or not being able to carry out the wishes of the photographer..

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7 TV Network Better Homes and Gardens 25 April 2008

This national TV programme screened a letter-box segment that had Alan talking about his quirky discoveries and especially the "devil" box.

They used nine of our favourites (from Artarmon, Belfield, Enmore, Erskineville, Freshwater, Kings Park, North Curl Curl, Petersham and Wheeler Heights); you can see them plus 72 others on our website starting here

The mail-box devil chews Alan's fingers while Jason Hodges interviews him for the 7 Network's Better Homes and Gardens.

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9 TV Network News 21 September 2007

Nine reporter Dale Paget was there as Alan completed his 250th suburb, Northbridge. The event was promoted by a video on the network's web site and covered in their 6pm news (also screened on Qantas flights).

Nine News questions Alan at Northbridge’s Fig Tree Point.

Reporter Dale Paget congratulates Alan as 20-year veteran of Nine News, cameraman Brendan Donohoe, completes his shot.

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7 TV Network's Today Tonight 1 August 2007

Three years to the week following its first story, the Seven Network's Today Tonight has carried a follow-up item on Alan. As he walked the scenic areas of Balmain and Dover Heights, he told the 1.3 million viewers that his vascular surgeon said "if I had not been walking every day for the last four years I would not be able to walk at all today." The item was also carried by Sky News in Australia and New Zealand.

Andrew Bourke interviews Alan in Gladstone Park, Balmain, for a follow-up segment on the Seven network’s national Today Tonight programme.

Cameraman Shane’s spectacular cityscape sequences at sunset concluded the item.

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The History Of Walking February 2007

A segment on Alan in the TV documentary The History of Walking was filmed mainly in Five Dock and surrounding suburbs. Production included use of the photographer's 'tricyclecam' invention.

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Heart Foundation Week launch 2 May 2006

ABC-TV (Sydney/NSW/ACT)
Seven News (National and Sydney/NSW/ACT)
National Nine News (Sydney and NSW/ACT)
Ten News (Sydney and NSW/ACT)
Sky News (Australia and New Zealand)

The Heart Foundation ambassadors at the "Walk of Life" launch:
Alan; Elka Graham, Olympic swimming silver medallist; Bill Granger, TV chef;
Tony Abbott, Federal Minister for Health (now Prime Minister).

At age 91, Alan has his first experience of a media scrum. He is appearing for the Heart Foundation in Centennial Park.

All four TV networks interviewed Alan for their Heart Foundation prime-time news items:

Channel 7

Channel 9

ABC

Channel 10

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