So this is my first walk of the King Street Rambling Club and I was rather anxious being amongst such experienced walkers - this was not helped by various members of the group announcing that 8 miles was only a stroll and that it was hardly worth getting out of bed for! And new girls chore - writing the blog!
Anyhow, Susan and I were picked up by Steve at just after 8am and we met up with Tristan, Andy and Sasha at Halvergate, where we climbed into the truck and Tristan drove like Emerson Fitipaldi (?spelling Susan?) to our destination - Asda at Great Yarmouth! Here we had to make do with Asda bacon and/or sausage baps in lieu of our support crew i.e. Jonathan being unable to attend! (And as a side note - why is it always my bag that ends up with dozens of sachets of red and brown sauce?)
At 9.19am we had our first row and we hadn't even set off. It stemmed from the fact that a certain male member of the group pointed out that he would be walking with three biatches today and so a battle of the sexes commenced!
Only a very short one however because finally at 9.25am we were off. We headed out along the path with Andy and Sasha in front and the rest of us mooching along behind. At 10am we saw a group of 'older' blokes stood around a gate avidly watching the train line, armed with cameras and binoculars. After much 'you ask them', 'no you ask them', Steve asked them what they were looking at and apparently they were excitedly awaiting the 10:10 train from Yarmouth which was a diesel. Us girls were seriously unimpressed by this and walked on ahead leaving the old fogies (Steve, Tristan and Andy) all extolling the wonders of diesel trains and how they used these marvellous engines in their youth - must have been a long time ago!!!!
The weather was absolutely glorious and we were very grateful for a cool breeze making it easy walking. The path was fairly easy going - apart from the stiles which Sasha appeared to have a bit of a problem with. However, after much coaxing, we got her through most of them without too much assistance. We encountered a few cows which seemed to like us so much they decided to follow us - much to the anxiety of Susan and Andy. Sasha wasn't that impressed either.
The funniest part of the day, for Tristan at least, occurred when a very hot, panting Sasha decided to take a little paddle in a dyke only to sink to the bottom, becoming completely submerged. While Tris curled up laughing at her predicament, the rest of us were all wondering whether we should try and rescue her by hauling her out but luckily she is such a clever doggy and soon discovered her paddle! She emerged from the water, dignity intact, looking very fetching with her coat all nice and curly - I wonder if Tristan had to use the straighteners on her later????
We arrived at the pub in Halvergate about 1300hrs (I think! I wasn't really paying attention to be honest!) for a welcome libation and then it was off home for cheese and toast and a look at my blisters! All in all a good day!
Tuesday, 25 August 2009
Thursday, 20 August 2009
The Great Pennine Way Adventure – Postscript – Friday 14 August 2009
Well, have now decided to call it a day ….. I slept really badly last night – the midge bites really got to me and I was conscious that I was scratching them in my sleep. In fact, I’ve woken up today to find blood everywhere and my feet are covered in bites – I’m really not sure I want to put my boots back on.
It’s also raining and as today was only ever going to be half a day – just a seven miler – from Langdon Beck down to Middleton, I’ve decided to pack up and go home. I’m sad about it, but it’ll be nice to have just half a day to break me back in when I take up next year where I’ve left off now.
It’s been the best fortnight ever – I’ve had such a brilliant time, met some lovely people, felt invincible, realised I can do this stuff on my own again and generally feel pretty fit and healthy. I’ve also discovered that the walking is easy but the logistics are a bit of a nightmare and I need to brush up on my admin skills! So, next time I’ll be more organised – hopefully – and do a bit more research before I head off to the hills and find myself stranded without transport! No need to worry though – it’ll never be so slick that I won’t find myself in a bit of a fix every now and then! That’s half the fun of it for me!
I’ll sign off now and leave this blog to others for their adventures. I hope we’re going to start our training walks again and we’ll keep everyone updated with our news – and hopefully those of you that don’t currently walk with us may want to join us.
So, for now, it’s over and out …..!
It’s also raining and as today was only ever going to be half a day – just a seven miler – from Langdon Beck down to Middleton, I’ve decided to pack up and go home. I’m sad about it, but it’ll be nice to have just half a day to break me back in when I take up next year where I’ve left off now.
It’s been the best fortnight ever – I’ve had such a brilliant time, met some lovely people, felt invincible, realised I can do this stuff on my own again and generally feel pretty fit and healthy. I’ve also discovered that the walking is easy but the logistics are a bit of a nightmare and I need to brush up on my admin skills! So, next time I’ll be more organised – hopefully – and do a bit more research before I head off to the hills and find myself stranded without transport! No need to worry though – it’ll never be so slick that I won’t find myself in a bit of a fix every now and then! That’s half the fun of it for me!
I’ll sign off now and leave this blog to others for their adventures. I hope we’re going to start our training walks again and we’ll keep everyone updated with our news – and hopefully those of you that don’t currently walk with us may want to join us.
So, for now, it’s over and out …..!
The Great Pennine Way Adventure – Day 10 – Thursday 13 August 2009 – Tan Hill to Middleton - 16 miles
Streams fallen in: 1
Midge bites: 519
Andy was driving back to Warrington today so I left my car at our lovely campsite in Middleton and Andy dropped me at Tan Hill to walk back to the tent.
The guidebook told me that in bad weather, Sleightholme Moor can be a dangerous place. It’s been a scorcher of a day so I decided to stick with the moor path and not take the bad weather alternative route. However, there have been so many people – grouse beaters mainly – walking the moor the last couple of days that the true path was impossible to find. I wasted half an hour trying to find it before heading back up to the road and track down to the A66. I had no interest in following the Bowes Loop extension of the Pennine Way – although if I was B and B’ing, it would be an ideal place to stop.
I met a John O’Groats to Lands Ender today with his Tibetan terrier dog – he’s taken four weeks so far and is halfway. He expressed some surprise that he even got out of Scotland as he ended up drinking every night with the locals! He was a bit bored today as he’d already done the Pennine Way once – in 1976 – so was trying to cheat a bit and find an alternative route.
The path has been quite indistinct and boggy today – and there were so many flies around. That and the heat have made today quite uncomfortable. I was really glad to see Blackton reservoir – the halfway point of the Pennine Way – swiftly followed by Grassholme and Selset reservoirs as I knew I was on the home stretch to my tent!
After tea, I popped into town to the bus garage – my plan tomorrow includes getting a bus from my campsite – well, less a bus, more of a transit van that connects with the bus – to Langdon Beck youth hostel and I needed to book my place. I’m aiming to walk backwards – not literally obviously! – from Langdon Beck to Middleton – passing High Force and Low Force waterfalls. I’m usually quite precious about the direction I walk – everything sequential, etc – but the buses work to some pretty odd scheduling up here!
I also visited the Teesdale pub for a drink and while in there got talking to some grouse beaters, who were chatting about the midges today. Apparently they’ve never seen so many flies up on the moors and the dogs were even jumping into the streams to try and get cool. Poor things.
So, another good day – some pretty tough bleak walking but great to be up in the hills.
Midge bites: 519
Andy was driving back to Warrington today so I left my car at our lovely campsite in Middleton and Andy dropped me at Tan Hill to walk back to the tent.
The guidebook told me that in bad weather, Sleightholme Moor can be a dangerous place. It’s been a scorcher of a day so I decided to stick with the moor path and not take the bad weather alternative route. However, there have been so many people – grouse beaters mainly – walking the moor the last couple of days that the true path was impossible to find. I wasted half an hour trying to find it before heading back up to the road and track down to the A66. I had no interest in following the Bowes Loop extension of the Pennine Way – although if I was B and B’ing, it would be an ideal place to stop.
I met a John O’Groats to Lands Ender today with his Tibetan terrier dog – he’s taken four weeks so far and is halfway. He expressed some surprise that he even got out of Scotland as he ended up drinking every night with the locals! He was a bit bored today as he’d already done the Pennine Way once – in 1976 – so was trying to cheat a bit and find an alternative route.
The path has been quite indistinct and boggy today – and there were so many flies around. That and the heat have made today quite uncomfortable. I was really glad to see Blackton reservoir – the halfway point of the Pennine Way – swiftly followed by Grassholme and Selset reservoirs as I knew I was on the home stretch to my tent!
After tea, I popped into town to the bus garage – my plan tomorrow includes getting a bus from my campsite – well, less a bus, more of a transit van that connects with the bus – to Langdon Beck youth hostel and I needed to book my place. I’m aiming to walk backwards – not literally obviously! – from Langdon Beck to Middleton – passing High Force and Low Force waterfalls. I’m usually quite precious about the direction I walk – everything sequential, etc – but the buses work to some pretty odd scheduling up here!
I also visited the Teesdale pub for a drink and while in there got talking to some grouse beaters, who were chatting about the midges today. Apparently they’ve never seen so many flies up on the moors and the dogs were even jumping into the streams to try and get cool. Poor things.
So, another good day – some pretty tough bleak walking but great to be up in the hills.
The Great Pennine Way Adventure – Day 9 – Wednesday 12 August 2009 – Keld to Tan Hill - 5 miles
This morning we had a continental breakfast – bread, cheese and coffee at our campsite at the Green Dragon Inn in Hardraw, just outside Hawes, the first campsite I’ve ever stayed at that boasts its own waterfall!
By the time we’d done our driving around, we were at the Tan Hill Inn before 11.00 am, with Andy saying he wasn’t walking today – because of blisters. I then said I wasn’t doing it either and we had “words”. In the end, I suggested we walk up by the road – to be honest, the Pennine Way runs parallel with the road all the way from Keld to the Tan Hill anyway, just a few metres to the right, so we weren’t missing any scenery. That also meant we could walk in our sandals, thereby saving Andy more grief and it was lovely to get some air to my feet too.
We had already decided to have a shorter day because of the grouse shooting and we had seen loads of people out on the moors all morning.
We reached the Tan Hill Inn, highest pub in England, just after 1.00 pm and celebrated with half a pint of Black Sheep bitter each – neither of us being bitter drinkers, I was pleasantly surprised although Andy likened it to dishwater. We could see the beaters out on the moor from the pub – Sleightholme Moore – and congratulated ourselves on our decision to stop early.
We had a nice drive then to Middleton on Tees to a lovely campsite – and although it was very sunny, it was quite breezy and we broke another tent pole. Thank God for Balfour Beatty and gaffa tape!
By the time we’d done our driving around, we were at the Tan Hill Inn before 11.00 am, with Andy saying he wasn’t walking today – because of blisters. I then said I wasn’t doing it either and we had “words”. In the end, I suggested we walk up by the road – to be honest, the Pennine Way runs parallel with the road all the way from Keld to the Tan Hill anyway, just a few metres to the right, so we weren’t missing any scenery. That also meant we could walk in our sandals, thereby saving Andy more grief and it was lovely to get some air to my feet too.
We had already decided to have a shorter day because of the grouse shooting and we had seen loads of people out on the moors all morning.
We reached the Tan Hill Inn, highest pub in England, just after 1.00 pm and celebrated with half a pint of Black Sheep bitter each – neither of us being bitter drinkers, I was pleasantly surprised although Andy likened it to dishwater. We could see the beaters out on the moor from the pub – Sleightholme Moore – and congratulated ourselves on our decision to stop early.
We had a nice drive then to Middleton on Tees to a lovely campsite – and although it was very sunny, it was quite breezy and we broke another tent pole. Thank God for Balfour Beatty and gaffa tape!
The Great Pennine Way Adventure – Day 8 – Tuesday 11 August 2009 – Hawes to Keld - 12 miles
It was tough to get going today – we had to leave our lovely cottage for a start, but, after a leisurely breakfast of boiled egg and soldiers, and a pot of Yorkshire tea, followed by our usual car shenanigans, we were finally walking at 11.30 am.
We did all the climbing this morning and all the descending this afternoon. Andy’s feet were causing him some grief and he got quite ratty with me. It’s a tough call between telling someone we’re going uphill when maybe they don’t want to hear it and trying to soften it by pretending you don’t know how far you have to climb. Needless to say I heard a few mutterings behind me of “You’re a bad woman, Susan Long” and “fancy being beaten by a girl”.
Great Shunner Fell was a really tough climb and it was blowing a gale at the top. The trig point is in a stone shelter but it still didn’t stop the wind from biting – for only the second time this holiday I had my waterproof on – still all downhill to the tearoom was our battle cry!
As we trotted downhill to Thwaite and the café, Andy said he really couldn’t carry on with his blisters, so after a coffee each, I left him chatting to a couple of ladies and their Schnauzer dogs who have a cottage in Lewes so walk the south downs a lot and I headed by road to Keld with the couple we’d met at the trig point and who were quite inappropriately dressed in corduroy! (I really need to stop being so sniffy about other people’s attire!)
As luck would have it, the tearooms and pub (next door to each other) were owned by the same people and linked by a corridor so, when I got back to the tearooms for Andy, and couldn’t find him, it didn’t take me long to track him down! He was having a beer with a local gamekeeper who’s getting ready for the grouse shoot tomorrow. The glorious 12th. Mmmmm, and our route tomorrow goes through the middle of the UK’s biggest grouse moor. Argh! There’ll be eight gamekeepers, sixty beaters and hordes of invited guests for the shooting – think we may need to change our walking plans!
We did all the climbing this morning and all the descending this afternoon. Andy’s feet were causing him some grief and he got quite ratty with me. It’s a tough call between telling someone we’re going uphill when maybe they don’t want to hear it and trying to soften it by pretending you don’t know how far you have to climb. Needless to say I heard a few mutterings behind me of “You’re a bad woman, Susan Long” and “fancy being beaten by a girl”.
Great Shunner Fell was a really tough climb and it was blowing a gale at the top. The trig point is in a stone shelter but it still didn’t stop the wind from biting – for only the second time this holiday I had my waterproof on – still all downhill to the tearoom was our battle cry!
As we trotted downhill to Thwaite and the café, Andy said he really couldn’t carry on with his blisters, so after a coffee each, I left him chatting to a couple of ladies and their Schnauzer dogs who have a cottage in Lewes so walk the south downs a lot and I headed by road to Keld with the couple we’d met at the trig point and who were quite inappropriately dressed in corduroy! (I really need to stop being so sniffy about other people’s attire!)
As luck would have it, the tearooms and pub (next door to each other) were owned by the same people and linked by a corridor so, when I got back to the tearooms for Andy, and couldn’t find him, it didn’t take me long to track him down! He was having a beer with a local gamekeeper who’s getting ready for the grouse shoot tomorrow. The glorious 12th. Mmmmm, and our route tomorrow goes through the middle of the UK’s biggest grouse moor. Argh! There’ll be eight gamekeepers, sixty beaters and hordes of invited guests for the shooting – think we may need to change our walking plans!
The Great Pennine Way Adventure – Day 7 – Saturday 8 August 2009 – Horton in Ribblesdale to Hawes - 15 miles
Bogs fallen into: 0
Times fallen over: Susan 1, Andy 1
Blisters: Susan 0, Andy 2
Andy had driven up for a few days this morning so I had to run down to Malham village at 5.45 am to direct him into the campsite. We’ve booked a cottage for a couple of days so the tent was coming down today until Tuesday – I shall miss my little cocoon, but am looking forward to shower and toilet facilities that don’t involve head torches and getting dressed to use them!
As we have the luxury of two vehicles and no need to take public transport for a couple of days, we hurtled around the Yorkshire countryside dropping off cars and having breakfast and finally started walking at 10.30 am.
Today can only be described as a knee crunching slog – Andy got blisters within a couple of miles and, because they were hurting so much, he never wanted to stay still for very long, but wanted to march on. I’m not used to walking at this pace so found it quite a struggle.
The entire path was on tracks today until the very end when we were back on field paths, and very boggy they were too. (This was where Andy did his “para roll” manoeuvre after slipping in a cowpat! I earlier managed to fall over on a downhill track and did such a graceful move that Andy heard me yelp and looked back to find me just sitting there. No forward rolling or arse up in the air for me – I’m much more ladylike!)
Because Andy was on a mission to get the day over and done with, I had to employ all sorts of diversionary tactics to slow the pace down – drinking loads of water, snacking, taking photos, etc. The scenery was very bleak and remote today – I’ve always said I could live in the middle of nowhere but today was too much, even for me. In fact, the only change in scenery all day – until we arrived in Hawes – was the Ribblehead viaduct.
So a very quick fifteen miles today – but I’m glad to be having a couple of days off.
Times fallen over: Susan 1, Andy 1
Blisters: Susan 0, Andy 2
Andy had driven up for a few days this morning so I had to run down to Malham village at 5.45 am to direct him into the campsite. We’ve booked a cottage for a couple of days so the tent was coming down today until Tuesday – I shall miss my little cocoon, but am looking forward to shower and toilet facilities that don’t involve head torches and getting dressed to use them!
As we have the luxury of two vehicles and no need to take public transport for a couple of days, we hurtled around the Yorkshire countryside dropping off cars and having breakfast and finally started walking at 10.30 am.
Today can only be described as a knee crunching slog – Andy got blisters within a couple of miles and, because they were hurting so much, he never wanted to stay still for very long, but wanted to march on. I’m not used to walking at this pace so found it quite a struggle.
The entire path was on tracks today until the very end when we were back on field paths, and very boggy they were too. (This was where Andy did his “para roll” manoeuvre after slipping in a cowpat! I earlier managed to fall over on a downhill track and did such a graceful move that Andy heard me yelp and looked back to find me just sitting there. No forward rolling or arse up in the air for me – I’m much more ladylike!)
Because Andy was on a mission to get the day over and done with, I had to employ all sorts of diversionary tactics to slow the pace down – drinking loads of water, snacking, taking photos, etc. The scenery was very bleak and remote today – I’ve always said I could live in the middle of nowhere but today was too much, even for me. In fact, the only change in scenery all day – until we arrived in Hawes – was the Ribblehead viaduct.
So a very quick fifteen miles today – but I’m glad to be having a couple of days off.
Tuesday, 18 August 2009
The Great Pennine Way Adventure – Day 6 – Friday 7 August 2009 – Malham to Horton in Ribblesdale - 15 miles
Bogs fallen into: 0
Bus drivers chatted up: 0
Invincibility rating: so high it’s off the scale
What an amazing day it’s been! I was on top of Malham Cove at 7.45 am this morning and was in fact debating whether to carry on at all as it was so peaceful and beautiful that I just wanted to carry on sitting on top of my slab of limestone, drinking in the view. And then I saw them ….. more people! Time to move on …..
Things were very familiar today – the Trailtrekker route to be precise – up Watlowes Valley towards Malham Tarn, and then on to Fountains Fell. I had forgotten how tough this stretch was – how on earth I managed to complete the Trailtrekker I have no idea? Probably drugs and adrenaline! (Codydramol before anyone shops me to the rozzers.)
I was working to a pretty flexible schedule today so had plenty of sit downs – the views were too good to waste by not looking at them.
From Fountains Fell, I had the biggest challenge of the day – Penyghent – and she didn’t disappoint. (I didn’t see a single other walker today until this point – this Yorkshire Peak was covered in them!!) It was such a blast to get to the top, although the scorching sun didn’t really help matters. How lucky am I though?
Tourist Info back in Norwich had been working overtime again and had ascertained that, if I didn’t want to spend three hours in the Crown Inn in Horton in Ribblesdale, then I needed to be at the railway station by 3.30 pm. So on reaching the top of Penyghent, I sat for maybe twenty minutes but then had to make a concerted effort to leave my perch and head down the valley to the train. I’m consoled though by the thought that I’ll be back to climb her again.
I made it to the station with twenty minutes to spare for my train to Settle – where I called a taxi and arranged to meet at the Naked Man in ninety minutes – it’s a café before you ask! I then had a lovely jaunt around Settle, buying even more postcards that probably won’t get written, more provisions and a coffee and cake.
Back to the campsite for shower, dinner, a cuppa and more of my lovely chocolates that Panda and Lisa had bought me for my birthday and then a quick zip back to the cove for another look – I just can’t resist it!
Yep, a truly amazing day and I really am a very lucky girl …..
Bus drivers chatted up: 0
Invincibility rating: so high it’s off the scale
What an amazing day it’s been! I was on top of Malham Cove at 7.45 am this morning and was in fact debating whether to carry on at all as it was so peaceful and beautiful that I just wanted to carry on sitting on top of my slab of limestone, drinking in the view. And then I saw them ….. more people! Time to move on …..
Things were very familiar today – the Trailtrekker route to be precise – up Watlowes Valley towards Malham Tarn, and then on to Fountains Fell. I had forgotten how tough this stretch was – how on earth I managed to complete the Trailtrekker I have no idea? Probably drugs and adrenaline! (Codydramol before anyone shops me to the rozzers.)
I was working to a pretty flexible schedule today so had plenty of sit downs – the views were too good to waste by not looking at them.
From Fountains Fell, I had the biggest challenge of the day – Penyghent – and she didn’t disappoint. (I didn’t see a single other walker today until this point – this Yorkshire Peak was covered in them!!) It was such a blast to get to the top, although the scorching sun didn’t really help matters. How lucky am I though?
Tourist Info back in Norwich had been working overtime again and had ascertained that, if I didn’t want to spend three hours in the Crown Inn in Horton in Ribblesdale, then I needed to be at the railway station by 3.30 pm. So on reaching the top of Penyghent, I sat for maybe twenty minutes but then had to make a concerted effort to leave my perch and head down the valley to the train. I’m consoled though by the thought that I’ll be back to climb her again.
I made it to the station with twenty minutes to spare for my train to Settle – where I called a taxi and arranged to meet at the Naked Man in ninety minutes – it’s a café before you ask! I then had a lovely jaunt around Settle, buying even more postcards that probably won’t get written, more provisions and a coffee and cake.
Back to the campsite for shower, dinner, a cuppa and more of my lovely chocolates that Panda and Lisa had bought me for my birthday and then a quick zip back to the cove for another look – I just can’t resist it!
Yep, a truly amazing day and I really am a very lucky girl …..
The Great Pennine Way Adventure – Day 5 – Thursday 6 August 2009 – Cowling to Malham – 18 miles
Bogs fallen into: 0 (although path was quite marshy and squelchy for some of the way)
Bus drivers chatted up: 1
Clothing disaster: fleece zip broken, typically as I’m getting higher on the moors and will probably need warm clothing!
This morning, I was up and dressed, tent taken down and I was driving to Cowling at 6.45 am. Sadly, the journey took longer than anticipated and I didn’t start walking until 7.40 am.
I’ve been conscious all day that I had a lot of miles to cover and that I had to be in Malham for four o’clock to get the last bus back to Skipton. I think I’ve quite possibly just got tired and was trying to achieve too much today? The paths today have been mainly on farmland and I’ve not seen any other walkers, only farmers to give a cheery wave as they drove past in their tractors. At least I THINK it was a cheery wave?
Quite quickly, I’d had a couple of climbs and stopped to sit on a couple of dry stone walls for a breather and to just watch life down in the valleys. The sun hadn’t totally burned the mist off and the views, although stunning, were very hazy. I soon passed Lothersdale and Thornton-in-Craven, and walked along the Leeds Liverpool canal towards Gargrave where I stopped for lunch. I was really overheating and needed some shade – the Masons Arms has the dubious distinction of being the only pub in which I’ve ever taken my boots and socks off!!
From Gargrave, I still had six miles to go and only three hours to get there – blinking timetables! I got quite excited past Gargrave as I recognised the path from the Trailtrekker route. I sent text messages to my fellow team members and was just sorry that Jonathan was nowhere in site with the bacon butties …..
I was beginning to panic slightly at Hanlith, especially as I’d forgotten about the really horrible hill climb there before heading round and down into Malham. The only thing to lift my spirits at this point was that I could see Malham Cove! I made it down to the village with half an hour to spare for the bus and had a major result at Skipton – a bus was heading out to Cowling and while, strictly speaking, the bus didn’t actually go as far along the A6068 as my car was parked, the driver was a guardian angel and dropped me off at my car! So I got back to Malham for my campsite at least an hour earlier than I’d anticipated – quick shower and a dash back into the village to the Buck Inn for tea and a well earned glass of wine. The last time I was in this pub was on a training walk back in March, when we reached the pub in darkness and sat, cold and tired, with puddles forming around us!
Malham Cove and Penyghent tomorrow – have gone from excitement to terror – what if I can’t do it?
Bus drivers chatted up: 1
Clothing disaster: fleece zip broken, typically as I’m getting higher on the moors and will probably need warm clothing!
This morning, I was up and dressed, tent taken down and I was driving to Cowling at 6.45 am. Sadly, the journey took longer than anticipated and I didn’t start walking until 7.40 am.
I’ve been conscious all day that I had a lot of miles to cover and that I had to be in Malham for four o’clock to get the last bus back to Skipton. I think I’ve quite possibly just got tired and was trying to achieve too much today? The paths today have been mainly on farmland and I’ve not seen any other walkers, only farmers to give a cheery wave as they drove past in their tractors. At least I THINK it was a cheery wave?
Quite quickly, I’d had a couple of climbs and stopped to sit on a couple of dry stone walls for a breather and to just watch life down in the valleys. The sun hadn’t totally burned the mist off and the views, although stunning, were very hazy. I soon passed Lothersdale and Thornton-in-Craven, and walked along the Leeds Liverpool canal towards Gargrave where I stopped for lunch. I was really overheating and needed some shade – the Masons Arms has the dubious distinction of being the only pub in which I’ve ever taken my boots and socks off!!
From Gargrave, I still had six miles to go and only three hours to get there – blinking timetables! I got quite excited past Gargrave as I recognised the path from the Trailtrekker route. I sent text messages to my fellow team members and was just sorry that Jonathan was nowhere in site with the bacon butties …..
I was beginning to panic slightly at Hanlith, especially as I’d forgotten about the really horrible hill climb there before heading round and down into Malham. The only thing to lift my spirits at this point was that I could see Malham Cove! I made it down to the village with half an hour to spare for the bus and had a major result at Skipton – a bus was heading out to Cowling and while, strictly speaking, the bus didn’t actually go as far along the A6068 as my car was parked, the driver was a guardian angel and dropped me off at my car! So I got back to Malham for my campsite at least an hour earlier than I’d anticipated – quick shower and a dash back into the village to the Buck Inn for tea and a well earned glass of wine. The last time I was in this pub was on a training walk back in March, when we reached the pub in darkness and sat, cold and tired, with puddles forming around us!
Malham Cove and Penyghent tomorrow – have gone from excitement to terror – what if I can’t do it?
Sunday, 16 August 2009
The Great Pennine Way Adventure – Day 4 – Wednesday 5 August 2009 – Colden to Cowling – 15 miles
Bogs fallen into: 0 (although a ramblers group were quite insistent I avoid the puddles on Ickornshaw Moor as they were very deep and dangerous. A couple of them even showed me the depth, using their walking poles as dipsticks!)
Car disasters: 0 (because I didn’t get in my car all day)
This morning I had a bit of a lay in because I didn’t have to drive anywhere and I started walking at 7.20 am. It wasn’t long before I was lost – hey ho! – the Pennine Way isn’t always signposted as such – it’s sometimes just a “public footpath” sign and, because these signs proliferate everywhere, I didn’t want to take the wrong one. So, with that in mind, I found on the map a point where I couldn’t fail to pick up the path and walked a few miles along lanes to get to that point.
I picked up the way just past the Pack Horse pub towards Walshaw Dean reservoir – the path was flat but the hill views around were lovely – it was so peaceful. It wasn’t long before the path started to climb and I was soon heading towards Top Withins, the ruined farmhouse immortalised as Wuthering Heights. It would have been really atmospheric and reminiscent of the book if the weather had been stormy and the skies dark and brooding. However, it was hard to feel anything with the sun beating down and only the gentlest of breezes.
The path down from the ruins meandered through a heather covered moor and the views down to Haworth almost made me want to go and investigate, although I didn’t really have time. Another time maybe …..
The downhill slog to Ponden reservoir was followed by the corresponding climb over Oakworth Moor and then Ickornshaw Moor. There are lots of huts on the moor and I met the owners of one such hut – they look after the grouse so they’d put their tea into the hut, before going for a walk to check on the birds. I stood and chatted to them for ages – they were a very wiry, weathered old couple and I imagine they spend their days constantly walking the moors. They confirmed to me that the hill I’d been monitoring for ages was in fact Penyghent. Woohoo! Nearly there!
My initial plan for today was to walk to Lothersdale and I’d had a taxi quote for £30 – eek – as there is no public transport that serves the village. So Tourist Info back in Norwich had devised a plan whereby I needed to stop sooner. Good choice actually as tomorrow’s stretch to Malham from Lothersdale is supposed to be relatively easy, so a few extra miles won’t hurt.
So I stopped at the A6068 at what should have been the Black Bull public house but which is now a very nice furniture workshop. I dashed in before getting the bus and told the nice man that my cunning plan all along was to have a drink in the pub while chatting up the landlord so that I could park in the pub car park tomorrow. He immediately said that of course I could park there and that he was “only sorry I can’t offer you a gin and tonic as you look like you need it!” Maybe it was because I was very pink and flushed on my dash down the hill to the bus stop.
So I had a lovely tour of Lancashire and West Yorkshire – on three buses – the first to Burnley, the second to Hebden Bridge and the final one back to the pub and the campsite. Another excellent day and the mileage covered is very satisfying.
Car disasters: 0 (because I didn’t get in my car all day)
This morning I had a bit of a lay in because I didn’t have to drive anywhere and I started walking at 7.20 am. It wasn’t long before I was lost – hey ho! – the Pennine Way isn’t always signposted as such – it’s sometimes just a “public footpath” sign and, because these signs proliferate everywhere, I didn’t want to take the wrong one. So, with that in mind, I found on the map a point where I couldn’t fail to pick up the path and walked a few miles along lanes to get to that point.
I picked up the way just past the Pack Horse pub towards Walshaw Dean reservoir – the path was flat but the hill views around were lovely – it was so peaceful. It wasn’t long before the path started to climb and I was soon heading towards Top Withins, the ruined farmhouse immortalised as Wuthering Heights. It would have been really atmospheric and reminiscent of the book if the weather had been stormy and the skies dark and brooding. However, it was hard to feel anything with the sun beating down and only the gentlest of breezes.
The path down from the ruins meandered through a heather covered moor and the views down to Haworth almost made me want to go and investigate, although I didn’t really have time. Another time maybe …..
The downhill slog to Ponden reservoir was followed by the corresponding climb over Oakworth Moor and then Ickornshaw Moor. There are lots of huts on the moor and I met the owners of one such hut – they look after the grouse so they’d put their tea into the hut, before going for a walk to check on the birds. I stood and chatted to them for ages – they were a very wiry, weathered old couple and I imagine they spend their days constantly walking the moors. They confirmed to me that the hill I’d been monitoring for ages was in fact Penyghent. Woohoo! Nearly there!
My initial plan for today was to walk to Lothersdale and I’d had a taxi quote for £30 – eek – as there is no public transport that serves the village. So Tourist Info back in Norwich had devised a plan whereby I needed to stop sooner. Good choice actually as tomorrow’s stretch to Malham from Lothersdale is supposed to be relatively easy, so a few extra miles won’t hurt.
So I stopped at the A6068 at what should have been the Black Bull public house but which is now a very nice furniture workshop. I dashed in before getting the bus and told the nice man that my cunning plan all along was to have a drink in the pub while chatting up the landlord so that I could park in the pub car park tomorrow. He immediately said that of course I could park there and that he was “only sorry I can’t offer you a gin and tonic as you look like you need it!” Maybe it was because I was very pink and flushed on my dash down the hill to the bus stop.
So I had a lovely tour of Lancashire and West Yorkshire – on three buses – the first to Burnley, the second to Hebden Bridge and the final one back to the pub and the campsite. Another excellent day and the mileage covered is very satisfying.
Saturday, 15 August 2009
The Great Pennine Way Adventure – Day 3 – Tuesday 4 August 2009 – Standedge to Hebden Bridge – 15 miles
Bogs fallen into: 0
Car disasters: 0
Progress is being made!!
This morning, I was so organised that I was parked and walking from Standedge at 7.30 am. Blimey! All day I’ve only seen one Pennine Way walker and one dog walker until Stoodley Pike which was overrun with ramblers.
It’s been very changeable weatherwise all day – with intermittent showers – so my waterproofs have been on and off all day. I had some climbing straightaway and reached two different trig points before 9.30 am. The views were amazing, even with the low cloud.
I had a major result at 9.30 am while crossing the A672 – a tea van! I got a severe amount of ribbing from all the lorry drivers there – along the lines of needing to get a shimmy on. The van owner, Brian, guessed exactly how far I’d walked, how long it had taken me, where I was walking to and my estimated time of arrival. I asked him if he’d ever walked it as he was such an expert, but he hasn’t – he has, however, had the tea van in that layby for thirty years and his father had been there before him. So he’s made it his lifetime study. His major customers are the campers who start early – the B and B’ers come along much later and are generally full so don’t want anything from him. Soon after leaving them chuckling at my expense, I had to cross the M62 which was slightly surreal following the peace and quiet of the last couple of days.
Not long after I reached my third trig point of the day and walked along a boulder strewn path – very bleak indeed. The path had been gently undulating today rather than major up and downs and indeed for a lot of the way has been totally flat as I walked wide gravel paths beside reservoirs – Blackstone Edge, White Holme, Light Hazzles and Warland.
Past Warland, the path became stone slabbed as I walked towards Stoodley Pike which dominated the skyline for ages. The villages down in the valley were really picturesque – all looking a bit chocolate boxy. It was while looking down on all the scenery that I decided to call the campsite to make sure I could turn up after eight o’clock this evening, only to be told there were no pitches. Gggrrr. So, with that, I sat and tried to do some planning – by ringing my Tourist Info advisers at Norwich! I was then bombarded with texted numbers so sat down to ring some local campsites by the side of a gravel lane. The postie pulled up in his van to ask if I was lost, but I just told him my predicament – with that, he offered me a lift to Tourist Info in Hebden Bridge. I thanked him profusely but said I was walking that way anyway. People are really quite extraordinarily kind.
I then had a bit of a grumpy march into Hebden Bridge to the Tourist Info office – the lady there listened to my tale of woe and told me that the campsite had shut completely but that the owner was a bit “odd” – lucky escape there methinks. She gave me a list of campsites and the first one I rang – the New Delight Inn at Colden – said yes I could stay two nights and they’d only charge three quid a night – bonus!
So, with that, I went off to find some sustenance – Mum and Dad had put a tenner in my birthday card with a note to say “have a cream tea on us” – which is exactly what I did.
There then followed a very exciting journey back to my car – a train to Brighouse, another train to Huddersfield to be followed by a final train to Marsden and a taxi to my car. So I finally got to my campsite after eight o’clock where I celebrated with a pint of lager shandy and a shower. And I’ve planned tomorrow that I don’t have to get in my car at all – bonus!!
Car disasters: 0
Progress is being made!!
This morning, I was so organised that I was parked and walking from Standedge at 7.30 am. Blimey! All day I’ve only seen one Pennine Way walker and one dog walker until Stoodley Pike which was overrun with ramblers.
It’s been very changeable weatherwise all day – with intermittent showers – so my waterproofs have been on and off all day. I had some climbing straightaway and reached two different trig points before 9.30 am. The views were amazing, even with the low cloud.
I had a major result at 9.30 am while crossing the A672 – a tea van! I got a severe amount of ribbing from all the lorry drivers there – along the lines of needing to get a shimmy on. The van owner, Brian, guessed exactly how far I’d walked, how long it had taken me, where I was walking to and my estimated time of arrival. I asked him if he’d ever walked it as he was such an expert, but he hasn’t – he has, however, had the tea van in that layby for thirty years and his father had been there before him. So he’s made it his lifetime study. His major customers are the campers who start early – the B and B’ers come along much later and are generally full so don’t want anything from him. Soon after leaving them chuckling at my expense, I had to cross the M62 which was slightly surreal following the peace and quiet of the last couple of days.
Not long after I reached my third trig point of the day and walked along a boulder strewn path – very bleak indeed. The path had been gently undulating today rather than major up and downs and indeed for a lot of the way has been totally flat as I walked wide gravel paths beside reservoirs – Blackstone Edge, White Holme, Light Hazzles and Warland.
Past Warland, the path became stone slabbed as I walked towards Stoodley Pike which dominated the skyline for ages. The villages down in the valley were really picturesque – all looking a bit chocolate boxy. It was while looking down on all the scenery that I decided to call the campsite to make sure I could turn up after eight o’clock this evening, only to be told there were no pitches. Gggrrr. So, with that, I sat and tried to do some planning – by ringing my Tourist Info advisers at Norwich! I was then bombarded with texted numbers so sat down to ring some local campsites by the side of a gravel lane. The postie pulled up in his van to ask if I was lost, but I just told him my predicament – with that, he offered me a lift to Tourist Info in Hebden Bridge. I thanked him profusely but said I was walking that way anyway. People are really quite extraordinarily kind.
I then had a bit of a grumpy march into Hebden Bridge to the Tourist Info office – the lady there listened to my tale of woe and told me that the campsite had shut completely but that the owner was a bit “odd” – lucky escape there methinks. She gave me a list of campsites and the first one I rang – the New Delight Inn at Colden – said yes I could stay two nights and they’d only charge three quid a night – bonus!
So, with that, I went off to find some sustenance – Mum and Dad had put a tenner in my birthday card with a note to say “have a cream tea on us” – which is exactly what I did.
There then followed a very exciting journey back to my car – a train to Brighouse, another train to Huddersfield to be followed by a final train to Marsden and a taxi to my car. So I finally got to my campsite after eight o’clock where I celebrated with a pint of lager shandy and a shower. And I’ve planned tomorrow that I don’t have to get in my car at all – bonus!!
The Great Pennine Way Adventure – Day 2 – Monday 3 August 2009 – Crowden to Standedge – 12 miles
Bogs fallen into: 1, no injuries sustained
Car disasters: 2 – lost car and reversal into boulder
This morning I was quite a bit more organised than yesterday – I had chatted up another fellow camper last night, so my car was parked at Standedge just after nine and I was given a lift back to Crowden to start walking at 10.00 am. I’ve walked today with quite a few couples – and we’ve been catching up and overtaking each other all day. It’s been really sociable.
From Crowden, I immediately had a climb up to Laddow Rocks – a lovely path with lots of rock hopping and fording streams. I walked initially with Paul from Darlington and Andy from Wigan, who had started the Pennine Way nine years ago, although only Andy had finished it after Paul retired on day one with an injury – a likely story! So Andy has been nagging Paul ever since to have another go.
They sat down a lot though – even by my standards! So I pushed on to the top of the hill where I met two girls that I’d seen yesterday. They’d had a trauma and got lost in the peat bogs for three hours so had to call the Ranger out. Because they then had so much time to make up, they stopped at the A57 Snake Pass and got a taxi the rest of the way.
The path along the Crowden Brook was very well defined until I had to ford the stream and then it was a giant quagmire. Panic set in – as usual – where was the blinking path? As I was scratching my head and cursing, I could see Paul and Andy coming along so I strategically looked lost (not difficult!) and helpless (ditto!) and they then looked after me and got me through the bog – not without me having another dousing though. (But as they walked a bit ahead of me, I was spared my blushes – they didn’t see a thing!)
The path to the trig point at Black Hill was laid out again with stone slabs – according to my guide book, before the stone slab there was “doom and despondency” where now there is “cheery enthusiasm” – how lovely! I must admit the peat bogs were putting me off walking initially – there’s so much of it. At the trig point there’s a 200 metre stretch of this soggy black ugliness, with slabs leading you through. Yuk!
The path down to the A635 was a joy to walk, indeed as the rest of the day was. Really well signposted along various reservoirs - Wessenden Head, Wessenden, Swellands and Black Moss, where the path came down the hill to Standedge and the A62 where I was parked. Except I wasn’t ….. when we’d left the car this morning we assumed, incorrectly, that the huge layby was the actual car park for the Pennine Way. Wrong! So I had a quick fifteen minute march along the A62 towards Marsden to find my car. Then back to Crowden campsite for tent building, shower and tea – a three course extravaganza – fish soup, pasta in a cheese and tomato sauce and a cup of tea and shortbread biscuits. How civilised!
Oh, and I finally opened all my birthday cards and presents – thank you everyone!
Car disasters: 2 – lost car and reversal into boulder
This morning I was quite a bit more organised than yesterday – I had chatted up another fellow camper last night, so my car was parked at Standedge just after nine and I was given a lift back to Crowden to start walking at 10.00 am. I’ve walked today with quite a few couples – and we’ve been catching up and overtaking each other all day. It’s been really sociable.
From Crowden, I immediately had a climb up to Laddow Rocks – a lovely path with lots of rock hopping and fording streams. I walked initially with Paul from Darlington and Andy from Wigan, who had started the Pennine Way nine years ago, although only Andy had finished it after Paul retired on day one with an injury – a likely story! So Andy has been nagging Paul ever since to have another go.
They sat down a lot though – even by my standards! So I pushed on to the top of the hill where I met two girls that I’d seen yesterday. They’d had a trauma and got lost in the peat bogs for three hours so had to call the Ranger out. Because they then had so much time to make up, they stopped at the A57 Snake Pass and got a taxi the rest of the way.
The path along the Crowden Brook was very well defined until I had to ford the stream and then it was a giant quagmire. Panic set in – as usual – where was the blinking path? As I was scratching my head and cursing, I could see Paul and Andy coming along so I strategically looked lost (not difficult!) and helpless (ditto!) and they then looked after me and got me through the bog – not without me having another dousing though. (But as they walked a bit ahead of me, I was spared my blushes – they didn’t see a thing!)
The path to the trig point at Black Hill was laid out again with stone slabs – according to my guide book, before the stone slab there was “doom and despondency” where now there is “cheery enthusiasm” – how lovely! I must admit the peat bogs were putting me off walking initially – there’s so much of it. At the trig point there’s a 200 metre stretch of this soggy black ugliness, with slabs leading you through. Yuk!
The path down to the A635 was a joy to walk, indeed as the rest of the day was. Really well signposted along various reservoirs - Wessenden Head, Wessenden, Swellands and Black Moss, where the path came down the hill to Standedge and the A62 where I was parked. Except I wasn’t ….. when we’d left the car this morning we assumed, incorrectly, that the huge layby was the actual car park for the Pennine Way. Wrong! So I had a quick fifteen minute march along the A62 towards Marsden to find my car. Then back to Crowden campsite for tent building, shower and tea – a three course extravaganza – fish soup, pasta in a cheese and tomato sauce and a cup of tea and shortbread biscuits. How civilised!
Oh, and I finally opened all my birthday cards and presents – thank you everyone!
Friday, 14 August 2009
The Great Pennine Way Adventure – Day 1 – Sunday 2 August 2009 – Edale to Crowden – 16 miles
Bogs fallen into: 1
Car disasters: 1 – tyre blow out on A624
Bit of a tardy start today – a knight in shining armour I met in Edale offered to help out with my logistics today so that I could walk towards my car and not away from it. So, after getting up late, we drove his car and mine towards Crowden – it was a good job he was such a good Samaritan – as I had a tyre blow out en route and, while I know what to do in theory, I’ve never been very good at practical! So, after getting to Crowden and then back to Edale in my saviour’s car, I finally started walking at twelve o’clock after a quick breakfast at Edale. I am a past master at delaying tactics!
The walk starts at the Nags Head in Edale which coincidentally was right next to my campsite – I don’t just throw these things together. There were loads of walkers out today – not surprising as the weather’s been perfect. My guide book informs me that today is probably the toughest day of the whole walk and that an awful lot of Pennine Way-goers give up at the first hurdle. Not me though – I’m on a mission.
The views have been amazing – really stunning – not especially pretty in a conventional sense – but really interesting – lots of peat, lots of rock, almost moonscapes for some of the way. Jacob’s Ladder was the first tough climb – but so worth it for the views. The hills are covered in huge boulders and cairns to lead you onwards as they mark the route. From the trig point, the path was fantastic – quite rocky but pretty flat all the way to Kinder Downfall which had become a natural lunch stop for most walkers. I sat down for a snack and the most curious sheep ever came to pose for photos and to eat a banana skin!
Things got interesting as I reached Mill Hill – from here the path is laid out with stone slabs because of the peat bogs. This, however, did not stop me falling in one – my foot went down a crevice between two slabs and I was knee deep in poo! Much to the amusement of other walkers on the path. These slight chuckles soon turned into belly laughs as I then ended up putting my hand through the crevice too – God, I was a mess! I soon dried out though and took things pretty gingerly from then on.
I was looking forward to a tea van on the A57 to treat me for my “shock” – however, it was unforthcoming – blinking guide book getting my hopes up! Once past Snake Pass, the path became almost a culvert – along what seemed to be a dried up river bed – although not totally dry in places – easier to walk in the actual streams than in the boggy bits. Oh, I wish I was a mountain goat! I would certainly have felt more confident about my rock hopping.
At Bleaklow Head a huge cairn appeared – more lunar landscapes –and the path then kept to the ridge before descending quite steeply on rocky paths towards Torside Reservoir. Nearly there! From the reservoir, it was a short detour off the Pennine Way to the campsite at Crowden and my car. It was nearly eight o’clock by now, so a quick burger and chips and a pint of lager shandy in Glossop sufficed before I drove back to Edale. I was so tired that I didn’t even open all my lovely birthday cards and presents – sorry all. But I did manage a swift drink in the Nags Head before retiring for the night. An absolutely brilliant day – I loved it!
Car disasters: 1 – tyre blow out on A624
Bit of a tardy start today – a knight in shining armour I met in Edale offered to help out with my logistics today so that I could walk towards my car and not away from it. So, after getting up late, we drove his car and mine towards Crowden – it was a good job he was such a good Samaritan – as I had a tyre blow out en route and, while I know what to do in theory, I’ve never been very good at practical! So, after getting to Crowden and then back to Edale in my saviour’s car, I finally started walking at twelve o’clock after a quick breakfast at Edale. I am a past master at delaying tactics!
The walk starts at the Nags Head in Edale which coincidentally was right next to my campsite – I don’t just throw these things together. There were loads of walkers out today – not surprising as the weather’s been perfect. My guide book informs me that today is probably the toughest day of the whole walk and that an awful lot of Pennine Way-goers give up at the first hurdle. Not me though – I’m on a mission.
The views have been amazing – really stunning – not especially pretty in a conventional sense – but really interesting – lots of peat, lots of rock, almost moonscapes for some of the way. Jacob’s Ladder was the first tough climb – but so worth it for the views. The hills are covered in huge boulders and cairns to lead you onwards as they mark the route. From the trig point, the path was fantastic – quite rocky but pretty flat all the way to Kinder Downfall which had become a natural lunch stop for most walkers. I sat down for a snack and the most curious sheep ever came to pose for photos and to eat a banana skin!
Things got interesting as I reached Mill Hill – from here the path is laid out with stone slabs because of the peat bogs. This, however, did not stop me falling in one – my foot went down a crevice between two slabs and I was knee deep in poo! Much to the amusement of other walkers on the path. These slight chuckles soon turned into belly laughs as I then ended up putting my hand through the crevice too – God, I was a mess! I soon dried out though and took things pretty gingerly from then on.
I was looking forward to a tea van on the A57 to treat me for my “shock” – however, it was unforthcoming – blinking guide book getting my hopes up! Once past Snake Pass, the path became almost a culvert – along what seemed to be a dried up river bed – although not totally dry in places – easier to walk in the actual streams than in the boggy bits. Oh, I wish I was a mountain goat! I would certainly have felt more confident about my rock hopping.
At Bleaklow Head a huge cairn appeared – more lunar landscapes –and the path then kept to the ridge before descending quite steeply on rocky paths towards Torside Reservoir. Nearly there! From the reservoir, it was a short detour off the Pennine Way to the campsite at Crowden and my car. It was nearly eight o’clock by now, so a quick burger and chips and a pint of lager shandy in Glossop sufficed before I drove back to Edale. I was so tired that I didn’t even open all my lovely birthday cards and presents – sorry all. But I did manage a swift drink in the Nags Head before retiring for the night. An absolutely brilliant day – I loved it!
Friday, 7 August 2009
So what's happening in the world
Remember this scene? Difficult to believe this was over two months ago. Yes never documented on this Blog but all the family and friends were given first hand accounts after this great adventure. Had to smile last week when Steve announced that his feet were back to 100% working order. Just shows you how much of a hero you were Steve on the day, carrying on. Can still hear your outburst, probably never to be witnessed again? The DVD is well on its way, just having technical difficulties with converting the video plus cant help playing it back on what I've done so far and laugh. Public release hopefully shouldn't be that far away? Susan you shouldn't really stick your tongue out at the camera so can be captured for prosperity!So what's happened to every one, well being summer everyone have gone there own ways for now. Amanda is now an Essex Girl! Susan was last sighted in Yorkshire as Malham is now here second home while Steve after surviving the ultimate challenge, keeping two youngsters entertained for a week in a caravan and surviving to tell the tale, is off cycling in the Loire region. Whilst Rachel is on the verge, fingers crossed of becoming a house owner. That should help the credit crunch, with so many shopping trips needed to fill up all those rooms!
Its seems that more friends and families enjoyed this Blog then expected so from now on, write anything you want, tell us about your adventures, funny stories, plans, challenges? We are already set for April and the Yorkshire 3 peak challenge and guess will set other things. If you want to be removed from the automatic emails or have people added, just let us know? Not everyone is on Face book but most can access this Blog.
As for me, well the Berlin Marathon 6 weeks Sunday. Up to 19 miles in the training runs and doing the Great Yarmouth Half Marathon this weekend as a bench mark on how I'm doing against others? Finding it tough going, especially in this heat but feeling more confident. Should be quite a day running with 40,000 other people cheered on somewhere in a region of a Million people and finishing the run under the Brandenburg Gate? Lets hope the only wall I see is the remains of the Berlin Wall not the runners Wall !!!
So over to you (Susan, hint hint)
Tristan
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