Do I detect a lack of commitment?!!

Well, Trailtrekker is over and done with - 100km successfully completed in twenty-nine hours and fourteen minutes. We have to apologise for lack of blog but our walking team and associated hangers on numbered about eighteen and we haven't been able to coordinate an appropriate match report yet! It may still happen ..... stay tuned.

So today was our first walk following the big event and, although we had a lot of acceptances, as the week went on, people have been dropping like flies - with excuses such as househunting, moving house, no excuse given, a hangover and shopping ...... hence the title of this missive!

So Amanda and I set off today in swirling mist to the sound of roaring tides - another coastal walk from Cromer to Cley - we spent a long time debating whether we should go down to Cromer Pier to buy tickets for next Sunday. Not for us Take That at Wembley or Madonna at the o2 next week ..... oh no, we're off to see Chas and Dave!

The walk has been variously on roads, pavements, high streets, grassy cliff paths and shingle beaches - ouch. Especially as Amanda had blisters and I'd rubbed a couple too - I had to tape up Amanda's feet at one point and she commented that I looked like I knew what I was doing. That'll be because I've had lots of experience!

We decided to call it a day at Salthouses because of blisters and tender feet - we just about had time to get an ice cream before we had to jump in front of the bus back to Cromer - this is apparently how you make them stop as there's a severe lack of visible bus stops. According to our driver - who manoeuvred the narrow lanes rather like Emerson Fittipaldi - the Salthouses bus stop has been stolen. Stolen???

So a very good day and the others don't know what they've missed!

Less than a week to go!!! Yes not long to go now and though best to have a catch up as plenty to talk about since the last post as it seems quite a few people now check the Blog from time to time other than us!

First of all a BIG thank you to all that have sponsored us, if you look at our on line just giving page http://www.justgiving.com/tearsforbeers we are now at £1099 which if you include gift aid takes us to £1370.90. We do appreciate this big time especially in this day and age when lots of people ask for sponsorship.

The 16th saw our Hardleybury music festival with all sorts of music descend on Hardley/Langley. We started off with Pearl (picture) with a 45 minute acoustic set which set the standard for the rest of the day. A joy to hear, amazing what two guys and one guitar can achieve and wish them luck in their promotion of their CD. Next on board was the Spanish Rock Band TEA.

Late stand in due to a last minute shuffle in the line up. Again their own stuff but first rate, instantly likeable. I thought they were ace and even bought their latest CD! The funniest revelation of the day had to be on their slowness to set up and get going. Apparently in Spain most of their gigs start around 1am. So the 4pm slot was far too early for them! Once started very much enjoyed. Next up was Egypt more Heavy Rock with Blues thrown in. Very talented and certainly could be heard all around the district foe miles around. But as they said, there is only one way to play this sort of music! Thanks for Alan for bringing Egypt and TEA to our festival.

Next up was the local school bands headed up with Across the Board b but all their proud parents, friends and relatives. Really great stuff to see, the musicians of tomorrow. Also good for them to play in front of a live mixed audience. All went away with smiles so excellent stuff guys and a big thank you to Richard Craig’s for organising this which brought an excellent different dimension to the day. Finally we ended with Audio Junkie, which could not of been a better way to end the evening with their wide range of cover versions. Guaranteed to be liked by everyone, a must to see if you get the chance. The Sex Pistols Anarchy in the U.K was fantastic, that chair will never be the same again?!

So again, thank you to the bands, thank you to the locals who manned the bar, glad you enjoyed it so much you wavered the fee :o) and of course thanks to the people who bought tickets and came so in doing so was supporting Oxfam.

As to training our last big training walk was the week before which saw us catch the 06.30 train out of Norwich to Great Yarmouth followed by a walk back using the Wherrymans way. With support crew meeting us at three points this ended being a dress rehearsal with us covering 32 miles in 12 hours (plus one unplanned stop in Hardley, thanks to Justin for the J2O's as passed his front door!). As ever as the miles pass the conversations become more comical and bizarre! Bitter disappointment that the Reedham Ferry didn't sell Duty Free plus Rachel’s insistence we had seen a Unicorn! For me the highlight was in the last 100 meters of the walk when we had a world premier of Rachel’s "Happy Dance". Yes all on a high, ready for the big day, BRING IT ON!

So apart from a few smaller walks by individuals to mention, just leaves me to sign off. Guess the next Blog will be post Walk!

For those who would like to see a selection of Photos covering the last 5 months, please paste the following link into your browser:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2027487&id=1234676639&l=2c72819a13

Catch you all later

Tristan

King St Circuit - 2

Nice and early start on 2nd May to complete the King St Circular walk as it is becoming known as, 08:00. We set off from the C&W office in King Street and by the time we had hit Carrow Bridge we had decided to do it in reverse this time, Whittlingham then the fly over followed by the walk back via Yarmouth Road and the river bank area.

Tristan, Rachel, Susan and myself....what I have learnt about this walking malarkey is that it empties your mind of work thoughts and you become focused on some stupid things like " Pink Clothing, Underwear, Holidays, what to eat and drinks during the walking, Holidays, Gardening, etc....very therapeutic.....

We also heard our first Cookoo of the year in Whitlingham woods and saw lots of little ducklings on the lake.

And how nice to have the rest of the day to go shopping......(Susan & Rachel) !

King Street Circuit

Not long to go now, soon be May which means walk day on the 30th May. We have been given a 7am start on the Saturday and expect to finish late morning on the Sunday. Wrist bands are issued which use Satellite technology which means people can track teams on the internet. If Tear for Beers seem stationary for a while off the circuit, they will have found a pub!

Thanks to Steve who had identified an excellent 12 mile circuit from the CW office in King Street along the Yarmouth Road to Thorpe, through a well found short cut to the fly over bridge and into Whitlingham Country park, then past the ski slope and Carrow road to King Street. This will be the main stay of our remaining training, little and often. We wouldn't of called 12 miles little 4 months ago! The last test will be a 35 mile walk on the 9th May. Quoting the Oxfam people, if you can walk 35 miles you will do 62 miles no problem! I believe you???

*** PLEASE REMEMBER ***

Tickets for the "Tears for Beers" Music festival at Hardley village Hall (near Loddon) now on sale.

Fun filled afternoon/evening of Music (1.30pm to 11.30pm) featuring 5 bands (plus guests!) covering all types of Music from Acoustic to Jazz, and Heavy Rock Blues to Modern Pop.

BBQ and Bar available childrens playground opposite the venue so ideal for familes.

Tickets £10 for adults, under 12's go free. All profits to Oxfam.

For tickets or further information contact:

Tristan - 07771 613058
Steve - 07990 541683

Please come, it will be a great day plus helps Oxfam in the process, everyones a winner!

The Thursday before Easter saw the team head out to Alysham and a 22 mile walk back to Norwich along the Marriott's Way which follows the old railway line. So carrying on with the railway analogy we hoped to depart at 1700Hrs and arrive back at our terminus at Midnight (King Street, Norwich) using our normal 3 miles + an hour pace. Thanks to Amanda for the lift to Alysham and the pre departure muffin and and to Jocky fully kited out as action man as group protection from werewolf’s. So in typical British Rail style, we departed behind schedule at 5.20pm! Yes the late start was so we had some practice walking in the dark. Yes, the principle is the same, put one foot in front of the other, but the trick this time is not to walk into anything!!! But with head torches and a full moon (hence werewolf's) we felt confident.

So off we strutted, leaving civilisation behind us with good banter, it had been a while since all the walkers had been out together at the same time. Typically for a railway the route was straight with the sides of the old track line bordered by trees as it's made its way through the fields. A short stop at the old Reepham railway station for refreshments found a plaque stating the last passenger train had departed in 1959. For a few seconds the mind wandered trying to imagine the scene.

Around 8.30pm darkness descended, saw Jocky disappear and re-appear unexpectedly and the head torches adorned which made good dalek impressions! Time ticked by the miles passed with Steve shouting out rough distance, so yes we seemed to be making good progress but being on an old railway line and being dark didn't really have any visual references. However seeing what looked like the old Lenwade Concrete works at 22:30 did start to cause alarm bells with Tristan who was suppose to be back at work at 1am. By 11.15 pm the first street light came into view and a close look at the map showed we had another 7 miles to go at least, this wasn’t a 22 mile walk, more like a 28!

So Tristan had to leave the group, quicken the pace and power walk to Drayton and hope to some how get back to Norwich quickly. Being the middle of the night, taxi's been at their busiest and probably no buses it wasn't good. However once hitting Drayton and walking down the main drag, managed to flag down an out of service bus, hitch a lift to the bus depot and walk to Sprowston getting home at 00:45, that was close! Explaining to the very nice bus driver what I was doing walking in the middle of the night before being kicked off as a weirdo was a challenge. When the boots came off, sure I saw steam!

As to the rest of the group, they eventually got back to Norwich at 2am so again in true BR style, late! I will leave then to comment but I heard story's of tantrums and medical drama, yes there is never a dull moment with Tears for Beers!

Tickets for the Hardleybury Music Festival now available!

Tickets for the "Tears for Beers" Music festival at Hardley village Hall (near Loddon) now on sale.

Fun filled afternoon/evening of Music (1.30pm to 11.30pm) featuring 5 bands (plus guests!) covering all types of Music from Acoustic to Jazz, and Heavy Rock Blues to Modern Pop.

BBQ and Bar available childrens playground opposite the venue so ideal for familes.

Tickets £10 for adults, under 12's go free. All profits to Oxfam.

For tickets or further information contact:

Tristan - 07771 613058
Steve - 07990 541683

Please come, it will be a great day plus helps Oxfam in the process, everyones a winner!

The Wherrymans way take 1....

Saturday dawned clear and sunny – Jocky picked us up bright and early before 8.00 am (actually 7.00 am as the clocks had gone forward overnight) but thoughtfully provided us with coffee to wake us up. Just the three of us today – Steve, Jocky and Susan - until after lunch when we were joined by Diane and Andy from the opposition, as well as Gill from the running club that Andy is a member of.

This time we followed the Wherryman’s Way from Reedham Ferry back to Norwich, walking alongside water all day. The paths were surrounded by daffodils, violets and hedges in bud, and it certainly felt like spring is well and truly here. We did miss talking about PINK things though!

http://www.wherrymansway.net/wherrymansmap.pdf

The first seventeen miles were done at a steady pace – with a lunch stop at the Beauchamp Arms at Claxton – there have been plenty of riverside pubs today, although Jocky would only let us stop in one! As payback though, we wouldn’t let him stop long enough for apple crumble and custard – ha!

After lunch, the pace picked up considerably and made for pretty uncomfortable walking – well, for some of us anyway! A valuable lesson learnt, walk at your own teams pace……Diane, Andy and Gill seemed to be on a mission and boy did we suffer for it in the later miles. (Plus we intend to do the whole 35 miles in May, so lesson learnt)

Forgetting the suffering we experienced, the walk itself was just what was needed, we did 28 miles in all our longest walk so far, taking 9hrs 30 mins, so as far as the training is going we are right where we need to be……