Today we were scheduled for our longest walk so far, 16 miles on the Pennine Way. Tricia seems to be blessed with feet for walking, her walking boots fit well, and are well worn in, so far no blisters. My feet on the other hand are not. I have flat feet, and the right foot has been giving me some issues these last few years. I have some insoles specifically to help, and they have made a big difference. However, after 4 days of walking I have zinc tape all over my feet trying to protect them,  but my big right toe is complaining on every step, and now I have a blister on the back of my left heel. :-(. So it was with some sense of trepidation I set off with Tricia at around 9:30am.

Our B&B was lovely, the hosts great… And with a breakfast of porridge, and then a small cooked breakfast we were well fed. Tricia got some provisions from the local baker to keep us going. We walked out of Bellingham, and up onto the way, although the pathway was a little less clear than we thought it would be, but soon we were on our way. About an hour into the walk, the rain started… And it didn’t stop until we had completed the walk 7 hours later. We had our waterproof gear on, and felt we were well set up in spite of the weather. We were near a place called ‘Shitlington Hall Farm’ when it started raining. You can never forget a place called that!

We stopped for a break on a bridge under some trees where we got some respite from the rain… But nowhere to sit and rest. On we went. Our day started to deteriorate when we went into a forest… We had taken a wrong turn and realised we were on the wrong path :-(. Tricia worked out where we were on the map, and managed to correct our walk. Back on track we then started to negotiate some extremely wet, muddy and boggy and marshy land. The day was turning into an attritional slog… We sheltered under some pines for a small break, and then continued… Then as we crossed ‘Haughton Common’ we both started to realise that we were starting to ship water into our boots. Not good. You would try and step around an obviously soggy bit of ground, and then almost lose your whole boot in a place that looked alright.

Our spirits lifted when we could see Hadrian’s Wall on the horizon. It meant we were at least getting towards the days objective, but progress was slow because of the ground. Eventually we worked up to the wall, through ‘Rapishaw Gap’ and then along the wall. We sheltered behind the wall briefly in order to eat, but we had been on our feet all day, as there was nowhere dry to sit down. Tricia spotted our destination in the distance, and at last we could see the end game for the day. With soggy, and in my case sore feet we finally arrived at Once Brewed. Here is Tricia on the wall smiling in the face of adversity.

Tricia took her boots off outside… And literally poured water out of her boots. The Pennine Way had given us a hard time. Not many photo’s today… The weather was pants, and the main objective was just getting the day done.

Once inside  the challenge was drying off. A mixture of radiators, hair dryer, towels, etc were employed to try and get ready for the next day. We ate well, the food was good… And we were grateful of a comfy bed, with decent pillows.

My feet took a soaking, and I got a little insight into what trench foot would have been like. But managed to get them dried off and taped up ready for the next day.

And Bellingham, is said like Bellinjam! In case you were interested. Up at 7:30am this morning (isn’t this supposed to be a holiday!), down to breakfast at 8, and packed, ready away just after 9. We set off with Debra and Ross who we met the day previously, and who were doing the same stretch as us today. First thr pennine way took us into some woods, a walk alongside a river, and then into forest. We were on a wide path, that was even, and so we made good time, having done close to 6 miles by 11:50. A small break and we were on our way again.

Out of the forest and through some soft ground, we were then onto a tricky, rocky descent… And then into a long gradual climb. It was around this time that I felt I ‘got my motor runnin’, as steppenwolf said in their song. A good pace, and I stretched out. We stopped for lunch up on the top of ‘Whiteley Pike’ … Sandwiches for the other 3, just a flapjack bar for me, but it was enough to recharge and on we went.

With about 3.5 miles of the days walk left the promised rain (forecast) arrived. I had been cursing the waterproof trousers I had been wearing all day, as they made me hot… But was grateful for them in the rain. We went slightly wrong and run out of path, but the map reading militia (Tricia and Ross) soon corrected that, and got us back on the way. We arrived in Bellingham around 4:30, so we had made good time, having walked between 15 and 16 miles.

Tricia and me checked into our accommodation, which has a very 70s / 80s feel, but is clean and welcoming for walkers. We enjoyed a tea / coffee and a biscuit with other walkers, before Tricia and I got freshened up and went to meet Debra and Ross for an evening meal at the Cheviot Hotel. Good food and company. They have a longer walk than us tomorrow, so are setting off earlier, and so we said our goodbyes and returned to our B&B yawning and tired. Weather forecast for tomorrow not good 😦

We both slept well, as you might guess, after the previous day’s walk. I did wake thinking ‘omg got to do it again’ though :-). Breakfast was at 7:45, but we had to wait until 9:45 for the mini bus to take us back to the drop off point. The weather was a little overcast and windy. We started walking at about 10:20, so later than we had wanted. The first job was the two miles, all up hill, just to get back onto the pennine way.

At the end of the first day my big toe on my right foot was quite sore. One of the people doing the walk the south to north way had told me zinc tape was the thing, and he let me have some. Worked quite well, whilst I could feel the toe throughout the day it wasn’t too bad.

We walked initially with Deborah and Ross, who were doing the same stretch as us. The terrain wasn’t quite as challenging as the day before. The hills were a little more gentle. We had some light rain, so it was rain coats on. We stopped at about 2pm for lunch in a mountain refuge hut. The actual walk distance on the pennine way was 13 miles for us, plus the 2 we had to do just to get back to the starting point. At lunch we still had about 8 miles to do.

We ploughed on, and after a while for me one hill looked pretty much the same as the other. I also discovered that the pennine way seems to have its own mile measuring system. 1 normal mile seems to equal a pennine way quarter of a mile. Or so it felt. :-).

We stopped at the appropriately named ‘Windy crag’ for a rest at about 4:30, and reckoned we had about 2 miles to do. Recharged  we got on with it. We eventually came to the path down to Byrness. Path wasn’t really the right word, it was rocky and steep! We then had to go through some woods that were rather steep and muddy, but we got to our B&B OK, at about 5:55pm. A bit of a slog today, the views not quite as good as the day before. Here we have Tricia resting up, my feet resting up, and Tricia on the long climb down to Byrness.

A pint of water and a coffee for me, a tea for Tricia, to help recharge. Then showers and an evening meal. We then watched the football…. Wished we hadn’t ! Tomorrow we at least start the pennine way straight away as it is on the doorstep. 🙂

So here we are… The big day. Months of Tricia talking about this, months of me saying ‘oh my gawd’.  Not such a good nights sleep, the mattress was lumpy, and only one pillow. But the breakfast more than made up for it, excellent. We got talking to the other couple, from Edinburgh, similar age, similar age children etc… And all of a sudden it was 9:30am, when we had intended to set off. So, we hastily made sure all was packed, and then set off…. Well nearly, Tricia felt obliged to talk to the owner for a bit. 10am we left, and we could hear the bells on the clock from the church. Weather was good. I pulled a miserable face of course, but corrected it. Here we are starting off.

A couple of miles in, and we needed a drink stop, and I needed to take my top layer off…. Lovely, t-shirt weather. Around ‘green humbleton’, and up ‘whitelaw’, down the other side, and walked the edge of the English / Scottish border. Might need passports in future. Beautiful of views fields with cotton grass – fantastic. Then we were up again, and hard work up ‘Schil’… A rock pile at the top (605m), Tricia felt obliged to stand up on the top of the rock pile. Then it was onto the ‘mountain refuge hut’, where we stopped for lunch. Lovely spot with views  of ‘mounthooly’, a lovely valley, and across to ‘hen hole’ with a waterfall. Tricia had a lovely bug on her trousers which she talked to, ‘billy the bug’ :-). We meet a walker coming the other way who had diverted to go up ‘cheviot’ but fallen in a bog to his waist, so we resolved not to do that! It was enough going up the hill near it, no name we can see, but 743m. Phew… I struggled up that. Lack of hill walking fitness! Tricia pretty much skipped up it though, going ‘tra la la la’ and enjoying the flowers. Then up to a three way post, which send Windy Gyle was 4 miles away. Mostly down hill, and we walked at a brisk pace… But it seemed like a long 4 miles. The weather started to close in, and the rain forecast for 4:30 arrived. So, rain coats on, and it was all very different from earlier in the day. We eventually found the path to the left we needed, and had a 2 mile trek off the pennine way to the frame where we being picked up. All in all, we had walked abou 15 miles in the day, and the Fitbit said we had climbed 429 floors… Not surprisingly a ‘pb’… And more floors climbed than I had done in the previous two weeks combined. Here we have a picture of the lovely cotton that was growing. Tricia atop the Schill, a view from where we lunched, then ‘billy the bug’, Tricia’s new friend… And one of Tricia trying to keep her hat on in the wind.

Eventually we were picked up at about 6:30, and got to the Forest View Inn. Tea and coffee to welcome us :-). Boots into the ‘drying room’, and then showers and changed. A pint of cider each, and we enjoyed some home cooked food, along with about twenty other guests. We shared a table with two other walkers, good company.About 10pm we were both yawning and feeling effects of the fresh air and long walk…. And so to bed. A smallish, but comfortable room. Limited wifi, hence this blog is going up a little later than planned. Pictures will follow when the pictures on my iPhone load up onto the iPad.

Before I recount the travelling to the start of our grand walk, I need to cover a couple of items from before we left…. This last week has been frenetic for Tricia and me, getting items ‘tidied’ before we left, but it has also been a busy week for Ellie. Her prom night was last night, and as of Monday she didn’t have a dress to wear that she was happy with. Fortunately after a torturous visit to MK, they came up with something Ellie was pleased with. On Wednesday she want into London with some friends to ‘get some make up’… Not sure why a trip to London was necessary, but seems like they had some fun. Friday Ellie was at an heightened level of excitement for most of the day. Nikki came over at lunchtime to do her hair, then at 4:30 I had to drop her off at her friends where they all got themselves dolled up.

She had a wonderful time. The pictures above are Ellie with some of her year 11 friends, and one of her with her friend Tom. She stayed overnight at her friends house, she and Charlie were off to a gathering of a group they will be doing work with as part of the NCS (National Citizen Scheme – I think).

Yesterday evening, after I had finally managed to free myself from work, Tricia and me went to Pat and Clive’s to watch the recording of the play we performed in Feb for MADS. In parts I was pleased with what I had done, in other parts I cringed :-). As usual it was a good evening, plenty of laughs. When we got home I had to finish packing… So it was late to bed (after an early start to look at the post EU Brexit  carnage on the TV).

This morning we were up at 7, and actually ready when Clive came and picked us up.  A leisurely drive to Amersham station, and we were on platform 10 minutes before our train to Kings Cross. We were at Kings Cross 40 minutes before our train departure, and so used the ‘Virgin first class lounge’. Wow, posh or what ! The train left on time, we were fed and watered whilst on board as we flew by the countryside. Stops at York, Darlington, Newcastle, before we alighted at Berwick-Upon-Tweed. It was dry, which was good, and a little unlike the rain we had passed through around Newcastle.

We procured a cab and headed for Kirt Yetholm… This is the ‘end’ of the Pennine Way, but we are doing it the other way, so it is our start :-). As we had time to spare before we could get in the B&B, we did the sensible thing and drank some cider.

I am not normally a cider drinker, but have to say I enjoyed this one. Once in the accommodation, we decided on a look round. I was a bit grumpy as I felt the rooms were not quite what I had expected, but I will reserve final judgement till I have seen and tasted the quality of the breakfast tomorrow.

We walked the first couple of miles out on the Pennine Way, just checking the route. It was a lovely evening. Back in the village we went to see a rather beautiful local church. Kirt Yetholm itself seems to be in general need of an uplift, but the church itself was lovely. After a cup of tea, and a quick viewing of Wales robbing NI at the Euros we went to the ‘Border Inn Hotel’…. The food was absolutely fantastic. It is nice when something exceeds your expectations. Tricia had chicken with haggis, and a rather lovely cheesecake, I had some lamb, beautifully cooked, followed by cheeses. We had better not eat like this every day or despite the walking we will come back significantly heavier!

And so the day ends… A pleasant day, mainly restful. Tomorrow the hard slog begins.

Yup … We will be heading for them thar hills! The one in the picture above on the left is the first one to tackle in the morning. Weather forecast looks ok till about 4:30pm, when we will probably get some rain. We have around 12 miles to walk… But that doesn’t include any deviations Tricia may introduce 🙂

A busy few weeks … as always. The week after the peak district featured a good evening at the Pilgrim when we won the quiz. Although I have to say the round where we had to taste various cheeses and identify them was a little too much. On the Friday evening it was a curry night at the Grays next door, and a pretty good whisky tasting session at the end of it courtesy of Alan. It wasn’t a late night though, as we had to be up on Saturday morning. Tricia and Rob were off to the Scilly Isles for the week, and I had to drop them off at Reading station. They were duly dropped off in good time, and I pootled off to Bracknell to see the folks.

Ellie spent most of the week doing past papers and revision. I took her in one day when her bus didn’t turn up, and she had a maths gcse… and she forgot her calculator! I picked her up after a few exams. I worked from home mainly. And we started watching Game of Thrones. Ellie was hooked…. getting upset when some characters were killed off, and cheering when some got their comeuppance. Meanwhile Amy wasn’t having a good time off it with Robbie away. The pet hamster died. I had to go over and pick it up on the Wednesday. She had also hurt her back…. On the Saturday Amy came over for lunch with Ellie and me. In the afternoon I got stuck into the garden, particularly the end of the garden… I was very pleased with the outcome, and the progress. I intended to do more, but unfortunately it rained on the Sunday and it seems to have been raining since.

I picked Tricia and Robbie up on the Sunday, they had enjoyed their week. The next week saw the end of exams for Ellie. Her last one was on Friday 17th…. Physics which she found tough. But it was done all done :-). Tricia’s birthday was on the Thursday, and so on the Friday evening we all went to the pub to celebrate her birthday and the end of exams for Ellie. Gran and Gramps, Robbie and Amy, Nikki and Matt were there, as well as village friends. A fine evening. Earlier in the week I had had my 3 yearly BUPA assessment. Blood and urine taken, prodded and poked in unspeakable places, but it seems I am in reasonable nick. Some pics of Tricia and Robbie’s Scilly Isles trip.

It was a usual helter skelter weekend. After Friday evening, we were hosting ‘afternoon teas’ for Ellie to raise money for her world challenge… £300 raised, and she is just about half way there. Good girl :-). In the morning I had taken a cake that Tricia had done over to Tina in High Wycombe, and then went down to Bracknell to see the old boy, ahead of Fathers Day. Sunday, Tricia went off on a long ‘practice’ walk, from near Wallingford to Prince Risboro’, she got home about 8pm and was tired out. Pics from the Saturday teas…

This week has been busy (of course)…. I have been trying to get my (virtual) desk cleared before taking 3 weeks off to do the Pennine Way. Trouble is everyone keeps filling up what I have cleared… It was a long day on Tuesday, I was at my desk just after 7am, and was still there at 7:45pm :-(… Wednesday was a Governing Body meeting. Tricia has been up to her neck in baking and cooking, and we are trying to somehow get ourselves ready to go on holiday. Next post will come from the Pennine Way :-)… Here is Ellie with all the past papers she did, about three tress worth!

Monday May 23rd, and Ellie was officially on ‘study leave’. She had enjoyed the ‘leaver assembly’ at the school at the back end of the previous week, but had been caught in the cross fire of some high jinks  on the school bus on the way home, and a water bottle had left a nasty swelling on her forehead. In the evening Tricia took the Brownies swimming…. Tricia isn’t a big fan of swimming, so I hope the Brownies appreciated it.

On Tuesday Sally was in to help Tricia, she had a lot of work to do for Elliott. I was working from home as I had to pop out to the school to do an interview. Tricia was out on Wednesday evening for a pub quiz, and then on Thursday evening an ECC meeting.

Friday morning I was back in the school to do a school assembly… my subject was ‘marginal gains’, the idea of lots of small improvements adding up to significant gains. Then at around 3:30 pm Tricia and I were in the car and on our way to the Peak District. Sadly, as it was a bank holiday weekend, so was everyone else, and so it took over 3 hours to get to our b&b.

We enjoyed an evening meal at the Monsal Head, in a very quiet restaurant. Saturday we went into Castleton, parked up, and then Tricia led the way up and down hill for miles and miles :-). We walked around 10 miles, enjoyed some spectacular views, including seeing some paragliders (aka nutters). Arriving back in Castleton we enjoyed tea / coffee. Sunday we eventually managed to park in Edale, although I contravened a parking bay, and got a £25 fine :-(. We set off again, up onto Kinderscout, got lost a few times, gained a fellow walker, who was of some help, came down by Kinderfall, and eventually around to Jacobs Ladder. Again we did about 10 miles, although it felt a lot further, and harder work. The views though were spectacular. We enjoyed a meal at the Ramblers Rest before heading back. Monday, we packed, and headed for Ilam. Lovely village… and I loved the Ilam cross… very reminiscent of Eleanor crosses. We headed out towards Dovedale. I had put on my trainers thinking the walk would not be quite as rugged as the previous days…. mistake. I ended up with a sore ankle. We finished with a tea / coffee at Ilam Hall. It was then back in the car for the journey home. A good practice weekend ready for the Pennine Way.

Week beginning 16th May was an important one for Ellie…. The start of GCSE’s. She had been working very hard leading up to the exams, and we had a couple of stressy  days as the pressure was piled on by the school, but she was glad when they came as she could get on with them. Tuesday the 17th was the first… Biology. On the Tuesday Tricia was treated to a day out at Blenheim Palace by Janet G, Clive went with them. In the evening she had a ‘mentors meeting’ for Guiders, and on Wednesday evening she was at the History Club AGM.

Thursday I was at the dentist first thing. I had a couple of governors meetings in the afternoon, then in the evening we went to see an art exhibition at the place where Tricia does her watercolour class. Tricia had done lots of ‘nibbles’ and they needed setting out … And then friends of those who went to the class, came and admired. There was some excellent art work… And a couple of good pieces by Tricia.

Whilst there I saw a flier for a Genesis tribute band who were playing on the Saturday evening in Aylesbury. I have not always been a fan of tribute bands, but for a £10 ticket I didn’t think it would be a disaster if they were a load of rubbish. So on Saturday after having watched most of the Cup Final, Clive and me went to see the band, and they were pretty good…. I enjoyed listening to all the old Genesis music.

Sunday, and Tricia and me were over to see Deb and Carlos for lunch. Wendy and Rob were there…. An excellent catch up. Some pics from the exhibition…

It would have been good to have followed a very busy weekend with a quiet week. Doesn’t seem to be the way we do things around here! A long and tedious team building session at work on Monday, was followed by a busy day hearing appeals at the school. Lots of process and formality to go through, repetition of formality for each appellant… Tuesday was a long hard day. But the evening was something special… The last game West Ham would play at the Boleyn Ground, Upton Park. In August we kick off the new season at the Olympic stadium, our new home. Fitting then that we finished playing a top team, Man Utd…. And fantastic that we beat them :-). 1-0 up, then 2-1 down, and thanks to terrific headed goals from Antonio and Reid we won out 3-2. The match was a fitting end. Sad that the occasion was marred by an attack on the Man Utd bus before hand, and the after match celebration was a little bit ott… I will remember it for the terrific match. Some pics…. Robbie in his armour… as a model at Tricia’s art class!….and of course I had to fly the flag….. and one of me off to do school gov duties, looking like a fine upstanding pillock of the community….

I was back in the school on Wednesday for the last appeal. Tricia was out in the evening with Deb and a friend from her painting class, Lorraine, to see Jackie the musical… Which they all enjoyed.  I was struggling a little bit with my back – no idea what I had done, it just was sore. Friday 13th May I picked up my new glasses … And I am rather pleased with them. Wearing them now as I type this :-).

Saturday and Tricia and I were off to London. For Tricia’s 50th last year she was given a   ‘Tea at Claridges’ token…. And it was about time she used it, so off we went. I have to say it was rather lovely. The champagne, the tea, the gluten free sandwiches and scones, all excellent. We were there a good few hours. At the end we left and bumped into Alan Sugar in all his finest, off to some function. He looked grumpy… Good to know I am not the only one.  Tricia and I then made our way to Charing Cross station and went off to see Kinky Boots. Not really my kind of choice for an evenings entertainment, but it was really well done, and quite funny in places. We the made our way back to Marylebone, Tricia got herself a drink from M&S, I got a coffee, and then we had to leg it up the platform to catch the train…. Didn’t do my back much good!

Whilst all this was going on, the Eurovision Song Contest was taking place. I was pleased to miss it :-). Ellie, Robbie and Amy had gone up to the Webb’s for the evening, and with others had ‘Eurovision’ fun.

Sunday, and Tricia was off again. Another training walk… I first drove to Princes Risboro’, where we picked up some walkers and then drove them to Ivinghoe… And then they walked to Princes Risboro’. In the afternoon I sat and watched the final round of PL games. West Ham were at Stoke. We were 1-0 up at half time, and should have been further ahead. But we ended up losing 2-1 as the exploits of Tuesday evening caught up with us. We finished the season 7th…. A bit of an anti climax, as it could have been 6th or 5th. Still, we are in Europe next season 🙂

It was a short week due to the Bank Holiday on the Monday… I could get used to 4 day weeks :-). On Wednesday I was at the opticians for an eye test. I have been frustrated with the last prescription glasses I had, and have just been using cheap readers this last year or so. The test was ok, seems my eyes are ok, not much deterioration since the last test, which is good, and the optician recommended some workplace bi-focals. Thursday and I was in the school for an admissions meeting – and covering one particularly difficult query. I had to call a parent afterwards, and I am pleased to have got that closed down. Thursday was also Robbie’s birthday. 24…. Time just passes too quickly. Of course with Robbie, things are always slightly ‘different’. For his birthday he wanted an axe. Not the normal kind of request you expect to get… Anyway, an axe is what he got. Of course this wasn’t for chopping wood, it was purely to go with his armour collection.

Friday evening Tricia, Ellie and myself met Robbie and Amy at the Woolpack in Stoke Mandeville. Gran and Gramps came along, and so did Nikki, so eight of us sat for Rob’s birthday meal. Ellie had made Robbie a birthday cake… But we forgot to take it along with us. Doh. After the meal Robbie came back with us as he had a driving lesson on Saturday morning. Ellie gave him his cake then.

Sat morning, May 7th, Tricia was up early and off to Pax Lodge in London with the Brownies. Ellie was at work. I went across to Winslow early afternoon to help host people in for the latest Winslow Players production… I decided not to be in this one as I needed a bit of a break from learning lines. In the evening, after dashing back from London, Tricia and Ellie went to see Chitty Chitty Bang Bang with Pat at the MK theatre.

If Tricia hadn’t been busy enough Friday evening and Saturday …. She then got up on Sunday morning and went on a local walk, Matthew’s Way, with some of those that are doing the three peak challenge in September. In the evening Tricia and me were picked up with some others, and taken to the Old Hay Barn at Adstock, where we celebrated Jane Docwra’s 60th. As always with this group of friends there were lots of laughs…. Afterwards it was back to Peter and Jane’s for bubbly and cake. A pleasant evening, we sat in the back garden…. Then it was home. Another full on weekend!