Forty five and a half thousand steps. About 31 km, although 26.5 in theory. And another day on the Pennine Way bites the dust. And just a little hint don’t tell your sister that you finish in Hebden Bridge when in fact it’s 2 km further and every one of those steps is uphill. Didn’t matter that those 2 km were 2km we don’t have to walk tomorrow, just don’t do it. I was saved from physical harm only because I walk faster uphills and she could catch me. But a bath, a feed and a cider makes her human again and all is fine. We kitted up to start. Coats, waterproof pack covers, gaiters... because it was pretty ugly. Rain, dark clouds and strong winds. That combination on the moors is not good but when ... read more

Day 1 of the Pennine Way beats quite a few walkers, we may have met one of them. It’s a difficult and long day. Any day with a section named Jacob’s Ladder is going to be tough. If it was called Jacob’s Incline even that would give walkers some hope without being misled. I’m waiting for sections with names like Rob’s Gentle Meander or Julie’s Easy Decreases in Elevation. I’m waiting but not expecting. It blew incessantly today and we were lucky it only rained briefly as it could have been bitter. We both walked in shorts (not the same pair) and for a while in t-shirts but the wind got the better of us. I didn’t stop blowing until we managed to get off the high plains. The plain is named Bleaklow and you don’t ... read more

It’s Pennine Way day. Well really it’s Pennine Way day minus two. Thanks Bun for getting me to the airport and for the nice goodbye kiss. Something to remember. Julie wasn’t far behind and despite having checked in electronically the same inching queue was our fate. No drama just frustrating. And the matches I so carefully took from my hand luggage and stowed in my luggage needed to be retrieved. Walkers need to carry matches (compass, whistle and the like) to make them feel like real walkers. No longer is a T-shirt proclaiming ‘I walked the Coast to Coast’ good enough. From Melbourne and as of now 12 hours towards Doha. In flight data has informed us that in just over 2 hours we should arrive in the sunny capital of Qatar where the expected temperature ... read more

It’s Thursday 16 May and no it’s not time travel time or anything bizarre or weird. I’m home and in fact it’s 3 months before ‘real blogs’ begin but I’m experimenting with blog sites hoping to find one similar to the site I’ve used before. They closed, something to do with me being their only user! The site was good as it provided maps, excellent provision for photos, easy access for readers, means for feedback and the ability to drop text and photos into a hard copy book at a very reasonable price. If I have to explain ‘hard copy book at a reasonable price’ you better stop reading now as it’s going to be really tough for both of us. What follows, in text and photos, is one of my daily walks from home, around ... read more

Back on the real bus now that the 2 day ticket for the hop on hop off bus has expired. Back on the bus and for me it's off to Macs Adventures, the company that organised my TMB walk. Simply called in because I could and to say thanks for their efforts. Very trendy workplace, very open, bikes hanging on the wall, table tennis, open plan...but good atmosphere and lively work place. But really today is about the Willows Tea Rooms. Big build up in the Scotland guide book and various websites and with the reputation of Charles Renee Mackintosh to uphold there was quite a bit riding on the Willows. sadly doesn't really deliver. The architecture is OK but it is only 2 rooms and they are not that special. All the figures and fittings ... read more