Doing the best that I can, at writing, running and living
This is actually the day after as, well, who has time to write when someone’s handing you a glass of champagne or three? I’ve been brought back to the west coast again in less time than the Tony Blackburn radio show. This automobile idea may just catch on. The first lot of washing is on… Continue reading Coast to Coast Day 14 – Grosmont to Robin Hood’s Bay (15.5 miles)
It was the penultimate day! And the first day that John cracked open his bottle of suncream. All of us tramping with him lathered some liberally on our arms as hey, it was a short sleeves day! Bucolic is a word I have always had problems with, because I always forget the definition. To me… Continue reading Coast to Coast Day 13 – Blakey Ridge to Grosmont (pron. Growmont: 13.5 miles)
We went to the pub today. It was only 11 odd miles away so just enough to work up a thirst. The Lion Inn sitting atop Blakey Ridge is the only habitable building for a few miles. But that doesn’t seem to stop the trade as on this Wednesday night it seemed very lively.… Continue reading Coast to Coast Day 12 – Clay Bank Top to Blakey Ridge (11 miles if starting at Great Broughton)
Well who would have thunk I'd be craving a hill but it really did feel good after yesterday's interminable monotony. Our route today, after Beacon Hill with its radio station, was virtually all on the Cleveland Way, a path that, by our experience, was really well managed and well signposted. The full route is 110… Continue reading Coast to Coast Day 11 – Ingleby Cross to Clay Bank Top (12 ish miles)
We should have actually done a mile less today because we were staying at the top of Richmond and could cut across. So that 23 miles should have been 22. But. Oh my goodness. 25 miles! How? Well firstly I was master navigator and the last time I took the helm was day 5 so… Continue reading Coast to Coast Day 10 – Richmond to Ingleby Cross (23 miles: long moderate)
‘And did those feet in ancient time, walk upon England’s mountains green’. I’m not quite sure for which part of our green and pleasant land 'Jerusalem' was written for but the amazing scenery this weekend often evoked thoughts of the poem. We had two near idyllic walking days; I say ‘near’ because there was… Continue reading Coast to Coast Day 8/9 – Keld to Reeth to Richmond (22 miles ish in total: moderate)
Today was a good day! Yes we had another hill to mount, yes it was another windy day, especially on the tops, and yes we had bogs and plenty of them and yes a few of us were crawling out of them on our knees. But we were only doing 12 odd miles and the… Continue reading Coast to Coast Day 7 – Kirkby Stephen to Keld (12.75 miles: Strenuous)
Shap apparently became a better place to live once the M6 opened in 1970, as the once clogged A6 running through, stopped being a major artery for traffic going to and from Scotland. On our trek today we crossed both the A and the M. One, with a few strides across from the King’s Arms… Continue reading Coast to Coast Day 6 – Shap to Kirkby (pron Kurbee) Stephen (20 miles: long moderate)
Oh my goodness Heather Haydock, that husband of yours is a diamond geezer! Not only did he carry my sticks for the last part of our nearly 12 hour ordeal, he walked quietly and patiently with me while I muttered the words to 'One Man and his Dog' to make my feet keep moving in… Continue reading Coast to Coast Day 5 – Patterdale to Shap (16 miles: strenuous)
Day 3 We thought we’d get to Grasmere early and get to some of the walking shops. After all it was only 9 and a bit miles and we were cutting a mile of that out as Gillercombe, the B&B, was just down before Rosthwaite. The ‘official’ path technically goes up into Rosthwaite and then… Continue reading Coast to Coast Day 3/4 – Rosthwaite to Patterdale via Grasmere (17 and a bit miles: Strenuous)
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