Category: Ridgeway

[I originally posted this in June 2018, but have reposted it to fix the broken image link]

DISTANCE WALKED: 19.8 miles

BRAVEST PERSON: Julian (for exceptional bravery with his foot). Special runner-up award has today gone to Julian (for exceptional bravery with his hayfever). Also worthy of mention are Julian (for exceptional bravery with his other foot), Bev (for bravery with her groin), Maggie (for bravery with her foot), Steve (for bravery with his hayfever) and Susanna (for bravery with her calves)

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “They look like Andrew’s balls” – Susanna  “A feel and a fondle and it all goes tits-up” – Dave  “It won’t reach over there, I assure you” – Steve  “My daughter made one of those out of mashed potato. No, hold on, I mean papier mache” – Bev  “I’m not having mine peeled back like that” – Gordon (first award ever for someone not actually on the walk)  “I’m now a vegetarian” – Andrew (second award for someone not actually on the walk”

Firstly, I’ll upload another three albums of photos from day 2 relatively soon (they’ll go further down the page, so you’ll need to scroll down below this post).

But, back to day 3. There are some days when someone stands out for their bravery. And I achieved that today. I’ve finished the day with a blister on my left foot, which I’m trying to treat with blister plasters. Hopefully I’ll be successful, but we’ll see tomorrow.

This morning five of us started at the Star Inn in Sparsholt, with a rather lovely breakfast. We mused and debated how long it would take to rejoin the path by walking there, and after much calculation we got a taxi. I’d stress that there’s no cheating here, we will walk every foot of the Ridgeway itself, but getting onto it can be done by whatever means we feel fit.

We didn’t initially tell Steve M and Maggie that we’d done that, as we wanted to look brave. I wasn’t too bothered by that, as I look brave anyway, but I let the others have a turn. Steve M started asking me a series of questions, and since I’m a dreadful liar, he soon found out that we had got a taxi. He didn’t tell Maggie, she remained in awe of us all day.

The walk in the morning was pleasant enough, I tried to set a pace to eat the miles up. However, the miles didn’t seem to be eating up, much to my annoyance. We reached a lunch stop and I ate my lunch, which didn’t take too long as I didn’t have one. Of significant interest to some of us, primarily Dave, Bev and myself, we watched some pigeons being set off on their first homing expedition. I videoed it, I’ll post it later. Steve M was quite blasé about it, he wasn’t going to demean himself by watching a load of pigeons.

We carried on walking and I carried on getting grumpier. I then realised that I was way under-resourced in terms of salt, and after much subtle hinting via Bev, some crisps were found for me. Thank you Steve and Maggie. That little bit of salt powered me through to the end, and I reached speeds of nearly 1.5mph at times.

We were all noticeably quieter today than on the first two days, as several of us felt that it was quite tough going. The ground is hard and a bit stony, and it’s difficult walking on that for long periods. Today was also hilly, but the scenery was beautiful. Was Bev quiet I hear you all cry. Well, yes, she was to a degree, which goes to show just how the group mood has shifted.

However, Dave and Steve M boosted our spirits with their energy and good health. Well, they didn’t boost mine, they bloody irritated me. I’d feel better about my hobbling about if they hobbled about too. So tomorrow I will sabotage their walk efforts so that they struggle. Because I’m like that…. Bev said she’d help. Because she’s like that too…

My feet were giving me some problems, but I’ve fixed the right foot, and I’ll work on the left foot as well to try and resolve that problem. Brave? Yes. To a ridiculous degree, and that was widely commented on.

Anyway, we nearly ran to the end point of the walk. By nearly ran, I mean hobbled. Some of the group were staying at the Bull in Streatley. Frankly, the less said about that place the better, so I won’t go there, either in this blog or in person. Instead I was at the Miller of Mansfield, which offered a friendly welcome. Unfortunately it didn’t have the bath that I was looking forwards to that was confirmed on the Expedia booking, but such is life, everything else was fine.

We then had a group meal at the Indian restaurant, having had to divert our plans from the Bull, and that was certainly large portions. We’d had rather a heavy night last night, so this one was much more refined and laid-back, and it was noted again by several people how brave I was being about my foot.

So, we’ve done three days out of six, and I’ve remembered how difficult this walking thing is. I’m certainly not doing the LDWA 100, and I’m going off doing a 50 to be honest. I’m wondering whether I should get into short distance walking. Maggie and Steve M have decided to walk much less than the rest of us, and I’m quite envious of their decision now.

So, what will happen on day four? I hope there are more quotes of the day than on day three, and there’s less pain. But, hurry back here to read the details of another traumatic day with Hike Norfolk.

[I originally posted this in June 2018, but have reposted it to fix the broken image links]

Below are the photos from the walking in day two, mostly from the morning and early afternoon as I’ll create separate posts for what happened in the late afternoon. Bev told us far too much information. Andrew would be appalled.

[I originally posted this in June 2018, but have reposted it to fix the broken image link]

Maggie was kind enough to pick five of us from Marlborough from where we were staying. We claimed that it was because it was most efficient time-wise, but it was actually because we couldn’t be bothered to walk.

No, that’s not the Queen Mother or the Pope waving from the back seat, it’s Bev.

[I originally posted this in June 2018 but have reposted it to fix some broken image links]

DISTANCE WALKED: 19.6 miles

BRAVEST PERSON: Julian (for exceptional bravery in the heat) and Steve (for exceptional bravery with hayfever)

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Susanna won’t share with me now that I’ve spoiled her stone myth” – Steve  “They don’t call me donkey Dave for nothing” – Dave  “Gordon is going nowhere near my thumb” – Dave   “My thumb is above average” – Dave   “What’s going on between your legs Bev?” – Julian   “I like nuts. But not Andrew’s” – Susanna   “I can’t even use that in the blog, it’s beyond the pale” – Julian   “No, get a shot now before the meal, spice it up” – Dave   “Mine was conceived on a bar stool” – Susanna    “What goes on in High Barn stays in High Barn” – Steve M   “Just don’t tell Andrew” – Bev   “Suddenly Steve’s head went down” – Dave   “I’ll help you in ” – Steve M   “Our bathroom is shared” – Maggie “Do you knock once for a cup of tea, twice for something else?” – Dave  “We’ll just wang out the back” – Dave

Well that was an emotional day. We started off with breakfast in our pub, which was excellent. Well, I thought it was excellent with a full English and cereals. Bev complained about the egg, the bacon and the sausage. I thought the sausage was delicious and enjoyed half of Bev’s sausage.

Maggie was kind enough to drive us back from Marlborough back to the path, which meant two separate trips. We started off walking along the route and it was nice that the temperature was lower than yesterday. Steve struggled with hayfever, but he was very brave and only mentioned it a couple of times. He’s a real role model for Bev.

Bev complained quite a lot. Mainly towards the end of the day, but not exclusively. I can’t post this on the blog as it’s 18-rated and not X-rated, but Bev explained what she has done at Wayland’s Smithy. Honestly, I was shocked. And then that led to a revelation about what Maggie liked doing outside.

Fortunately, Dave, Steve and myself had gone to Greggs. Bev and Susanna spent 45 minutes in Waitrose and bought a lot of middle class produce. But that meant at least I had a delicious Greggs spicy chicken roll at lunch-time and that was excellent.

We went to look at the Uffington White Horse and Bev guided us towards where it was. After that guiding I then guided us to where it was, and it was an impressive site. Well, what we could see of it. But, Bev found a penny from 1908 and she kindly donated it to me, so she was flavour of the hour.

The white horse was impressive because of its location in the surrounding landscape. Susanna spoke a load of gibberish about standing stones and Bev remorsefully mocked here for several hours.

But the highlight of the day was the pebble that Bev wanted everyone to see. Now, I liked it, but there was a lot of angry people at Bev. It was an historic stone though that was of local importance, and was worth seeing. It’s known as the Blowing Stone and is a sarsen stone with numerous holes in, which is capable of making loud sounds if blown correctly.

The last hour of the day was walking to the hotel, which was off the main route and to be honest, I could hear Bev 200 yards away complaining. Susanna meanwhile went diving into a bush.

As for the evening meal, well, that was a drunken mess. Seven people, fifty shots and lots of great food, what could possibly go wrong? Well, quite a lot….. More on that will be detailed in my posts about day two that I’ll make tomorrow….