AND SO, IT’S FAREWELL AT LAST…

WHITE HORSE WALKERS READY TO DEPART FROM WESTBOURNE

SPECTACULAR CUILLINS IN SKYE

THE BACK WAY TO BEN NEVIS

BREAKFAST IN THE PEAK DISTRICT

OLIVER WITH GRANDMA SHEILA

...but only to my diary entries on this blog. It was just over a year ago that I set off from Southampton on my JOGLE venture. I have benefited greatly from it; not just from the experiences of the walk itself, which I hope I have already conveyed, but also from the kind messages received through my website. 

I have been pleased to accept many invitations to talk to local groups about my adventure, resulting in further significant donations to the charities. Preparation for such talks has been a sizeable task in itself. I took over 1,600 pictures and spent many hours filtering these down into a manageable number. How does one possibly condense 3 months of walking into 45 minutes.

The final amount collected for the charities is £8,312. The addition of Gift-Aid will raise the figure to around £9,000. Whilst short of my £10,000 target, the amount collected is still substantial and I thank all those who have donated so generously. 

In addition to this, the White Horse Walk referred to in my last diary entry was a great success. Nearly 40 people took part in the event, 8 of them walking the full 100km route. The princely sum of £4,902 was raised for Macmillan Cancer Support, greatly exceeding my £3,000 target. I have agreed to organise a repeat of the event next year.

The past year has been hard work, but exceedingly rewarding. However, the best reward of all was the recent birth of my second Grandchild, Oliver, to son David and his partner Lisa. Added to this, first Grandchild Isaac, to whom this site was co-dedicated (along with my Dad, Phil), is now walking!!! Perhaps his rapid progress was aided by having my diary read to him? As some of the attached photos show, I have been keeping up the practice myself. 

A final thank you to all those who have shown interest in my adventure and this diary. If it has inspired you to undertake something similar then I would be delighted to hear about it.

AND NOW....THE WHITE HORSE WALK

DAVID GETTING INTO DAD'S BAD HABITS IN THE BRECONS

SIMULATED ICE CLIMBING AT THE NEC

WHITE HORSE WALK MAP

STEVE BULL AND ME IN TRAINING FOR WHITE HORSE WALK

With paid employment continuing to elude me, I have focussed my mind on other things and kept myself as busy as ever. At the end of January son David and I spent two days trekking the Brecon Beacons in the snow and camping at sub-zero temperatures. In March I watched David compete successfully in the Triathlon at the Outdoor Show at the NEC in Birmingham. I also listened to Joe Simpson describing his miraculous escape from Siula Grande (see www.touchingthevoid.co.uk). 

I have now given six talks about my John o’Groats to Land’s End trek to local groups, and continued to raise cash for Cancer Research and BHF – £8,272 so date. Another four talks are scheduled. Among my supporters during the walk were Steve and Lisa Bull, landlord and landlady of the White Horse pub in Bishop’s Waltham. Upon my return, Steve suggested that, jointly, we might undertake a significant walking challenge nearer to home – something that could be managed within the three-day period that Steve could realistically be absent from his pub.

In response to this I have devised what is now referred to as the WHITE HORSE WALK. It takes place over the 3 days from 1-3 May 2010 and involves a 100km (62.5 mile) trek through rural Hampshire with night-stops at the White Horse Inns in Westbourne, near Emsworth, and Priors Dean, near Petersfield (the latter also known as the Pub With No Name because of the absence of signs). 

Jokingly referred to as the biggest pub-crawl in Hampshire, the walk is being used to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support in recognition of the help given by Macmillan nurses to Lisa’s Mum, Glenda, during her recovery from breast cancer and also to the family of local friend, Keith Cook, whose son Jason died recently of a brain tumour after an 8-year battle.

Word has got about, so Steve and I will now being joined by many other local walkers and supporters. All three pubs are laying on musical entertainment and have pledged food and a free pint to charity walkers. It should be a brilliant May Bank Holiday long-weekend. 

After this? Well, around the end of May I will spend a couple of weeks moseying around the Scottish Highlands, including a week on the Isle of Skye with friends from the Outcasts. Also friend Jim, who I stayed with in Sheffield, has suggested we undertake Wainwright’s Coast-to-Coast walk together. Meanwhile, I’m reading avidly about the High Level Route along the Pyrenees.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

JULIAN CLEGG AND ME, FOR THOSE WHO LIKE TWO EGGS FOR BREAKFAST

SON DAVID AND ME AT THE SUMMIT OF MOEL SIABOD

AN ICY SCRAMBLE DOWN TRYFAN IN SNOWDONIA

For me, the Xmas break provided a welcome opportunity to review all that had happened over the past year. The loss of my Dad, the birth of my first Grandchild and the successful completion of my huge walk were all events of great significance to me. 

Dad had been ill for a while and was aged 81, so maybe it was time for him to leave us. However, this was surely not the case for friend and neighbour Steve, whose wife Sarah acted as Treasurer for my charity walk. Steve was just 55, my age, when he died suddenly at home of a heart attack on December 9th. A social animal, he was a founder member of the Bishop’s Waltham Rotary Club, one of my sponsors, and had lived two doors from me for the past 21 years. The neighbourhood will never be quite the same without him.

I lost my main business client three months prior to my walk as a result of the recession and have had very little work since I returned. I guess this is the rainy day for which I put aside some savings. Life on a minimal income has not been so bad and at least I won’t have any tax bills to pay. 

Two months after my last diary entry things relating to the walk are still happening. I have continued to receive donations raising the current total to £7,700 - still short of my £10,000 target but I haven’t given up yet. There are a few collecting boxes still out there and some promises of further donations.

I was delighted to have been invited to the BBC Radio Solent Xmas party on Xmas Eve and pleased to meet so many other interesting and adventurous people. Host Julian Clegg announced on-air that I was willing to give talks about my walk, and I reaffirm that here. I am already committed to giving talks to several local groups and presently have bookings through to March 2010. I don’t charge a fee, but leave a large collecting bucket for the charities by the exit! My talk to Shedfield Men’s Group on 1st December ’09 raised over £110. 

Aside from that, I have tried to keep up the exercise. My son David and I climbed the North Ridge of Tryfan in Snowdonia on 28 November and Moel Siabod the following day. These were icy climbs with snow up to a foot deep on the summits. I have a few plans for 2010, which include walking in the Welsh Brecon Beacons in late January, a 3-day 100 km charity walk in Hampshire during April and a visit to the Cuillin Ridge on the Isle of Skye in May. However, I see these activities as just a means of keeping fit whilst I consider something much more significant. Watch this space.

THE WALKING MAY BE OVER, BUT…….

A GUINEA PIG AT SOUTHAMPTON UNIVERSITY

KENTON COOL SPEAKS AT COTSWOLD STORE

It’s just over two weeks now since I completed my 1,200 mile trek. When asked on the radio interview how it felt when I touched the finish post at Land’s End, the first word that came to my mind was ‘anticlimax’. The stage-lights didn’t come on, there was no trumpet fanfare and I didn’t magically feel any different. I think it’s a bit like receiving a successful exam result. Only when failure is a distinct possibility does a high level of excitement accompany the confirmation of success. If you are confident of passing anyway, then the blood pressure won’t rise very much. With a long-distance walk, the uncertainty of success is greatest right at the start. By the time you are half-way through, it seems quite likely that you will make it to the end. When just a few miles from the end you know that nothing short of a spontaneous heart attack, being hit by a meteor or (in my case) falling off the Coast Path will stop you getting there. 

Don’t get me wrong. Just because I am not leaping around with glee, it doesn’t mean that I am not extremely happy about the achievement. However, my pleasure is a quieter sort derived from the experience as a whole rather than from any feelings of euphoria in simply having reached the finish post.

Although the walking has taken three months, the venture germinated in my head some two years ago. I started planning the route well over a year ago. Construction of the website started last November. Sponsors started committing their support at the beginning of this year. During the Spring I was out training in the Lake District and on Dartmoor. The dissemination of publicity started about a month before I left. Right up to the moment of my departure, I was distributing posters, placing collecting boxes for the charities and writing further material for the website. 

Thus, when I boarded the train to Scotland on the 13th of July I felt relieved that the huge workload that accompanied my preparations for this venture was now over, and I could now just ‘get on with the job’. With Simon looking after the website, Kay heading the publicity machine (supported by Mike and John), Sarah keeping a track on donations and Chris keeping an eye on my house, I was spared any need to worry about what was happening back home. So, in truth, although I am the one who did the walk, I owe a debt of gratitude to my friends for the success of the project as a whole.

I also owe a debt of gratitude to my generous sponsors who reduced my initial outgoings greatly, and all the other people I met along the way who provided me with shelter, gave me food, donated to my charities or simply passed some time with me. The weather may have been miserable at times; the terrain may sometimes have left me exhausted; my feet and legs often hurt; my kit sometimes let me down. On the other hand, I have been privileged to experience places and see things that few others have. But most of all, it is the people that I will remember most dearly. 

Well, now the walk is done, what’s the score?

Firstly, I am pleased to see that contributions to my charities have exceeded £6,000, but I am keen to push this nearer to my £10,000 target. There is still money to come from people collecting on my behalf. Also, several local organisations have asked me to give an illustrated talk about my adventure. I will naturally be taking my charity bucket with me. 

Health-wise, I have used the past two weeks to restore my body by resting and eating healthily. During the hardest parts of the walk (in Scotland and on the Pennines) I lost an incredible 3 inches off my waist. Any more and I would have been unable to fully tighten my rucksack hip-belt. My weight is now almost exactly the same as when I started, although I suspect that the muscle percentage might be higher. Whether this is true or not may be revealed by the second set of tests that Professor Maria Stokes and her team subjected me to last Wednesday at Southampton University’s School of Health Sciences (the original tests are mentioned in the 12 July ’09 entry under ‘Before the walk’).

There are a couple of physical after-effects from my walk that still remain. The main one is numbness and tingling of my big toes. My guess is that my feet expanded during the walk, making my boots over-tight and thus cramping my toes. Combined with a rather abusive 3.2 million impacts on each foot as I walked, nerve damage has almost certainly occurred which could take six months or so to repair itself. My knees also ache, but this feels ‘muscular’ rather than ‘joint’. Given what I have been carrying on my back for the past three months, I’m not really surprised at this and feel sure that the aches will soon fade away. 

Anyway, with a pile of bills awaiting payment on my return home I have been catapulted straight back into the life I lived before my walk! I suppose it’s inevitable that I should question if that is what I want. Despite the discomforts of being itinerant, there were few things that I missed and I felt little of the kind of stress that seems to accompany 21st century living. Last Thursday I listened to Kenton Cool talking about how he guided Ranulph Fiennes up Everest and the north face of the Eiger. Whilst I felt no inclination to pursue quite such hazardous adventures myself, I was aware that my feet were starting to itch again!!

OSGB GRID REF. SW343251. LAND'S END

ST. JUST TOWN CENTRE

COAST PATH AT NIGHT

BY THE FINISH SIGN

ME WITH WELCOMING PARTY JENNIFER, TERRY AND CHRIS

Since I had missed my earlier rest day, I decided to take one on the Thursday instead. Much of my clothing was wet from the previous day's downpour so I dried what I could. Other than that, I spent the morning in the Youth Hostel writing my diary and in the afternoon I took a walk to explore St. Just's small but attractive town centre. I spent an hour browsing in a little combined Cafe/Bookshop and, after wavering for a while because it would add to my rucksack load, I bought a large heavy autobiographical book by Doug Scott called Himalayan Climber. 

In the evening I shared supper with Saskia and then retired to the Hostel's communal lounge to read. A group of American students on an educational trip were staying at the Hostel and I had a very enjoyable conversation with them.

After everyone else went to bed, I remained in the lounge until after midnight. Around 2.50am Friday morning I started to prepare my gear and pack my rucksack. Half an hour later I left the Youth Hostel wearing my head-torch. My plan was to walk the South West Coast Path to Land's End at night. 

It was notably cold but the air was clear. The path from the Youth Hostel was indistinct and hard to follow in the dark, but by maintaining a westerly heading I knew that it would eventually intersect the Coast Path. Once it had, I could then follow the Coast Path south towards Land's End. The lights at Sennen Cove and the Land's End Theme Park were visible ahead of me, along with the flashing light of the Longships Lighthouse, a mile and a quarter offshore.

The Coast Path is quite rocky in the vicinity of Land's End and it is necessary to scramble over piles of boulders in several places. The tide was out so when I reached Whitesand Bay I could walk on the sandy beach all the way to the jetty at Sennen Cove. After the steep climb out of the Cove, Land's End is just 15 minutes walk away. 

My BBC Radio Solent interview was due at 6.45am so I'd timed my approach to the Land's End Theme Park to coincide with this. I was thus able to reach and touch the sign that symbolises the end of my trek whilst I was 'on air'.

So that's it as far as my journey is concerned; three months of experiences that will take me a while to fully assimilate. 

Things are not quite over yet, though, as Chris (a.k.a. George) and friends Jennifer and Terry had arranged to meet me by the sign at midday. I therefore withdrew to Sennen for a while before returning for the 'ceremonial' finish at the expected time.

Roughly an hour later fellow walkers John and Jane, who I'd met in Fort William, turned up. Personal reasons had forced them to curtail their John o'Groats to Land's End walk early on, but they were able to return to complete the latter stages of their planned route. Their walk was not over yet as they will be continuing on to Falmouth over the next week, but it was good to have them share the celebratory bubbly that Chris had brought with her. 

I think this is a good time to remind readers that my walk has been in aid of Cancer Research UK and the British Heart Foundation. This task will continue until I reach my £10,000 target. In any case, this blog is not yet finished as I will be writing an 'after the walk' summary once I have come down to earth again.

OSGB GRID REF. SW364305. ST. JUST

COAST NEAR PORTHLEVEN

REMNANT OF CORNISH MINING INDUSTRY

CRASHING WAVES

ME AT ST. MICHAEL'S MOUNT

SASKIA, PHIL, ME & BECKY AT LETCHA VEAN

It rained for the third successive night, so the tent was wet again on Tuesday morning. This wasn't a problem, though, as by the time I'd used the campsite shower and composed my latest blog entry, things were starting to dry. 

Although I was due a rest day, I didn't actually feel the need for one and decided to keep walking instead. I took my time though, so it was early afternoon before I left Porthleven to continue west along the Coast Path. My initial plan had been to proceed using inland roads, so having the time to walk the Coast Path instead was a bonus. The route is wonderfully scenic, but the path constantly changes direction and elevation as it follows the profile of the coast, thus taking much longer to walk than the crow-flies distance might suggest. However, I'm sure the pictures will illustrate why I think this path is well worth the energy expenditure. 

When I reached Marazion I had been quite prepared to stay at another campsite, but found an excellent B&B instead. I had struck lucky. Chyanoweth is the home of Pete and Sue, and their guest room had all the features of a luxury flat. I was particularly taken with the gold-sequined bed cushions. That evening I found myself in a quiz team with my hosts and their friends at the Kings Arms. 

In the morning I had a telephone interview with Chris Broom of Hampshire paper 'The News' who is writing a two-page article about my venture. I am grateful for the publicity as I am still only half-way to meeting my charity target. It was raining quite heavily when I left Marazion to walk the 3 miles to Penzance. 

I am scheduled to have a further Radio Solent interview on the morning of my arrival in Land's End this Friday, but I wasn't sure if I would be able to get reception on my mobile phone. To check this out, I took a bus ride to Land's End and back as soon as I reached Penzance. I didn't actually step off the bus, but was able to confirm that communications would be OK. It also gave me an opportunity to shelter from the rain for a while. 

I had hoped that the rain might have ceased by the time the bus returned to Penzance, but it was as heavy as ever. I was feeling cold from sitting still and needed to decide what to do next quickly. 

I'd never been to St. Just before. Located near the coast about 8 miles west of Penzance and 5 miles north of Land's End, it has a Youth Hostel nearby. It was coming up to 4.00pm so I quick-marched there by the most direct route I could find. That soon warmed me up. Two and a half hours later I was at St. Just's Letcha Vean Youth Hostel, and an hour after that I was sharing supper with fellow guests Saskia, Becky and Phil. We got on well and chatted until quite late. 

Land's End is now just a short walk to the south. Indeed, I could see it from the hill overlooking the Youth Hostel. It would be nice if I could do something slightly unusual to end the walk. Naked has already been done and, anyway, it might be cold. I have another idea brewing, but I'm not telling yet!

OSGB GRID REF. SW628263. PORTHLEVEN

SATELLITE DISH AT GOONHILLY

CADGWITH HARBOUR

LIZARD LIGHTHOUSE FROM LIZARD POINT

VIEW FROM LIZARD POINT

MULLION HOLIDAY PARK LET ME CAMP FOR FREE

PORTHLEVEN HARBOUR

Isn't it strange how things often come to you just when you need them? The first heavy overnight rainfall for a while, and I was tucked up under a corrugated steel roof in Mr Hall's storeroom. Noisy, but dry. More importantly, I was spared the dubious pleasure of having to pack away a wet tent. 

The rain continued during the morning as I headed south through Stithians and Rame. By lunchtime I'd reached Gweek, which sounds like a Jonathan Ross attempt to describe Zorba's nationality. 

It was Sunday, so I decided to treat myself to a carvery dinner at The Gweek Inn. Rosemary's rucksack banner ensured that my cover was blown the moment I entered the establishment; I received a charity donation within moments. Not only that, the Inn waived payment for my food and drinks bill. That's the second time in two successive days that I haven't paid for my meal! I am delighted to be the recipient of such kindness but feel the charities should benefit too, so I will donate part of the value to the fund. 

After Gweek, I wanted to have a close look at the large satellite communications dishes at Goonhilly Earth Station. I had intended to use a path that starts from Mawgan and passes over Trelowarren, but this turned out to be a permissive one and the landowners had rescinded their permission on 1 Oct. I was not impressed. The resulting 2 mile detour cost me nearly an hour. 

By the time I got to Goonhilly I had formulated a plan. Part one of the plan involved quick-marching southwest across the Goonhilly Downs to a campsite near Mullion. When I got there, however, I thought the campsite looked distinctly grotty. It was 7.15pm and the light was going so there wasn't much time for a re-think. Fortunately, the much nicer Mullion Holiday Park was just next door and they let me stay for free. 

Part two of my plan involved leaving most of my gear at the campsite next morning so that I could walk the 10 miles to Lizard Point and back with minimal weight. It rained heavily for the second night running and this continued into the morning. No worries. I simply donned my wet gear, left the tent where it was and exited the campsite by a short-cut that staff member Paul had shown me the previous night. This took me to a back road south of the Holiday Park. From there I headed to Lizard Point, but not directly as I'd decided to visit the pretty fishing village Cadgwith along the way. 

When I got to Lizard Point I took the usual celebratory photographs and then popped into the cafe for a celebratory pot of tea and a bit of celebratory carrot cake. Just to remind those who have just joined the blog, Lizard Point is the most southerly point in Britain and Dunnet Head the most northerly. As the crow flies, these points are 4 miles further apart than John o'Groats to Land's End, hence the reason why I have included them on my trek. Thus, I have now completed a walk between the two most distant points in mainland Britain. It'll now take me just a few more days to get to Land's End to complete the better known but slightly less extreme walk. Lesson over. 

By the time I'd walked back to the Holiday Park, the rain had stopped, the sun was shining and my tent was dry. Packing my gear, I headed west to join the South West Coast Path at Poldhu Cove. At last, I was walking a proper footpath again and my feet immediately seemed lighter. My appreciation of Cornwall's exciting sport of dodging traffic had worn very thin by now. Besides, it is difficult to appreciate the country views when most of one's attention is focussed upon staying alive. 

The South West Coast Path is probably the most consistently attractive long-distance trail in Britain. Because the tide was coming in, I stuck to the cliff top trail rather than walk along the beach, except where the trail cut across Loe Bar. By 6.00pm I was in Porthleven. I was due a rest day, but didn't even enquire about B&B prices as I knew they would be painfully expensive. In any case, I found a nice little camp site in Mill Lane just a short walk from the harbour.

My friends are expecting me to arrive at Land's End at midday on Friday 9 October, but I am well ahead of schedule and in danger of getting there before them. Not a problem. With stunning coastal views to enjoy, I'm sure I can drag my feet a little over the next few days.