Madly walking

It didn't rain after that. In fact it has been baking every day and I am brown with sunburnt legs. I followed the Humber then the Ouse through Howden to Selby then onto Snaith following a canal towards Doncaster where I met my mother-in-law at a castle on the route. I have subsequently followed the River Dearne then the Dove to end up in Silkstone Common, the home of Mr Smith's family. I have probably done about 120 miles so far and I am looking forward to doing more. I really love this walk. I average 2.5 mph and can walk up to 10 miles a day with ease. The Yorkshire countryside is so beautiful and there are constant surprises. People are so friendly and the typical conversation goes along the lines of "How far have you come?" From Hull. "Ooll, thou must be barmy woman walking all that way." I used to think that about walkers. Who'd want to walk when you can take a perfectly good train? But now I'm hooked.

Sludgy Brough

For anyone who might wish to know, the Transpennine Trail is closed between North Ferriby and Brough for drainage or summat. Anyway, it doesn't tell you this so you have to take an ENORMOUS diversion right round an airfield. Prior to this you have to sludge through Humber mud as the riverside is almost impassable. I staggered and am now trying to work out how to demuddify my boots in a hotel bathroom full of white fluffy towels.

Today I leave Hull, a city I have come to love, and wend my way to Howden then on to Selby leaving the River Humber for the Ouse, though I have a sneaking suspicion they are one of the same.

It's raining.

Hull to Hessle

It was a blistering hot day and I left my walk to the afternoon when it got even hotter. This walk looked quite promising on the map. The best part was walking over the warehouse roofs looking over Hull and along the coast at the Humber Bridge in the far distance - my destination. After that it was all industrial wasteland of old fishery buildings, now boarded up or in decay, followed by a retail park of the B&Q variety. When it turned the corner and I thought "Oh goody lovely riverside stroll" it was in fact a trudge along the groovy A63 with thundering lorries to Hessle. I found the unmanned station (the ticket office is now a diving shop) and waited dutifully for 10 minutes for the train which never came. I phoned train enquiries in India, as one does, to ask when it might appear. About an hour and a half later it slowly dragged its arse into the station then to Hull. At least nobody made any attempt to sell me a ticket; I might have hit them. Today promises to be better.

The First 17 miles .... and counting

I set off from Beverley by bus to Hornsea. Hornsea is a nice little seaside town like East Wittering with sandier beach. I waited ages at the pinnacle marking the start of the Trans Pennine Trail for someone to pass by and take my photo. I found a nice school teacher - dreadful photographer. Oh well, at least I can prove I was there and not actually at a Spa somewhere for a couple of weeks pretending to be walking across Britain.

Hornsea to Hull was mostly pretty dull and straight except for the bit where I got lost at the beginning around the Mere. I'm glad I did or I might have missed it. I stopped at a horrible pub for lunch and whizzed on wiothout eating. I was still quite full from my fry up at Tesco by the bus station in Beverley. (I don't recommend it as much of the food was cold.)

I was very surpised how much ground I covered so quickly. I covered about 17 miles. The last 3 miles were pretty tortuous and I gave up when I had obviously gone a bit wrong and was on a main road outside an enormous Asda. I took a taxi back to the hotel and fell straight into a bath of tepid water with no soap. Words were had with reception and all is now well. I am not too knackered though I am hideously sunburnt.

Today is site seeing in Hull and a 5 mile walk to Hessle with drawing. I am bursting to draw but somehow I haven't had a chance yet. My sketchbook awaits my attention.

Coast to coast

Today's the Day. Hornsea to Southport, here I come. I have packed my backpack, tried it on, fallen over, repacked it with only half the things and staggered around the bedroom thinking "Well, I'll soon get used to it." I can't take less. I am down to the teeniest toothpaste, the most micro sized deodorant, the lightest fold up shoes, no jersey ... I will be quite warm enough lugging around the stupid backpack. I can always throw away my clothes if I really can't bear the weight but then what will I wear? I now understand why tramps smell.

I hope the dog and Mr Smith and the Student and Apprentice all miss me. Do you think they'll remember to water the garden? Hopefully it will rain down Souf.

Ooooh I am so excited. My adventure.

To do or die

Christ, only one more day til I get on my train to Hull. That is Hull not Hell. So much for my great training programme where I would get so fit I could easily do 20 miles. I am still staggering to the corner shop and that's without pack. I really haven't walked nearly enough. My absolute top whack is 10 miles. I might walk this afternoon but I might make a birthday cake for the Apprentice and then lie comatose on the sofa. It is Sunday and that's what I like to do on a Sunday. Everyone else goes walking.

Going it alone

Am I an intrepid adventurer or completely bonkers or just a sad git off on my walking holiday by myself? Well, what I am doing does carry an element of risk but, as Mr Smith pointed out to me, I am not trekking in the Himalayas in search of Shangri La, only the Pennine Trail in search of Barnsley. I was talking to Designer Susan yesterday and we agreed that much of it would be sketching and taking public transport with light strolling and a few really good walks thrown in along the way. My big enemy will be rain although I do have a lovely flowery pacamac with hood.

I am compiling my packing list.... sketchbook & pencils, socks, pants, barclaycard. That just about covers it. The more I take the more I have to carry so I am being really really mean on myself.

Nearly there

I have now ditched some weight. Eating less, painting more.

I am off today to the sea where, tomorrow morning, I will perform the final training walk before the Big Walk. It's nearly upon us and I am going shopping for essential items such as socks and a water bottle. Then I'm all set for the journey oop north and my first detour which is Beverley. This isn't part of the walk but, seeing as I'll be so close, it seems a shame to miss it.

Am I excited? You bet.

Splash

Time for a bit of cross training - a leisurely float in the swimming pool. I haven't been all week because it was half term and I just couldn't face the prospect of swimming through child soup. I like to be contemplative on my swims, at one with my God whilst counting lengths and fighting with my leaky goggles.

Conscientous effort on the diet front has been pretty unrewarding so far but then I did have a Ben & Jerry's ice cream eating contest with the Apprentice last night. And two cupcakes. And a Twirl (both bits). And wine (both lunch and dins). I need a bit of motivation.

Painting steps

I have put some lovely soothing balm on my feet and they're a bit better now. I was so good this morning; I ran out of grey paint for my lions' feet and, instead of leaping into my car and whizzing off to the paint shop, I walked. Luckily I only needed a tiny tin so walking back was fine. The number of times I have walked to places then had to drive back later to pick the shopping up, I have now learnt.

Gosh it's hot today. Lovely and glorious but I am trying to work and the paint keeps drying too fast. I can't go walking because of work and heat.

Fat and Spotty

Am I really really exhausted from that huge walk or from that stupid hangover or from my arduous drive to Northampton and back yesterday to collect three lions for painting, or is it just the glorious hot weather? Maybe I am tired because I got up very early this morning and walked the dog. Whatever it is I am quite ready for an afternoon nap. You won't tell anyone will you?

I am having a little weight problem at the moment. Something has gone terribly wrong and, despite walking miles and miles, I have piled on about a stone. I think it's because I have been sneaking bread into my body which is something I don't normally eat. I will not have any today and I will drink plenty of water and no wine and jump up and down a bit more. I really don't want to do my Big Walk lugging an extra three stone around with me plus my backpack. I have two weeks til kick off so it's concerted effort diet time for me. Also I must squeeze in some more training. My feet have been behaving very badly lately. I think I'm allergic to my boots or maybe they make my feet too hot so I get prickly heat but it's too late to break in a new pair so I am stuck with itchy red spotty feet across Britain.

Flying along

Wow what a walk. I am exhausted. I walked from Kingston to Heathrow on the London Loop with guidebook in hand. I didn't know I was walking to Heathrow but, after Hounslow Heath and following the river Crane for many a mile, I came up to a road to be greeted by lines and lines of British Airways striking planes; I mean their staff are on strike rather than some sort of air attack over Middlesex. Actually, the planes fly so low over your head you find you duck spontaneously.

My walk started at Bushey Park which is quite lovely. The deer are very tame and eat from your hand. They live off an exclusive diet of sandwiches and crisps. There were little skylarks nesting on the ground and a family of swans with 6 cygnets, a treehopper and moorhens and coots and many a beautiful flower and plant and tree as the rhodedendrons are doing their thing.

This walk was very very long and I was pretty near to expiration by the end. I started to get a slight headache so drank gallons of water then needed a pee, as one does. Of course a jogger appeared just as I was about to take my knickers down - there hadn't been a soul around for miles and miles and wasn't afterwards either. Perhaps that Shewee thing would be a good idea after all.

I came back by tube from Hatton Cross. On the train was a visiting Russian couple with two dreadfully loud irritating little boys who couldn't sit still for a second. There was a nasty moment when one of them produced a toy gun ... how the heck did they get that through airport security? I can only assume theirs is someone laxer than ours. I can't wait for them to go home with that in their hand luggage!

Lost walks

I had a walk in mind but I've lost it. I didn't return the foldy page back to its folder of 1001 Walks in Britain after I walked the walk on the other side. I have to find it. Maybe I will walk a different walk but the other ones I have found are in Gloucestershire, Cornwall or Dumfries & Galloway. It's that sort of a book - much geography for small walks.

It looks like a perfect walk day: Weather looks clement, day looks uncluttered, I'm feeling walky. All I need is a destination and I'm off.

Walking books

I'm just about recovered from Friday's walk and am now planning another big wun. I have several walk books. I have 1001 Walks in Britain, but they can be a bit tricky to follow though I have done a few. Then there's the Capital Ring and I have done all of those, some twice. My current favourite is the London Loop featuring huge long walks through suburban London - that's the one I did on Friday. I also have the Thames Path but, to be honest, you don't need a book to follow the Thames. The question is which shall I attempt next? Eeeny meany miney plod.