Thursday 14th September 2023

Walking from Sunderland to South Shields

After a long car journey up from MK yesterday, we settled for an early dinner and an early night in our very comfortable bijou Airbnb accommodation in the Sandhaven area of South Shields. (Some of our fellow Redway Runners would have been in these parts last weekend, finishing the Great North Run). And so it was that we were then up with the larks this morning to hit the Coast Path Trail. But too early in fact for Steve to use his bus pass, having decided to bus to Sunderland and walk back … wind directions considered. At £2 a pop for bus fares at the moment though there wasn’t much call for grumbling!

Disembarked at St. Peter’s Church in Sunderland and had a short walk through the city, taking in the spectacle of the ‘Stadium of Light.’ Many years ago, Steve drove me, Alice, Geraldine and Emma all the way up here for a ‘Take That’ concert … waited for us and drove us home again. In desperation I had bought the much sought after tickets online, not having a clue how far away from us it was – but Steve came to the rescue, “Love is ” … and all that.

We happened upon a set of steep steps leading down to a dockside path, from there we picked up the England Coast Path signs and the signs were pretty spot on the rest of the walk. So a smooth and picturesque start with signs of the city’s shipbuilding history and parts of the University campus. Still too early for the cafes though – seems that folks don’t breakfast till 10.00am around here.

Once we reached the promenade there were eating establishments a-plenty and so we tucked into breakfast baps and lashings of hot tea. The whole walk today was with stunning sea-views and alongside wide sandy beaches. We ‘southerners’ are full of thinking our beaches are the best but I can tell you Northumbria takes some beating. There were a handful of swimmers and surfers in today – I’m determined to try out this September North Sea by the end of the week – suspect it’s a wee bit colder up here!! Mostly promenade and cliff top walking today, essentially flat but always scenic. Passed through Roker, Whitburn, Marsdan Bay, Souter Lighthouse, Sandhaven and Littlehaven. Saw Lime-Kilns, Lighthouses, windmills and even a Cave Bar and Restaurant – something for everyone.

This area is so pristine with wide open recreation areas. Some fabulous sculptures and art installations all along the path too, as well as some beautiful rolling lyrics along the wall. Keeping it correct we walked all the way up through Littlehaven to the ferry point, as we’d finished off in North Shields the last time we were up this way. We clocked up 11 miles today.

From the coastal path end we walked a further two miles to get back to our Airbnb – always seems like dead miles when not recorded on Strava! But a fabulous first day for the Rambling Roses, back on our beloved Coast Path.

Sunday 16th July 2023

We were kindly invited to join some fellow Redway Runners to celebrate the start of Ros’ retirement and to walk some of the Wales Coast Path. And so it was that Ros Crawley and David Jockel welcomed Steve and I plus David Rose into their magnificently renovated property in the historic town of Chepstow. This picturesque town is resplendent with castle … and several castle car parks which confused us at first but we soon got our bearings and felt very much at home.

For the purposes of this blog I have chosen to think of us as Enid Blyton’s Famous Five characters (George, Dick, Julian, Anne and Timmy) rather than accept that we are all 60+ and beginning to suffer the inevitable aches and pains! Having said that, I found myself in the illustrious company of an Ironman, Ultra runners and Marathon runners … and then there was little old me with my solitary 10k medal – I was a little apprehensive but always up for an adventure!!

Late afternoon, we had a little walk around the town, crossing the bridge into England and strolling along the pretty banks of the River Wye. Made it back in time to see Carlos Alcaraz’ fabulous Wimbledon victory before popping the champagne corks to celebrate Ros’ retirement. A fabulous evening, enjoying a delicious raclette feast, kindly provided by our hosts, some planning for the next four days of walking, lots of banter …. and of course, lashings of ginger beer!!

Monday 17th July 2023 Cardiff to Newport

Today’s plan was to travel by train to Cardiff and walk from there to Newport, which the guide informed us would be 15 miles of flat and easy walking. We were joined at the station by John, a college friend of David’s – a fellow Welshman. And off we eagerly set in the sunshine.

Now, we had 4 chaps in the group all keen to share their expertise in orienteering, we had a map, a Wales Coast Path guide, an Ordnance Survey app, plus someone local to the area but sadly rather a lack of helpful coastal path signs. The few signs that we did find encouraged us onwards, stopping for some discussion at points (which admittedly Ros and I just went along with and followed) … what we hadn’t figured was that we were following the signs that took us out of Cardiff in the completely wrong direction. So, although we got to see more of the city than we had bargained, it meant some unpleasant walking with traffic and fumes, plus an infuriating extra 2 hours and 6 miles added onto today’s hike!!! At this point we nervously laughed about it and felt hellishly relieved when we finally found the turning to take us down the lane to the Sea Wall and the views of the Severn Estuary.

At last we were on our way – sadly not too scenic to start as we passed the Water Treatment Works shortly followed by a sprawling Travellers’ settlement. Now we all try so hard to be accepting of people’s choice of lifestyle but this proves more difficult when for the next half mile we had to walk through piles and piles of their discarded waste – not the most pleasant of starts. Things did improve though and after a short stretch of shingle walking followed by scrambling through some ferociously overgrown brambles, it was mostly that flat and easy sea wall walking the guide book had suggested. It seemed pretty endless at times, the embankment just stretching miles ahead, as far as the eye could see. We had intermittent showers too which meant waterproofs were on an off at regular intervals as the showers were quite heavy and then followed by roasting sunshine.

It was along this stretch that we were introduced to Ros and David’s kissing in the ‘kissing gates’ tradition – in the five years they have been together, not one kissing gate has been passed through without a romantic embrace – so lovely. And there were numerous such gates today – a lot of smooching.

After 10 miles we stopped to have a picnic – much needed sustenance. We tucked into deliciously prepared sandwiches and crunchy apples and took the chance to rehydrate and rest our weary feet … and then we soldiered on.

More straight and flat sea wall, occasionally manoeuvring between cows and sheep, definitely the miles started to take their toll as we finally reached the city of Newport. It might have been our weariness but we all said that Newport seemed a bit unloved, litter everywhere. And it certainly didn’t endear us to the place by discovering the humungous hill that we had to climb to get the Railway Station. Lots of moans and groans at this stage … mostly from me!! We practically crawled our way up to the platform after 21 miles of walking … everything hurt! And then at the last minute, our train arrival changed to a different platform – so more crawling for our blistered feet … if we hadn’t laughed we would have cried.

It was a tough day but we rounded it all off with Steve’s scrumptious homemade lasagne, lots of laughs, beer, wine … and a very early night.

Tuesday 18th July 2023 Newport to Goldcliff

A more leisurely start to today as we had planned a shorter walk and also decided to use two cars rather than relying on public transport. Some excellent logistic planning successfully resulted in a car at either end and the ‘Famous Five’ all booted and backpacked up in Newport ready for today’s adventure. We were missing John today – our honorary gang member – he was back to his PE Teacher job today and I’m sure feeling the sting of yesterday.

We had to endure about 6 miles of industrial and urban walking first, accompanied by some heavy traffic … and once again the waterproofs were on and off. We had great views of the Newport Transporter Bridge, built in 1906, which transports vehicles and passengers in its suspended gondola – this could have been our route and would have saved a couple of miles but (thankfully) it was closed. My feet had got so badly blistered yesterday and I’d plastered up the best I could but it honestly felt like I was walking on broken glass. So between that and getting engrossed in more chatting today, the pace was somewhat slower.

We stopped off in the tiny village of Nash and made use of the deserted children’s playground to sit and have our bountiful picnic – today we’d gone all out – sandwiches, crisps, fruit and welsh cakes – we were living the life! It then took some searching and going back on ourselves to pick up the path that would eventually lead us to the estuary. Not far from Nash we found a wonderful cafe set up on the Newport Wetland Nature Reserve and were able to treat ourselves to hot steaming coffee while observing the fabulous wildlife – heron, great white egret, bobbing geese and parades of ducklings. Steve even managed two slices of carrot cake even though his lunch had hardly settled – he wasn’t going to miss any feeding opportunities!

Shortly after we were back on that familiar sea wall, but we had had some variation earlier with some woodland walking, meadows and some long unpleasant sections of overgrown prickly things. Lots of boardwalks on this stretch which aided the journey …. and a plethora of kissing gates which meant a plethora of kissing. xxxxxxx

Our watches clocked 11 miles as we reached the car and we enjoyed getting back to Chepstow at an earlier time today. Because that meant one thing … afternoon naps for the elderly.

David (Rose) knocked up an incredible ‘Cawl’ – the most comforting Welsh Lamb stew you could imagine – served up with strong Welsh cheese and crusty bread – mouth watering. Followed by Scrabble and Articulate and many many laughs.

Wednesday 19th July 2023 Goldcliff to Caldicot

A pretty straightforward walking day … that’s once we’d got going of course. We had decided on the two cars again but parking up at Caldicot (near the Rogiet Parkrun) proved a little tricky. Those darned parking meters! Ros and I giggled in the car as our three men did battle with various meters before settling on roadside parking. Even our little joke … “how many men does it take to use a parking meter?” met with frustrated silence!!

We made our way back to where we finished off yesterday and nearly the entire walk was on the sea wall with the Severn Bridge in the distance – flat and easy … and dare I say, a little monotonous. Luckily we were rich in company over these few days and covered an array of topics in conversation – the Education Sector, British and American politics, the economic crisis, Cricket, Football, Music and history as well as exchanging stories about our life to date, our families and friends – especially mutual friends (some of you Redway Runners might have found your ears burning this week)!

After a mere 9 miles we were back to where the car was parked on the road near the Rogiet Parkrun … another section in the bag.

We were back home in time to see some of the Ashes Cricket which particularly thrilled a few members of the gang. Chantelle, David’s lovely daughter had driven over from Bristol to join us for our last evening all together. Another evening of delicious food, wine and getting to know each other even more.

Thursday 20th July 2023 Caldicot to Chepstow

A quiet and charming easy day considering its proximity to the Severn Crossings. All quite spectacular.

We started the day with a bus ride from Chepstow – and we bagged the front seats upstairs with the big window. Winding our way down narrow country lanes was a right adventure – who’s the bravest? And tree branches clawed the roof and made us jump each time ( we’d brought secateurs with us today but this was a little out or reach). What larks!

The blue circle mosaic marks the end of the 876 miles stretch of the Wales Coast Path … and it was the end of our 4 days of walking, arriving back in charming Chepstow.

What a marvellous 4 days of walking it has been and 51 miles covered. And more especially, some fabulous friendships made, Ros’ retirement celebrated and the new holiday pad in Chepstow well and truly christened.

I researched Enid Blyton’s Famous Five novel writing and the intended moral was “to make each day count and live life to the fullest.” I reckon that sums us up – we may not be spring chickens but we’ve all got plans not to waste anytime – things to see, places to go, memories to make.

I can’t wait for our next ‘Famous Five’ adventure.

Sunday 12th February 2023

The last two days had been about running, so it was back to coastal walking …. but, as it was all about promenade walking today we opted for the lighter footwear of trainers. Plus my walking boots were still caked in mud and I didn’t want to be looked down on again!!!!

What could be better than starting off the day with a full English? Our lovely friend Simon (a Sandgrown’un!) had informed us that his best friend Andrew owned a cafe just near to our today’s starting point – so it would have been rude not to!! Unfortunately his Andrew was out playing golf but we tucked into the most delicious of breakfasts with lashings of tea … and it was great service + reasonable prices. Recommend ‘The Dunes’ all round.

Then it was hot foot onto the promenade and we spent the next few hours enjoying the spectacle that is Blackpool. It’s quite a one-off with its illuminations, trams, splendid seafront hotels, the funfair that dominates the town, the magnificent Blackpool tower, the glitter ball, the miles of sand (no donkeys out today though), the pier, the amusement arcades, the roman design esplanade structures, the Victorian shelters etc. the list goes on and on … and, dare I say it, a hint of tackiness in places, but you’ve gotta love it.

After 5 miles at a good pace we had completed the Blackpool stretch … but the walk was far from over … the promenade continued through Anchorsholme, then Rossall Beach and into Fleetwood. Extremely easy walking but I’m ashamed to say it did get a bit monotonous – nothing much changed once we’d left the big town. And my energy levels were dropping. I was going to bring fruit but Steve assured me that there’d be plenty of coffee and donut stands along the way … and I just couldn’t get those hot sugary rings out of my mind! We missed our one opportunity to re-energise by walking past the one and only cafe on this stretch between Anchorsholme and Fleetwood … it being suggested that there’d be plenty of other opportunities ahead (I’m saying no more on that matter!!!!!) – but not one. Even when we reached Fleetwood after 12 miles of walking, the cafes, not surprisingly, all had queues.

With empty tums and sugar-cravings we rode the tram back to Starr Gate – entertained by a jolly conductor. Dived into the nearest shop (Dunes cafe now closed) and as soon as the first bite of Snickers slipped down I felt my body rejuvenate. I’m not usually a sugar snack sort of person but today my body was just craving it … all was now well in my world.

And getting back to base to our two little charges – it’s no wonder dogs are used in therapy – they soothe all your woes away.

This may be the last walk for now. We’ll be back to finish the lovely Lancashire coastline another time!! We have some decorating to do in Lymm! Alice and Jon have moved into their new house which happens to be just an hour away from where we are … and guess what, it’s a project!!

Good luck and HAPPY NEW HOME Alice and Jon. xxxx

Thursday 8th February 2023

A beautiful blue sky day today, even though we’re still in the midst of a cold spell which today provided us with a chill wind … and it turns out we were walking headlong into it the whole route.

We managed to park up in the village of Freckleton, which seemed to be the appropriate place to pick up the coastal path to lead us to Blackpool. It was a beautiful place … and bonus, there was free parking in the car park! There was, however, a complete lack of coastal path signs plus we were struggling to get a proper signal on our trusty Ordnance Survey app. So, we had to rely on Steve’s built-in ‘I think it might be this way’ system and choose a direction. Luckily it was bang on and we reached the estuary path pretty soon … but it was at least another mile before we saw any ‘Coast Path’ signs … and we always doubt ourselves until we do.

Despite little rain over the last few days, we found ourselves slipping and sliding in mud once again, along the lanes and across the farm fields, particularly near the gates and stiles. But this was nothing compared to the marshland that the path led us to after a couple of miles. The path was literally at the side of the estuary and was extremely wet and swampy for most of the two mile stretch. Scenically it was stunning but walking through it took great effort. Every time you put your foot down you had no idea how far it would sink in. It was a mud bath.

Some thoughtful people had provided balancing props in the worst spots – logs, boulders, planks, stones and even tyres. It’s weird though – Steve can seem to balance on a twig but, if I have to hop along a series of logs or stones, my brain just doesn’t seem to engage and it all turns into one big wobble. Think it might be psychological. Suffice to say it was an extremely messy exercise … and exhausting.

We hit a pretty stretch of woodland path after the marshy nightmare and, as we enjoyed the ease of walking, we met an elderly chap who was out on a jog. He had to be in his 70s if not 80s and he still had a great spring in his step. He was dressed from head to toe in black – wearing those elasticated black plimsolls that we used to wear in primary school. He was delighted to meet us and stood for 15 minutes animatedly chatting about the history of the area. He said he has run this route every day for the last 40 years! His family used to own land and property on this stretch but during WWII it was deemed necessary for an American Air Base to be built here … and all the properties were knocked down and families relocated. The airbase is still there today – now operated by BAE systems. He was so interesting and sweet … I could have listened to his stories all day.

And after this, the path eventually turned onto a sea defence wall – normally I dislike these as they seem endless … today I absolutely loved that wall.

And huge relief when we reached Lytham and walked our way to the promenade and the beautiful vision of the sea We sat, soaking in the views, enjoying a well-earned rest as we tucked into lunch. It was certainly a busy spot for walkers – we had moved from one extreme to the other. I naturally greet people as they walk by but one lady, walking with her partner, looked at me in horror as I said hello, as if to say “how dare you speak to me!” I was a bit put out but we just giggled … and then it dawned on me that perhaps she thought we were tramps – mud caked boots and trousers, windswept, little woolly hats on, huddled on a bench devouring our sandwiches … we’ll never know. BUT, we did take great delight as we energetically strolled past them about 10 minutes later …. we’ll never know!!

The walk from Lytham to Blackpool was a fair old stretch I have to say, even though it was easy promenade. I think the first 5 miles of muddiness had taken a toll on the legs, so the last few miles of what turned out to be a 12 and a half mile walk brought on the odd grumble or two! It was delightful to see the Starr Gate tram as we reached our destination …. then all we had to do was jump on a bus and get back to our car.

And then get home to wash all the mud off …. and look respectable again!

The joys of rambling!!

Tuesday 7th February 2023

Nothing beats a cup of Rosie-Lee before a ramble especially on discovering a beautiful tea shop in the village of Walmer Bridge where we were starting today’s walk. ‘The Village Teapot’ is spectacularly pretty and so worth a visit if you’re in the area.

So we walked almost 9 miles today – all pretty straightforward. We’re never sure if we really need to walk along the estuaries but sometimes it just feels like we should, particularly when they’re accessible. But we miss our coastal views and sounds on these days. Saying that, it was still fabulous to be out there in the fresh air and take in the farmyard aroma – highly pungent in places. Lots of sheep activity today … we witnessed some competent sheep dog work as he herded the flock into their feeding troughs … and Lassie even came to say hello to us.

We walked through a park towards the end and found a bench to picnic, after which the city of Preston came into view. Ribble Estuary done!

Some excellent reflection photography today Mr. Rose xx

Friday 3rd February 2023

A day off coastal walking … instead we met up with a local running group – Red Rose Runners – for their 10.00am club run. I’d only gone along to have a solo poodle round while Steve joined them but they were very persuasive in encouraging me to join in. And they couldn’t have been nicer – every one of them. We ran over 5 miles and they were so inclusive – I was never made to feel a burden as they looped back and stopped for breaks and so genuinely welcomed both of us to their group. And the most amazing thing … the two run leads – Pete and Marian O’Grady – were, and in fact still are, Redway Runners. They moved up from Milton Keynes to Preston 10 years ago but Pete was one of the early members of RR and still maintains membership. We discussed many of our mutual RR friends (including Martin and Karen Lawrence, Michelle and Lee George-Barnes, Adam Sharman, Tina McGreal, Katie and James Down + others) and exchanged stories. We’re so grateful to them and hope to join in some other runs with them before we leave the area.

Saturday 4th February 2023

Another day off coastal walking but being a Saturday of course meant parkrun at 9.00am. And this week it was Preston parkrun and we had volunteered to Tail Walk (such a relief when we found it had the most horrendous hill and it was a three lap course)!! Still a beautiful course and an extremely friendly bunch of volunteers and runners. We had also volunteered as photographer and report writer, so busy, busy, busy! So many people chatted to us and were genuinely interested in our coastal walking and house-sitting adventures. Another tourist parkrun ticked off … and I can recommend – if you like hills that is!!!

And, before moving onto Sunday’s walk, I want to include two major milestones that happened this weekend.

On the eve of his 30th Birthday, whilst celebrating in Edinburgh, Tom proposed to Jess … and she said it was the easiest ‘Yes’ ever! We are bursting with happiness for them both and can’t wait to be back with them to celebrate. Are Engagement parties still a thing!?

And today – 5/2/2023 – our beautiful boy turned 30. He’s an absolute legend, loved by all who know him … and it appears that he’s now ready to settle down!!

On a more sombre note, I also want to mention that Tom, since a child of 10, has always shared his birthday with such a sadness in our family – my beautiful niece Marsha was so tragically taken from us on this date. But we remember her today with so much love. It’s 20 years since you had to leave us Marshie but never a day goes by when you’re not in our hearts and thoughts. RIP sweet girl.

Sunday 5th February 2023

Woke up to a covering of frost but the forecast was for higher temperatures and no rain. So, after walking the dogs we drove to Hesketh Bank where Steve had meticulously planned a place to leave the car, to catch a bus to Southport … and where the coastal path ended back in that area after our walk. The logistical planning of this whole project is a minefield!!

Easy bus journey into Southport and seeing different parts of the town today, we realised that it is possibly one of the smarter seaside resorts we’ve passed through. Spectacular hotels and department stores, trendy bars and cafes, tasteful amusement areas and an attractive marine lake. Sadly the only thing that lets it down is the beach – so not a resort to come to if you have a love of sandcastles and swimming. Still scenic but rather than sand, it is predominately covered in mud flats – so you’d get a bit messy making your way down to the sea and there’s certainly no convenient place to lay out your beach towel.

We started our walk along the promenade but, as there was such heavy traffic, we opted for a path at the foot of the beach wall – obviously avoiding the mud. After Thursday’s shenanigans we weren’t going to risk that again. As we neared the RSPB Marine Nature Reserve, the path underfoot started to get softer so we made our way back up onto the safe promenade, which seemed to stretch ahead for miles. There was a large gathering of twitchers at the Ribble Estuary with their oversized zoom lenses, tripods and binoculars – all the gear! Their guide was ‘guiding’ them to something flying near Blackpool Tower – the magnification on their equipment must have been phenomenal. They were a very friendly bunch and seemed animated in their activities.

And we came upon keen birdwatchers over the whole of today’s walk – it was obviously an important area for ornithologists. Steve tried to capture some of this in his fabulous photos.

Finally the coastal path veered off the promenade and onto a section of sea defence wall … an extremely long section – it stretched for miles, never-ending. But beautiful surroundings on what was a stunning day – farmland on one side, mud flats on the other, visions of Lytham St. Anne’s to the left and the spectacular Lake District mountains in the distance. After an hour or so of walking this stretch, we could see the turn off point ahead …. but it was like someone kept moving it – it took forever!

Now, when we parked the car in the village of Hesketh Bank village, we imagined that it was just a small place … the thought process was that we would reach the end of the coastal path and there the car would be. Imagine our surprise then when we realised that we still had a couple of miles to walk to get back to our vehicle and take the weight of our legs! So that brought today’s walk up to 10 and a half miles – those final miles seemed to be the hardest for some reason.

Lots of farms along the route and we saw signs of early Spring – a flock of lambs (already), daffodils about to pop and snowdrops in full bloom.

But most importantly, Steve was overjoyed to soak up the smell of cut grass – we passed several newly mown lawns … now Steve is twitching to get back to mow stripes into his beloved lawn – any offers!!?

Thursday 2nd February 2023

Formby – Southport

An early wake-up and breakfast, walking the dogs, half hour drive to Southport, followed by a train ride to Formby – today’s starting point. By this time we were more than ready for a coffee so were relieved to find a cafe as we walked to find the coastal path. As we walked in we got a few looks – was it the walking gear or the spectacle of Steve in shorts!? No, it was because we had entered the world of pottery painting (with drinks as a sideline) … they maybe thought that a couple of old bids were coming into paint a garden gnome!! Luckily they were happy for us to purchase beverages without getting arty … and super delicious cappuccinos they were.

Following the guidelines, we find ourselves walking along ‘Freshfield Road,’ which had some of the most magnificent houses I’ve ever seen – all individual, large and beautifully kept … my house envy scale was overflowing. Shortly after reaching Freshfield we found ourselves crossing the railway line – always a childish excitement!!

From here we entered woodland for a couple of miles – it turned out to be an area known as Ainsdale Sand Dunes – a national nature reserve, home to some of Britain’s rarest plants and animals. It was a beautiful place to walk and provided some ups and downs in contrast to yesterday’s flat paths. It was also a popular cycle path and we had a precarious moment when an over ambitious cyclist overtook another rider in her group …. and almost took Steve out in the process.

After we left the nature reserve we seem to run out of Coastal Path signs but we picked up signs for the Trans Pennine Trail and our Ordnance Survey app indicated that we were going in the right direction. Unfortunately it was taking us along a really busy road – not so conducive to leisurely walking. After a mile and a bit we came to a roundabout that had signs to Ainsdale Beach – we thought we ‘d venture down for a look, if only to find a sheltered spot to have some picnic lunch. There was a Pontins Holiday Camp on the corner – not looking too glamorous. Recent news (and ignorant graffiti) seems to suggest that it is due to be used to accommodate illegal immigrants.

Walking down the road we spotted the Coastal Paths signs – goodness knows how they suddenly appeared. The path was to lead us through sand dunes – not always a great exercise! While enjoying our pate and tomato sandwiches, we got chatting to a chap who assured us that we could walk along the beach all the way to our destination – Southport Pier. So, decision made, a lovely firm sand and shoreline 4 miles it was to be, rather than the risk of soft sand in the dunes. I guess we’re not very good at doing what we’re told!!

The expanse of this wide beach was quite formidable and the tide was well and truly out. Whenever we get to a stretch like this, I can’t help but remember Alice saying when we first started walking the path, all those years ago, that she imagined we’d be walking along beaches all day, every day of the route – how wonderful that would be.

The sand was nice and firm underfoot though, albeit ridgy in places … we moved nearer the shoreline at times to avoid more uncomfortable walking. There was a selection of beautiful shells, including razor clams … my favourite for crunching (better than popping bubble wrap)! All going well.

A mile or two along we started to find some inlets of water – but with some jumping and wading we managed to splash our way through. Southport Pier still seemed so far in the distance and it was hard to see if there was going to be an easy way through. We opted to move away from the shoreline but it got wetter and wetter … then the slippery mud kicked in and we found ourselves skidding all over the place. After several skids, Steve finally toppled.

But things got even worse and there was no going back!! We found ourselves on a stretch of beach that can only be described as bog land – wet, muddy, clay, with high grass … no clear paths but we could see steps in the distance that would bring us back onto the promenade. It seems that not doing as we’re told has consequences … and boy did we discover that today. I’ve always said that I want to end my days by the seaside … but I didn’t mean being consumed into sinking sand on Southport Beach … and at times that felt quite likely. A lot of prayers were being said!!

But we did survive to tell the tale (and write the blog). After almost 9 miles of walking we rewarded ourselves and celebrated our survival with a luxury hot chocolate at McDonalds.

And we learnt our lesson – STICK TO THE PATH!!

So we’re back for some more Coastline explorations. We’re doing a three week house-sit in Walton-Le-Dale, near Preston and hoping to walk a good chunk of the Lancashire coastal path while we’re here.

Today’s walk involved a drive and park up in Formby (free parking at the Train Station), then a short train ride to Seaforth (luckily no strikes today)!!… where we set off from the ‘Port of Liverpool.’ Not such a glamorous start with the heavily equipped docks and some main road walking, plus it was grey, windy and wet. Put it this way, it could only get better!

And before very long it did …. we were signposted to Crosby Beach and promenade – fabulous expanse of sand, easy walking promenade and best of all, the Anthony Gormley sculpture installation named ‘Another Place.’ I have wanted to visit this for years so very pleased that this featured in today’s walk.

Another Place consists of 100 cast-iron, life-size figures spread out along three kilometres of the foreshore, stretching almost one kilometre out to sea. It is such a spectacular sight.

The Another Place figures – each one weighing 650 kilos – are made from casts of the artist’s own body standing on the beach, all of them looking out to sea, staring at the horizon in silent expectation.

There is absolutely no doubt that these 100 figures are of the male variety – the artist leaves nothing to the imagination!!

According to Antony Gormley, Another Place harnesses the ebb and flow of the tide to explore man’s relationship with nature. He explains: The seaside is a good place to do this. Here time is tested by tide, architecture by the elements and the prevalence of sky seems to question the earth’s substance. In this work human life is tested against planetary time. This sculpture exposes to light and time the nakedness of a particular and peculiar body. It is no hero, no ideal, just the industrially reproduced body of a middle-aged man trying to remain standing and trying to breathe, facing a horizon busy with ships moving materials and manufactured things around the planet.

Whatever the reasons behind this piece of work, it is magnificent … and I highly recommend a visit.

As well as enjoying this beautiful stretch of beach and cultural interest, the sun came out to play too … albeit with a chilly wind.

After leaving the flat sands, the coastal path took us into some undulating sand dunes … not too bad though … pretty firm underfoot and pretty mild on the ascent/descent front – bliss in comparison to some horrific sand dunes we’ve encountered over the years.

The last stretch was a very long straight flat path, running between a military camp/firing range and the railway line. Occasional trains whizzing by and some loud activity from the firing range. We were certainly left in no doubt about the dangers … signs all along the path read “Do not touch any Military Debris. It may explode and kill you.” Message received loud and clear.

After 8 miles of walking we reached our destination in Formby. We hadn’t seen one cafe on the whole stretch so were parched and hungry. We’d only encountered one toilet block too and at 40p a pee (Steve edit ha ha!) we managed a little grumble!! So it was off to find a bite to eat.

So an easy first day. We’re here for 21 days but only intending to walk about 10 of those days. We had hoped to do Morecambe Bay but unfortunately it’s not accessible at this time of the year. We’ll be spending some days running, relaxing, National Trust visits … and there’s plenty of dog walking to do. We’re looking after two little dogs who are full of fun and character – Charlie and Billy – I have fallen madly in love with them. We have a cat called Ella to look after too but she is so low maintenance in comparison – she doesn’t get a look in with the lively boys!

Happy Tuesday evening everyone – so happy to be back out on that path!

We’re heading down to Weymouth for a huge family get together at the weekend – so decided to have a couple of nights in Poole, en route, in order to fit in a day’s coastal walking .. and a ‘U’ for the parkrun alphabet!

Our original plan was to walk 14 miles today but at the last moment we replanned this to an 8 mile walk. To be honest, I am still feeling the after affects of the covid I had 4 weeks ago – can’t believe how long the general lack of energy lingers. This turned out to be a fabulous decision as we both said this had been one of our favourite walks to date. It had everything – hills, woodlands, cliffs, sun, sea and sand, blue skies, pleasant walking conditions, a gentle breeze … and a lovely boat to round it all off.

We left our airbnb at a reasonable time, rather than the crack of dawn, and caught the ‘Purbeck Breeze’ bus to Swanage. We sat upstairs to admire the amazing Dorset countryside views (there’s nothing like it) and we travelled through beautiful places like Wareham (my place of birth), Corfe Castle and Langton Matravers, finally reaching the beautiful seaside town of Swanage.

As we walked along the Swanage promenade we could see a vision of steepness ahead – oh goody! When we reached it there was an initial climbing of steps but after each phase of ascent there was an equal distance of flat. Turned out it was as the guide had suggested – ‘undulating’ … I love that word, I get great satisfaction out of saying it!! Having said that, the final uphill bit was a trifle gruelling but definitely mustn’t grumble as the rest of the day’s walk was a total breeze.

We followed the Purbeck Way along to the stunning spectacle of Old Harry Rocks – quite a crowd today, half-term walkers. One legend said that the devil (Old Harry) slept on these rocks! A bit dodgy getting near to the edge but we were oh so brave.

After a spot of picnic lunch we hit the Studland Woodland path which led us to the fabulous Studland Beach – a sheltered bay with golden sand and beach huts. We couldn’t believe it was the end of October – it could have been a summer’s day. Warm and sunny, so many children playing in the sand, plenty of swimmers – just generally busy. So wished I could have stopped for a swim.

On the way to the beach we had passed “The Pig at Studland” restaurant with rooms – looked fascinating. Would definitely like to try it out one day.

It was a long trek along Studland Beach, passing the notice which informed us of the Nudist section. Being a bit chilly it wasn’t heavily populated – but we did see amongst the sand dunes one chap in a cap, but nothing else, braving the elements.

And so we made it to South Haven Point where we caught the ferry over to Sandbanks which was, as usual, basking in its microclimate sunniness.

From there we hopped onto a ‘Purbeck Breezer’ back into the town of Poole, enjoying the luxury views of Sandbanks and Canford Cliffs on the way. Back to our humble Airbnb which has disco lighting, no heating and a list of rules as long as your arm!

We’ll be up early in the morning to tackle the Upton House parkrun – a ‘U’ for the collection – hopefully it’ll be a breeze.

Tuesday 11th and Wednesday 12th October 2022

We woke up on our last full day to find torrential rain and the loudest thunderstorm you’ve ever heard. Any thoughts of a boat trip today went out the window – the sea was unbelievably choppy. We met a hotel guest returning from a fishing trip – soaked to the skin – he didn’t recommend it. By late morning the rain still hadn’t cleared so we were delighted when Mark and Karen messaged to say that they had hired a car – did we want to have a drive around the island with them? Yes please was the answer – beats mooching round a hotel room.

The hire car didn’t have a GPS so we did the best we could with the old fashioned method of ‘map.’ We thought we were heading to Bottom Bay on the East Coast but somehow found ourselves going round in circles inland. Great to see some local Bajun life – plenty of rum bars but not a coffee or snack bar in sight. Finally came across a Chefette and so settled for chicken roti and chicken wings. And then we found a route up to a place called Bathsheba, on the Atlantic coast. The weather was still wild but the views were stunning. We enjoyed watching the young surfers in the huge waves and also a pair of pelicans. (On a recent tour in Bridgetown, we were told that there were no more pelicans in Barbados, even though it’s their National Bird … happy to say we found some)!

Drove on up to a local bar with fabulous views over Bathsheba – would be a perfect spot for a holiday home.

The hours drifted by and so we found we just about had enough time to get back to the SOCO hotel as Ben Waters was going to play at 5.30pm. I had my last night outfit ironed and ready but ended up going straight there in my walking clothes! When we arrived the guys were on the beach watching the baby turtles making their way to the sea. A conservationist lady rescued some to take to the turtle sanctuary as there is such a low rate of survival.

Ben did a fabulous set followed by Mike D’Abo – there was lots of dancing, cocktails, beer and chats with the lovely Rock and Roll crowd. Then it was time for goodbyes (again) and Steve and I caught a ‘packed to the rafters’ reggae bus back to our hotel.

And before we knew it, after two months of being away it was time to fly home. So bye-bye beach, bye-bye Barbados, bye-bye Caribbean – we’ve had the most magical time. I have a sneaking suspicion that we’ll be back.