29/08/11 - The Death of Summer

Distance - 6 Miles
Geocaches - 24 found, 2 DNF
Historical Building

Drayton

12 Degrees.  Stourport Carnival is 5 days away.  Fleece is required for the first time in an age.  Large bills from random school footwear shops appear on the credit card bill.  This all points to one thing and one thing only.  Soon, walking will only be possible of weekends.  I blame the Swedish Crime fiction I am reading at the moment, but it seams I am suffering from SAD syndrome earlier than usual.

Late on Thursday, a new series of 25 cache appeared courtesy of local cachers, The Vaughans.  Since my career in caching started, I have been following their laminated wii calling cards around the country.  Last year, I was up on Dartmoor and struggled to find a cache amongst all of the letterboxes strewn around and after a lengthy search and pop of the Tupperware, there was one of their cards.

I knew that they would be popular and the logs are mounting up already.  I thought more would be out today, so I am out at 6:30 to get a headstart.

Always grateful for the inspiration of new footpaths and trails.  After walking for 8 years, this is only the second time that I have come past Harvington Hall on the Monarchs Way.  After a plague pit on Saturday, I have a key building in the English Civil War on a Monday.  History on my doorstep.

May contain hidden Catholic Priests

The walk starts off from a parking area in front of the building.  There is an old cache that is not part of the trail that advises not to do this on Bank Holidays.  No one likes being told what to do.

Head out on the Monarchs Way and get the 1st in the series.  I know that there will be some that I do not find, but I had hoped to get further than Cache 2 before making a labradoodle cry.  Oh well, I wasn't the first to struggle with this one.

Continue on the Monarch's Way picking up regular caches.  Particulary like Cache 5 which is a classic of its type.  Its a cache that just keeps on coming.

Working my way to Hillpool, which is nice little hamlet that has a myriad selection of paths, some looking they go through people's gardens.  Unlike Shropshire, they are well signposted.

Even a lazy labradoodle couldn't get lost

Follow the stream eest until I find the hamlet of Drayton.  It has some nice buildings, the robin hood pub and is home to the smallest people in Worcestershire.

Drayton, home to Ken Dodd's mates.

Get told to sling my hook by one of the Severn Dwarfs (grumpy, I think) and head to my next DNF.  I genuinely do not have a scooby where this is, but they fact that the clue is in italics makes me think it was an ironic hint.

Head over Barrow Hill.  This is an ancient burial ground, so quite appropriate that we have our buried treasure here.

I then have to work my way through a field of Sweetcorn.  The footpath goes straight through, but its easier to keep to the hedgerows.  All I needed was a an angry bi-plane and I could have recreated North by Northwest.

Cary Grant, or a Fat Liam Neeson?

This just leaves the footpaths back through Woodrow to the car.  Pass the fantastically named "Mabel Sabel's cottage".  She either married into this name or had the cruelest parents since Gary and Phil Neville's Grandparents.  Some nice views demonstrating how The Malvern Escarpement turns into Habberley Hill.

Get back to the outlier cache at Harvington Hall.  There are a gang of people approaching and we exchange hellos.  Could be walkers, but from the GPS around necks and the fact that one of them leaps over the rope for a delve in the bushes, it can only mean one thing.  I decide that I should also have a delve and return for a nice little cache, as they make their way on the round.  Thinking about it now, I should have followed and seen where the hell number 2 was.   

Nice way to spend a bank holiday and keeps the numbers up before we head into the gloom.  Thanks to the Vaughans for another well executed series.

27/8/11 - Chase Hill from Ross-on-Wye

Distance - 6.1 Miles
Walking World Insipiration
Caches - 2

Ross on Wye

I can probably fit in two outdoor adventures before I head off to Greece and mutter that "I like it hot, but not too hot".  I'll do one walk and one geocaching.  This is the walk.

Look for a route from Ross-on-Wye.  I have always liked the town and my favourite type of walk is one that ends in a town centre, so that I can feel like a returning hero and have everyone comment on my dog.  She has made herself particularly noticable by rolling in fox poo and marches back into town with her customary smug look on her face.  This will be wiped off once I get her home to the hose.

Find a suitable route from Walking World.  By the choice of those on offer, there is obviously a contributer who lives in the town.  Decide to take the one that goes up Chase Hill before dropping back to the town.

The walk starts at the free parking down by the river.  Soon pick up a high sunken path over the floodplains and take a small detour for a geocache.  Nice easy find, even if I am using a 9 year old GPS that is bouncing all over the place.  How did I ever find a cache with a Mio 168?

Then I have a walk through a housing estate.  From the map, this looks bad, but in truth the path is well hidden from suburbia, so I dont have to speak to anyone washing their car.  The world's cheeriest man is cutting his hedge at the point of the old railway line and I say hello to him.  Then due to me following the railway line, I have to say hello on the way back after meeting a dead end.  And pretend that I meant to do that.

At Tudorville, I can see Chase Hill that i need to climb.  First through a field and so that the Townies can resolve crop related conflicts, the local council have started labeling them.

And they all end up in Robinson's Squash

The path up through the woods is steep and as we are going through woodland, there are no views to be had as a reward.  Paths are fine, but picking the right one is tricky, even with an old GPS.  Pick up the Wye Valley Way and skirt around the hill fort.  

As we drop out to Hill Farm, there is a bench to sit and admire the view.  Made of stone and dedicated to someone who liked their countryside.  This is exactly what I would like as well.  My one request.

Mappiman - 1969 - 20xx - "He said he was ill"

Second cache is tricky due to tree cover, but eventually found with the clue.  Skirt the edges of a Danger Area on the OS Map, although I never found out what the danger was.  Could see it was MOD land, from the sign.  Nice simple return to town, following more paths through housing estates and eventually being delivered to the Church.

The church dominates the area and i have a mooch around.  The cross at the front interests the historian in me.  A monument to the 315 victims of the plague in 1637.

History on your doorstep

The houses over the road from the Church were first renovated in 1575.  Before they all died from the plague.

Medieval DIY

A quick walk through town.  This is not and identikit town centre and there is a farmers market in the square at the top and lots of independent shops and decent looking boozers to have a look at.  Probably should have come back with some home made scones.

Drop down to the river and see the canal launches in progress.  This is a future to-do on the bucket list.  I want to take a Deliverance Style trip along the River Wye.  I know they do organised trips, stopping off at the bigger towns along the River.  Do you think Alex would be interested?

No, you are probably right.

So, things I have learned today.

Its in Herefordshire, not Gloucestershire.
More Ross Facts
The Plague came to town in 1627.
Its the Onion Fayre at Newent on 10/09/11.  You could win the Onion eating contest.

21/8/11 - Trainspotting

Distance - 4.2 Miles
Caches - 9 with 1 DNF
First Cache

Severn Valley Country Park at EveryTrail

Today, I wasn't going to walk.  Then I was going to walk but I wasn't going to blog.  The weather and the quality of the walk meant that I had to change my mind on both counts.  After a week of having my breath taken away by the beauty of Cornwall, I've come to the conclusion that large parts of the Shropshire/Worcestershire border are not too shabby either.  Especially when the sun is shining.

Once again, out to Drop Ellie off at work.  Thinking about it now, I could have asked her for a discount as she works at the SVR in Kidderminster.  25% discount in the cafe for anyone mentioning Mappiman's blog.... possibly.  Instead, I know that there are a few caches that are local at Severn Valley Country Park that need to be found and are already in the GPS, so I hot foot it up the motorbike race track that is the Bridgnorth road.

Shock of the day is that they are now charging for parking.  Only £1, but when it was previously free, this is an incalcuable increase.  When the Daily Mail works out the cost of living increases, they need to add parking to Fuel, Food & Clothes.

There is some sort of sponsored bike ride going on today at the country park - a large group of orange t-shirted people are testing their bells so they can ding at me on the path later.  And from the caches that I find, I can see that I am following in the wake of the allweathercachers.

After cleaning out the last of my parking change bag from the car, I head down for cache number 1.  The GPS hasnt been updated with local caches for around a month, so the only info I have is from the first person to find it.  I couldn't despite looking on the way down and way back up.  Checking the logs now, I can see it described as both cunning and devious.  I will have the log of shame of being the first DNF.

Down to the footbridge, and there are some excelent views.  The river is low and slow moving today and the banks are flush in their summer glory.  On way back, I hear people say how they didnt know somewhere so beautfiul was so local.  My thoughts exactly.

7 Miles from the TJ Hughes building in Kidderminster

Nice cunning little hide on the other side of the bridge.  Then I have the walk up towards Hampton Station.  It looks like it is a straight up and down, but there are two paths - one path is next to the railway line and is full of our two wheeled dinger friends.  I take this one on the way out, and this is where most of the caches are.  A lot are micros but there are a couple big enough to take some of the TBs that I brought back from Cornwall with me.

Get towards Hampton and I am rewarded with trains going in both directions.  Although I rate the hobby of trainspotting only slightly better than fishing, there is something a bit special about being this close to one of the beasts when they are in full flight.

Choo Choo....

Then I nip through the fence to drop down to the river.  There is a canoe convey going on and they go at walking pace so keep me company on the return leg.  That is until they get beached at the Island at Severndale and have to bum shuffle their way back into the deeper sections.

Shropshire Deliverance

Back to the Country Park which is well full now.  Lovely walk and lovely day.  Back home to get the half a Cornish beach that we have smuggled back in my car vacuumed up and a last afternoon before work.

When's the next holiday?

18/8/11 - Extreme Caching at Bedruthan

Miles - 5
Walk Inspiration from Walking World
Caches - three found.  Sonia told me off for attempting the more dangerous

This could well be it for walking this holiday.  Tomorrow is forecast wall to wall sunshine, so we are planning a full day on the beach.  End with a deligthful coastal walk and some killer caches that could have put an end to Mappiman's exploits.

Yesterdays Update
After getting back from Brown Willy yesterday, the weather was not so good.  So we had a drive out to Truro for the shops.  I was still really thirsty after my morning exploits, so Ellie delightfully led Sonia off to Dorothy Perkins whilst I went in search of a pub.  Alex reckoned he knew where one was, so led me back up through town.  Have you ever tried to set served at Edinburgh Woollen Mill?
An exciting drive home following the world's worst learner driver and then the sun comes out, so we dropped the kids off and went down to Haylin Bay for cream teas and so Molly could get a run in the sea.  Blissful.
Evening entertainment was an adults only curry - with all the kids staying at the Goulds.  This was followed by a visit to the Bridge on Wool pub which has open night.  Some very talented people were performing.  And Eugene, the bass player.  I also learned that you can play the same rhythm on the bongo drums to any song you damn well like.
Top night out.  I wish that our town had this sort of entertainment.

Bedruthen

Sonia woke me at 8am and I suggested that we might have a lie in.  She protested that this would mean that she had only completed one walk this holiday, so I met her enthusiasm by putting on yesterdays still wet boots and heading out for the 30 minute drive the the National Trust parking at Pendarves Point.  From the high headland, we can see the coastal part of the route we are taking and its looks spectaculr.  Lots of little islands of rocks with interesting formations, which we can see from the high cliffs.  Crystal clear water.

Route is behind us.

Could have been diggory's island

There are loads of caches along the route.  Get the first couple, no problem at all.  First two both contain Travel Bugs to take back to the Midlands with me.  My haul now stands at four for the week.  Then the caches start getting increasingly close to the edge.  I have tentative looks, but Sonia calls me back as though I am an errant child.  To be fair, I didn't feel that comfortable with them.  To give you an idea.  One of the clues is "Overhanging Ledge".  So a cache that is literally over a 100ft Cliff.  No thanks!

One of the caches is in a box that requires a screwdriver to open.  This is a shame, as I won't be able to claim a find and it leaves me agonysingly on 1499 caches.  Oh well, maybe tomorrow evening at Port Isaac, I'll get to 1500.

Molly standing over me at one of the safer caches.

After a stunning coastal walk, we head inland at Porth Mear.  This is a nice stretch of walking alongside a stream, eventually putting us out on the road where came in. The direction seems to be going away from the car park for some reason.  Even Sonia, with her lack of directional sense feels this.

Duck Boards through the Jungle

The remainder of the walk is through fields and along country lanes.  All nice enough by its self, but really the filler to get back to the car after the lord mayors show of the coast.  The car park is now manned by the world's cheeriest National Trust Attendant who asks us if we enjoyed our walk, where we are going this afternoon and where we are stopping.  Its a fine line between friendliness and nosiness.  We have to cross his palm with £2.20 to stop the inquisition.

So that's probably it blog fans.  This holiday we have thrown shapes on Booby's beach, mingled with the middle classes at Padstow, been insulted by dog who wouldn't walk and seen what a Brown Willy looks like.

Love Cornwall.  Love family Holidays.  Love our Friends.  Love pubs where amateurs can belt out Amy Winehouse over the bongos.

17/8/11 - A Man alone on Brown Willy

Distance - 11 miles
Walk from Trail Magazine
Caches - 6 Found, 1 DNF, 1 Couldn't be bothered to climb another tor (Garrow)

Usually there is one challenge walk on a holiday.  This is it.  My quest to be the highest man in cornwall.  And I did it alone, with the dog lazing around in bed.

Yesterday's update.  As you can tell, I am a man with plans.  The ladies are not.  When I left yesterday morning the kids were going to the cinema.  When I was out, I received a text to say they were going to Newquay.  When I got back, they had gone to Padstow.  Again.  I had a lovely afternoon and we all had a quiet night in.

Brown Willy

Alarm is set for 6am today.  I am up and out at 5:45am.  Lovely red sky and lots of mist.  Drive is very quick and park up at the church at St Breward.  Start of the walk is across lots and lots of fields, leaping over the unique Cornish stiles and managing to lose my water bottle.  Despite the rain, and the squelchy underfoot fields, I feel that I need this, so my first job is to retreive it.  It is covered in sheep poo - so no doubt I will be refreshed and poisoned.

Pick up a cattle track and take a detour up over Alex Tor for the first two caches of the day.  Most of the caches on this round are under rocks, so there is little variety.  Drop down the otherside of the Tor and see my first of many wild ponies.  I didn't see the beast of bodmin.

Top of Alex Tor

Desolation and Wild Horses

Continue along this road and there is a sign saying it's Private - No access.  Not any more my land owning friends.  Thanks to the CRoW act, I can go anywhere over here.  Although the fact that every road sign is pock marked with shotgun pellets means that I don't necessary want to have to explain this.

Up over Logan Rock for another cache and then a fairly mental scamble up Rough Tor.  This is hands and feet on rock and a good old climb.

Rough Tor looks like a proper mountain

Drop down for my only DNF - A cache (you guessed it) under a rock at an old hut circle.  I am on tight timelines if I want my cooked breakfast, so I dont spend more than 10 mins looking.

Then a climb up Brown Willy.  It's much easier going than Rough Tor and just slowly make my way up to get the cache at the top.  No views due to the inclement weather.

That's me - The highest man in Cornwall at around 8am

Drop down and work my way over a boggy field to potential civilisation.  I haven't seen a soul all day but there is this cottage that I have to walk through.  I do have a look through the windows and there is some very spartan furniture but I cannot tell whether it is inhabited.  There is no vehicle access and its at least 5 miles to the nearest village.  Who lives in a house like this?

Lonely, I'm so Lonely

The climbing is done.  I have a long flat walk where I meet a farmer building a wall and come to King Arthurs Hall.  When in doubt in Cornwall, just say that King Arthur did something there.  There is indeed the outline of a building and a cache.  Check out the History.

Honest, King Arthur was here.

Then, its a final return through complex field systems over some very poor terrain.  I have a welcome committee waiting for me at the end of the walk and I am glad to see the spire of the church and get back in the car.

Hurry, the highest man in Cornwall is coming

11 miles, 5 hours walking and I would like to thank my support staff who were waiting with a Full English Breakfast.  Have to reward Ellie's patience by taking her to the nearest City to buy shoes.

16/8/11 - A Port Called Quin

Distance - 5 - Managed around 3
Caches - 2
Scenary - Stunning

I think this is possibly the best bit of the South West Coastal Path.  It certainly has the most ups and downs.  If only I didn't have the world's laziest and pig-headed dog.

Yesterday's update.  After the Padstow experience, we are invited to a party at Kierans Parents for his birthday.  Find my second culverhouse of the evening.  Sonia offers to drive, which was most welcome.  Cornish hospitality and a few stellas.  I love holidays.

Port Quinn

We were promised rubbish weather today.  They got it wrong.  The plan was for the kids to go to the Cinema, the men to go Mackerel fishing and the ladies to go eating scones.  This provides an idea for a quiz, regarding the aforementioned fish.

1. Name the only english football team that contains none of the letters in Mackerel.
2. Name the only tube station that contains none of the letters of Mackerel.

I am invited fishing, but as much as I welcome the opportunity for male bonding and some bawdy jokes, I find the whole idea completely tedious.  I prefer more exciting hobbies.  Like Geocaching.

Drop the dustbins and the breadknife off at the Gould's bijou apartment and head off to Port Quin.  This is a stunning little fishing village.  Has a small car park.  Even worse than yesterday, its an honesty car park with no ticket at all.  £2, for those that are still counting.

Great climb up the back of some cottages onto the SWC Coast Path.  Some special views.

Port Quin in the background

Cliffs

There is an incredible amount of ups and downs here.  The views are stunning, with great atlantic waves crashing down below.  I make my way around Kellan Head, taking in two nice and easy caches.  There are a few people who look they are doing the whole of the SWC path (630 miles..... one day, it shall be mine).  Get onto Reedy Cliffs and the dog gives up.

We have found her breaking point.  Two longish walks on Sunday and Monday and today, she really cannot be bothered.  You would think I would be able to cajoule her into coming, but no.  She is steadfast.

Don't like it.

Unusually, she doesnt want to walk back the other way.  Have to stop for a rest and have a long conversation with a family about her.  They were showing some interest in buying her until I told them about her refusing to walk.

Is there anything more insulting?

Looks like I am on my own for tomorrow's adventure.  On the plus side, looks like a nice peaceful afternoon.... I have my book, breaking bad on dvd, the daily mail and enough culinary expertise to rustle up a cheese sandwich and a pack of frazzles.

15/8/11 - Padstow, by all means

Distance - 8 Miles
Walk from - Jarrold, Cornwall
Number of Caches - 4
Lunch - Rick Stein's Fish and Chips

Family Mapp are getting to Padstow.  Six Legs Walked.  Four Legs Pedalled and Two legs went in the car.  Can you guess who's legs belonged to whom?

Quick update of yesterday - after the morning walk it was back the way we came to Treyarnon bay for an afternoon on the beach.  Ellie claimed there was no way that she was "Sitting on a wet and cold beach, pretending to be happy" so we left her to her driving test theory revision.  We had a great time and I was sunburnt.  As with all beach encounters that I have.  We then got back after an increasing meanacing series of text messages from the would be Stirling Moss and went into Wadebridge for our tea.  The pubs have the air of the wild west to me.  When the drunken man and woman started a rendition of Meat Loaf, which included dancing, I thought that it would only be a matter of time before the Police came.  So we left after some excelent food to the Chez Gould's.

If we are in an 18th Century Tin Miners house, they are in a 21st Cenury web designers flat - complete with 50" TV, Broadband and mood lighting.  We've got an outdoor waterpump.

So today's walk.  Everything pans out like a dream.

Little Petherick

I have a walk planned from Little Petherick into Padstow.  Sonia and Alex want to do the famous cycle ride along the camel trail and Ellie wants to be driven, whilst she sits in the back and waves at the less fortunate.  It can all link up.  I drop them off at Wadebridge and head out to park up next to the Church at Little Petherick.  Parking fans will be glad to know that today's bargain is 50p all day.  Only disappointment is that the ticket is completely empty when printing, so will look rubbish in my scrap book.

I head up Little Petherick Creek, initially walking past the holiday homes on the Saints Way.  The Saints way run from North Devon to South Devon and one day I will complete the lot.  Its only 30miles and the walking is excellent.

On this stretch, I take the high ground over the creek on the west side, working my way to the monument overlooking Padstow. 

Padstow behind

Then drop down into Padstow.  I am early.  I have a text from Sonia and they havent even sorted the bikes out.  Have a text from Mel and they can't park so need to go for the Park and Ride.  I have an hour to entertain myself by people watching.  These are the things I learn.

• Rick Stein owns Padstow (chipper, pub, restaurant, those fish places that eat the skin from your dead feet)
• Tarquin is the most popular name of all kids on holiday
• ... and if he mentions Ice Cream again, he wont have a kinder surprise
• One fella was queuing for the chipper, eating a pastie.  Good work.

I admit to having queued outside a pub to get in, but in fairness it was a 12pm kick off on a sunday.  There's something a bit unsavoury about people queing for the chipper.

Oi Fatties, it don't open till 12.

 I leave them to the queue and have a wonder around town.  It is very, very busy.

Human Zoo that is Padstow

Sonia texts me to say that she is here.  I find her in the queue at said eaterie, but at least it is open.  They have a system, you queue to order then queue to collect.  I think we should have gone to "Chip Ahoy".  They had a better quality name and it was empty.

To be fair, the fish and chips were very good.  I don't even want to know the price.  You can order take away wine with them.  That's how middle class Padstow is.  This is how working class the Mapp's are.  Alex was gutted they had no gravy.

After a pint in the Harbour Inn - dog friendly, comfy sofas, I leave them crabbing.  I return back down the camel trail.  This is so busy with cyclists, that walking alongside the hard shoulder of the m5 would have been preferable.  There are a few well placed caches to keep me happy.

Cache under here

Leave the camel trail at Lower Halwyn and have some road walking back to the east side of the creek.  A bit of history is found at a building that I thought was a castle but was in fact a 15th Century Culverhouse... for keeping Pigeons.

Jack Duckworth's Ancestors built this

14/8/11 - Trevose Head

Miles - 4.79 but it felt a lot longer

Caches - 7

Company - Sonia and Molly

Start time - 6:30am
Walk from Walking World

Trevose Head

Before the walk details, we ought to discuss the Cottage.  We are in a collection of old Tin Miners Cottages, all in a row with a shared inner courtyard and a pub at the end.  This gives us the real world opportunity to pretend to be the 18th century working classes and some of our neighbours have already adopted the standing on the front step and gossiping whilst their bare footed and noisy kids charge around making their own entertainment.

Our cottage is to the right of the pub

Front Door

Inner Courtyard is the pub beer garden

I always thought it would be great to have a pub so close to where you live but now I am confused.  Where am I going to find solace when we have a row?  Why am I going to pay £3 a pint, when it would be quicker to take one out of my fridge?  We have decided on a compromise.   I am going to walk to our door and sonia will be dressed as a German Bierkeller girl, serve me my own stella, engage in some general chit chat and charge me only £2 for the drink.

Today's walk is a boster.  A nice local coastal walk that is not too lengthy in distance and has a load of caches.

We get to Harlyn Bridge and park up at around 7am, before the attendant can charge us £4 for the privilidge.  Head out Easy on the South West Coats Path, following the headland around.

The weather is not the greatest and their are some pretty big waves, demonstrating why this is surf central.  Molly gets a few plays on the beach and seems genuinely interested in the walk today.

Harlyn Beach

First cache is an easy one by a tree, followed by the only DNF of the day at Cataclews point.  The clue was that you needed long arms, and after shoving my hands in various holes and getting nothing more than cobwebs, we decided to give it a miss.
Work our way around the headland to the next beach, which is Mother Ivey's bay.  Past the world's busiest looking campsite.  Sharing the headland with a lot of runners and dog walkers.

Tent City

Trevose Head is a perfect U Shape and we have to walk around three sides.  This is great for the coastal walking entusiast as we get maximum exposure to the sea and its usual lighthouse, lifeboat station, communication tower features. 

Padstow Lifeboat Station

Lots of rocky outcrops of the headland.  Landscape photos will be on Everytrail.  One feature that deserves a mention here is "Round Hole".  Its a bloody great big round hole.

Does exactly what it says on the tin

After the headland, we go through the bay where Finbarr Saunders goes on holidays.

Coundn't be helped

A bit of getting lost as we attempt to find the path through the dunes at Constantine Bay.  We have to take a diversion along a road.  Its mainly all road walking on the way back, through the golf course and back to the carpark, which is now full and with an attendant.  I hope he didn't take a note of my reg plate, as I am not paying the best part of a lady when I have vacated at 9:30am. 

That's two pints at the newest pub in Edmonton.

10/08/11 - Capital Ring Part 5

Start - Stretham Common
Finish - Wimbledon Park
Distance - 5.5 Miles
Previous Stages - Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3, Stage 4

Capital Ring Stage 5 at EveryTrail

So, I am on target for completion.  I anticipated that this would take me three years to complete this, walking on the light summer evenings.  This is Stage 5 of 15, so doing well.

But the big question was should I have been doing this in the current climate?  I did have a real think about it but on consideration, I decided that if you let the actions of other dictate you, they have won.  That said, I was on the look out for police helicopters and jumped out of my skin, when I heard a siren.

Get a quick 17 minute train down to Streatham Common and then head up Esterham Road, following the train line that bought me here.  Get to Mitcham Lane and one of the signs is to Croydon.  This was the scene in Croydon 48 hours earlier.

What a difference two days make

Its all dead quiet today.  Head into Tooting Bec common, our first bit of greenery and its all families, kids on bikes and people getting a bit of sunshine.  And the odd trampy looking fella asleep.

Tooting Bec turns into a bit of street walking in Balham and a very pleasant strecth over Wandsworth Common where there are a lot of dog walkers out.  This leads to a refreshment stop at the County Arms and a chance to pick up my only cache for a while on this route, attached to the railings at the front of Wandsworth Prison.  I have to say that I like the flowers at the front.  I am sure it will be a warming site for the people that tried to burn Croydon down.

A warm welcome awaits the rioters

So having completed a bit more off road walking than Stage 4, its all road through Earlsfield to Wimbledon Park tube station.  This adds the added benefit of taking me directly back to Gloucester Road.

Next stage is in Wimbledon, for which I have real high hopes.  Running out of light evenings, so it may be in 2012.

6/8/11 - Flight of Fancy

Distance - 5.5 Miles
Walk inspired by - Julie Royal Walks in Worcestershire
Caches - Found 7 our of 9
First Cache

Tardebigge

I've bought a new walking book.  Nothing unusual in that, I hear Sonia cry.  This is a collection of 50 walks in Worcestershire by Julie Royal, from her weekly series in the Worcester Evening News.  She also writes for Country Walking magazine.  I'm keeping my eye on her for when she retires.

I am going to do this book in order and walk number 1 takes in the Tardebigge Flight of locks.  This is a stretch of 30 locks over 2.5 miles that take the boater all day to work their way through.  I was originally opposed to this activity as it is second in the boredom stakes to fishing but seeing Mr Barge gently navigating his vessel whilst Mrs Barge runs ahead, puffing with the spanner to open the next lock has a certain appeal.  Read all about this engineering feat at Interesting Canal Facts.

My favourite Tardebigge story was on Julia Bradbury's canal walks where she asked the lady lock keeper here if she had any funny stories from her 30 years working on the canal.  Her answer, delivered in Brummie Dead Pan, told the story of an experienced boater who fell in and drowned.  Not quite the story our top walking totty was looking for.

Anyway, Tardebigge is not my favourite strangely names village beginning with "T" in the bromsgrove area.  That honour belongs to Timberhonger - which when you say it a deep manly voice sounds like it should be Africa. 

Drop Ellie of at work and programme the sat nav to Bromsgrove train station.  It doesn't find it but drops me off close.  Park up on the street and head West on the Monarch Way.  A couple of quick caches to test out my new device which is holding up fine.  Sonia can even phone me up to ask if I have seen something she has mislaid.  Role reversal.

Not much to report on this leg of the walk.  Some cows.  Tardebigge Church Spire in the distance.  Pass a couple with three dogs that I see later on the walk and help me find a cache.  Their son is a cacher.  I asked if they knew his name and they kind of looked at me funny, until they realised I meant his cacher name.

Pick up the canal and then its all down hill - watching the boaters work their way slowly up and down the flight.  Last time I was here, a boater was going mental because someone had left all the locks open, or closed (not really sure how these things work).

After walking the flight of lock we head north through fields and meet some new friends.

Had to leave Molly in case she worried them

But she had worries of her own

Head back east through fields and then skirting around the grounds of a Cricket pitch before finding my way back to the car.

Nice easy walk.

1/8/11 - Arthur's Seat

Distance - 6 Miles
Caches - 4
Where I had Tea
Inspired by - Walking Edinburgh

Arthurs Seat

Edinburgh remains the place that I want to live for some part of my life.  I would move tomorrow, but Ellie has a thing about accents.  Harsh words from a girl born in Wordsley.  I had my first mexican meal in this city in 2007.  I also lived for the best part of 6 months at the George and dragged a the team I was working with around all the pubs in the good pub guide.  These days, I am up here around three times a year.  And today is one of those days.

Walk up over North Bridge and catch sight of my plans tonight. 



Go on then, I'll walk up there tonight


First I have to get to the start of the official walk, which involves doing the bottom half of the royal mile.  Usual haunts, such as the Canon Gait and Pancho Villas (scene of my second Mexican) are passed until I end up at the new parliament and Holyrood Palace.  Out into the countryside on the escalator that is Salisbury Crags.

I have walked Salisbury Crags before, but today they are closed due to rock falls.  I would have broken through the barricades like Jim Kerr, but there were a couple of rozzers on patrol and I didn't want to get told off for trespass.  Amend my route to go East to Long Row and the Dry Dam.  This is a straightforward route but quite energetic.  Get overtaken by nordic skiers and several joggers whilst I puff my way to the top.  When there, you are rewarded with superb views in all directions.

I think that is Easter Road

I can see the sea

Like a doofus, I have blocked out the castle

But there it is (if you zoom in)

After the photo opps, I drop down to Duddingstone Village and find Edinburghs oldest Public house, the Sheep's Heid.  They have been open since 1360.  Its probably just me that finds this incredible.  Go for Haggis, Neeps and Tatties and elict a "Good choice" from the barman.  Which he no doubt shouted "Another tourist wants his tea" when he went into the kitchen.

I have done my research here and through the power of the Internet have worked out how to get back.  Find the bus stop.  Ask the two lovers there if the buses go to the city.  In a Polish accent they say they hope so.  So we all wait.  Only one of us feels awkward as we wait some more.  They start talking about me in their native tongue.  I look at the timetable and it looks like despite the governments web page encouraging us to use public transport, the next bus is in an hour.

Why is it that only the old and the mad understand how public transport works?

Decide to walk back.  This is more walking than I anticipated, but it does allow me the view of Arthurs Seat that is said to look like a lion.

Kind of get it.

Head back into the city revisting old friends of Bannermans and the Cafe Royal on my return.

Its still my favourite city.