Day 6 - Pitch

Not a bad pitch, after miles of pitchlessness.

Day 6 - Bridge of Balgie to Tummel Bridge

13 May
18.5 miles

As we bade farewell to our fellow Challengers at 0730 this morning we set out on what, at a glance, had looked like a pretty easy 13.5 mile day. We even rued, under the clear sky, not having planned a 'fair weather alternative' over some more hills.

The track up to the pass over to Loch Rannoch was indeed easy and fast. Our plan to then yomp for 3 miles across country was modified when we weighed up wading thight deep through heather with the alternative of extra road walking and extra miles and took what appeared to be the better option.

The tracks we took through forestry were pleasant enough, offering as they did some views and even the road had its merits. But my feet! Oh they did protest at the pounding - particularly my poorly toe.

The route I had planned from the road to the river Tummel looked so straightforward on the map but proved to be tougher on the ground - which was actually a relief for the toe after the repetitive pounding of the road.

After an incident of Mick climbing over a remarkably tall deer fence without noticing the gate a few yards down (I opted for the gate myself) we reached our intended destination - only to find that the expected access to water was missing.

On we went, with me changing to my crocs and back again, and getting increasingly desperate for somewhere to pitch.

Even foregoing the usual comfort requirements there was nowhere we could see that, even with the desperation factor, looked feasible. With faith in the fact that something always turns up, on we plodded, but as we approached the main B road our faith began to dwindle.

It turned out not to be misplaced faith. There, about 100 yds down a grassy side track, alongside some houses and just before the road we found a grassy pitch on the side of a large pond.

It had been a long day, but with this pitch I think that we fell on our feet at the end of it and as an added bonus we're now 2.5 miles into tomorrow.

Day 6 - Lunch

Not a bad spot for lunch - In the sunshine looking down the length of Loch Rannoch.

Day 6 - 2nd Breakfast

Not too shoddy a day again today and hopefully this post has a photo to prove it.

Day 5 - Pubil to Bridge of Balgie

12 May
12.5 miles 3500' ascent

Our day didn't have the most successful start when it turned out that the first track we intended to take had been curtailed by someone who had built a big house there. What we did find at the end of the now dead-end was a group of 6 challengers pitched in someone's back garden - including Darren who had blown a little off his intended course.

After hearing how they had been treated to tea and beer by the people who had allowed them to pitch, we dragged ourselves away, back to the road and to the next track along - which was the driveway to the new house.

We followed the drive a little nervously thinking that we may be somewhere we shouldn't be but it came good and we got to where we needed to be.

A slightly longer than plotted route was then taken up Stuchd an Lochain purely because it looked nicer on the ground and we basked in the loveliness of it all.

Had the day been a rainy one then I'm sure that my thighs would have burned on the ascent, I would have puffed and panted and it would have been jolly hard work. As it was, in the spectacular conditions, I skipped along loving every minute.

The views were first class from the top, which we had to ourselves, and the first day walkers were not seen until we had visited our second top of the day and were on our way down.

From the end of Loch an Daimh it was a road walk to Bridge of Balgie - which is the point where our route intersects last year's LEJOG route. This time, however, the tea room was open so we tarried a while before joining 4 others to camp at the picnic area (complete with toilet facilities).

There are 'no camping' signs here and the Laird did spot us and stop by to see what was going on, but was happy when we explained.

A sociable evening has been had and we're now looking forward to another sunny day tomorrow (please!).

Day 5 - Elevenses

Hopefully there's a photo with this post - should have tried out this function in advance!

It's just gone 11am on the most stunning of days and we're sitting atop Stuchd an Lochain drinking in the most magnificent views and feeling like we're the luckiest people in Britain to be able to be here.

Day 4 - Other Thoughts

I ran out of characters on my post about day 4 (it's the blogging device that I'm using) without giving the vital stats.

We walked 16.5 miles with something like 1500 feet of ascent all on easy terrain.

Since I tapped away to create the main blog post I've also taken drastic action with the little toe - I have sewn a piece of thread through it. fingers crossed that the thread is wicking and keeps it drained.

I think that my problem with the toe are two-fold - 1) I'm not accustomed to blisters and had forgotten how sore the little bastards can be and 2) I am a girly wimp with a low pain threshold!

Day 4 - Tyndrum to Pubil

We walked further than intended today. That we reached our intended overnight stop at just 12.30 wasn't a significant factor in that, as the spot I'd earmarked from the map turned out to be as suitable as they come - idyllic in fact.

With legs still weary from yesterday we could happily have lazed the sunny afternoon there. What made us continue was the comment that our route vetter made about tomorrow's plan: 'this is a really hard day.' It made getting a 4 mile headstart on ourselves look like a good idea - particularly as today's walking was easy.

The afternoon was somewhat marred however by a blister. It first formed on day 1 and despite efforts to get rid of it, it has been sticking around. It is under my little toe and is now a blister on a blister. OUCH!

This afternoon, it became so painful that I could stand walking in my boots no more and adding their wet weight (we had earlier forded a rather deep river) to my already heavy pack (lots of days food in there) I walked the final 3 miles in my cheapo mock-crocs. That proved to alleviate the problem but doesn't strike me as a long term solution.

Having foregone a number of lovely camping spots along Loch Lyon it wasn't until the houses beyond the dam came into sight that we thought that we ought to stop. It was only 3.30 but aside from my poorly toe, if we carried on further we would have had a distance further to go to find somewhere even semi-suitable.

Weather news is good today; we didn't see a cloud in the sky until late morning and it has been hot. I'm feeling quite aglow. Fingers crossed that it persists for our high route tomorrow.

News of other challengers is that we met another last night. Of all of the walkers in Tyndrum the one to whom Mick said 'are you walking the WHW' replied 'I'm doing something called the TGO Challenge - you've probably not heard of it'. He was Kim from Yorkshire and although he was heading in a different direction to us today our paths may cross again in a few days.

Day 3 - Ben a Chleibh to Tyndrum

Sun 10 May
9 or so (hard) miles, 3200' ascent

The headline news is that, after our failure back in October, we did today make it to the top of Ben Lui.

Snow fell on us as we made our way through the untouched inches a ready lying there and conditions were such that I did question whether we would make it to the top.

Make it we did though and, with good timing, during one of the breaks in the cloud, so we did have a bit of a view even if most of the tops in that view were in cloud.

Things didn't go so well on the descent, so we'll gloss over that save to say that the problem was a failure to navigate. By that I don't mean that we navigated badly I mean that we failed to look at the map - absolute ridiculous stupidity.

Still, all is well that ends well and we did make it down with lives and limbs intact. As an added bonus the weather steadily improved until we were baking and all of the tops were clear - most stunningly Ben Lui.

After a hard day of pathlessness we almost flew the last 6km down the track to Tyndrum. Once here, although desperate for a rest, we weren't treated to a sit down thanks to an urgent need to wash and reproof Mick's jacket... Something of a repeat of our last trip to this place!

However, the chores are nearly complete, our stomachs have been filled at the Real Food Cafe and we're looking forward to a good and long kip to refresh us for tomorrow.

Rumour has it that the weather's looking good for the next couple of days too.

Atop Ben A Chleibh

And the sun is out! Next we go take a look at Ben Lui. Looking a bit snowy over there.

Day 2 - Glen Noe to By Ben a Chleibh

Fri 9 May
15 miles, 3700' ascent.

Our pitch last night proved to be in the midst of a major slug-fest, so it was after removing the slimy beasts from inside our shoes, mugs, food bags and the like that we set off this morning during a brief break in the rain.

The planned route up Glen Noe was based purely on it looking doable from the map and although hard going in places it turned out to be a good choice. Aside from anything else it was the solitude and scenery of this Glen that made my head finally catch up with the fact that I'm on a walking holiday. It's taken a while!

It was near the t op of the Glen that the cloud suddenly rolled in and the earlier showers became persistent rain (and hail, sleet and snow) that stayed with us for hour upon hour.

It was because of the rain that we didn't stop for 2nd breakfast or 11ses. During a lull in the wetness we did pause briefly for lunch but being wet, we soon cooled down and needed to get moving again.

The A85 was diced with for a short while, where one motorist seemed willing to mow us down in order to overtake (certainly made me jump!), then it was back onto tracks - forestry at first then grassy (and boggy).

The rain finally turned to showers as we tackled our final couple of KMs of the day, by which time, after a hard day with only the shortest of breaks I was more than ready to stop.

So tired was I that I wasn't even fussed about our pitch being flat, level or dry, but as it happens we found somewhere that almost managed each of those traits.

By good fortune we got pitched in the dry and between a few more showers the sun even showed itself.

Tomorrow we have a short day planned albeit (provided the weather clears up) a hill or 2 will feature. It'd be nice to get some wet stuff dry too!

Day 1 - Oban to Glen Noe

8 May
Distance - 18 miles

It was as a party of five that we left the Youth Hostel this morning, with Bob, Rose and their daughter Beth.

Leaving Oban we were a party of 7 as we had bumped into Ellie and Derek and, with much chatting, we made our way up a glen.

Bob and Rose's route soon diverged from ours so good luck was wished all around and we carried on with Ellie and Derek in the direction of Taynuilt. Another challenger - Jenny Headscarf - was passed as we tootled along and fast progress was made as we omitted any rest stops bar a quick elevenses due to the distraction of chatting.

As the showers were just getting more frequent we reached Taynuilt, and it would have been rude to pass through without stopping for a cup of tea, so that's precisely what we did.

Thankfully we finally got off road as we left Taynuilt and stayed that way until we reached the smokery there. We bade farewell to Ellie and Derek as our routes parted but our departure was delayed by a most impressive and violent hail storm.

It didn't see like much later when we reached our intended overnight stop, but a suitable pitch didn't present itself and as we weren't desperate to stop we carried on into tomorrow's route.

In all we have walked 1.5 miles further than intended today. It's been a touch damp but enjoyable nevertheless.

We're now pitched in a pleasant-but-not-spectacular spot in Glen Noe looking forward to our day tomorrow.

TGOC DAY 0 - TO OBAN

I realised in the middle of the night that my watch was not on my wrist. Nor was it on the table next to me and from that information I deduced that it was still on my bedside table at home.

For some peple being watchless for two weeks would be a joy. Not so for me. I need my watch and its absence kept me awake (silly, I know) whilst I came up with a back up plan.

I was up early this morning to put my plan into action - and having arisen so early, what should i find sitting there on the floor but the missing item. Sigh of relief.

With grateful thanks to my sister who, bleary eyed, gave us a lift to the station this morning, our journey commenced.

Our first encounter with another Challenger was on the platform (and I think it was for the fun of seeing people running up stairs with baggage that the last minute platform change was made). More have been spotted joining the train since.

There's a little nervousness on the the train - not at the thought of the walk to come but because the train was already running late when we joined it and we have an important connection to make in Glasgow...

Rush, Rush, Rush

It is seldom that I have felt so incredibly disorganised as I have today. With Mick just back from America, and with me having to work, and with food to be sorted, parcels to be packaged and sent, kit to be organised and bags to be packed, we had a full day ahead of us.

I finally got around to packing about three hours before we had to leave the house, by which time the pressure was getting to me and Mick was taking the brunt of it.

Despite feeling like we were going to be rushing around until midnight, we were only a handful of minutes later than planned in getting away - and hopefully I won't get to Scotland to find out that I've omitted something critical, like my head or sleeping bag or the like.

In amongst this uncharacteristic disorganisation, I realised over the weekend that there were a few things that we needed/I wanted. Three orders were placed with fingers crossed that things posted yesterday would arrive today.

At just gone 1pm there was a crunching of gravel and Postie was no doubt bemused to have me fling the door open as look expectantly at him as he approached. My disappointed 'oh' as he handed over the post was a further giveaway that I was waiting for something in particular.

Once again Backpackinglight.co.uk had come up trumps and (along with the usual little bag of sweets) we had a new mapcase and a new Platty. Alas, another company based just 25 miles away didn't have such luck with Royal Mail. When I spoke to them this afternoon they assured me that my order had been mailed first class yesterday; they also confirmed that they were now out of stock of my size of the item I wanted so I didn't even have the option of sending Mick to pick it up. That put the cat amongst the pigeon of my clothing choice (still haven't quite decided what I'm doing about that).

The third package was a bit of a flier. There was always the chance that it wouldn't even be mailed first class, and it's hopefully no disaster that I don't have a memory card for my new phone.

Talking of my new phone, Mick did manage to get it unlocked today so I now have a choice of two different networks via which I can send my blog posts over the couple of weeks. So, all being well things won't go entirely quiet until we get back (although I do forwarn of lots of typos!).

From Uttoxeter to Ellastone (And Back)

By ten past eight this morning the earlier rain* had abated, there was blue amongst the clouds and we were back in the Station car park at Uttoxeter. Five minutes later we were walking north – always a good direction to be heading when one of the party is heading for John O’Groats.

Again farmland was the theme of the day, but with one notable difference today: there were lumpy bits and from some of the (very modest) inclines there were appreciable views to be had.

Three and three quarter hours after leaving Uttoxeter, we reached Ellastone where a pub was marked on the map. The pub had been discussed. It was our focus. It was going to supply us not only with beer but also hopefully with chips or some such snacks (I had managed to pick up something for lunch, but completely fail to pick up all of the snacks that I usually eat during the course of a day-walk and so was ready to start gnawing on my own arm). Alas, despite Ellastone being the sort of village that looked like its pub should be thriving on a Sunday lunchtime, it turned out to be closed. What a blow!

Across the road was a bus shelter with a bench – which was no competition as a lunch venue against a pub, but in the absence of an open pub, it had to make do.

Half and hour later (after Geoff had taken pity on my lack of food and donated two of his flapjack slices to me, which I gratefully received) it was time to go our separate ways. I was simply going to retrace my steps back to Uttoxeter, whereas Geoff is continuing his journey and his adventure.

Having walked the same paths that very same morning, you might think that the navigation on the way back wouldn’t be too difficult.

Within five minutes of leaving the village of Ellastone, I realised that wasn’t going to be the case. As I walked alongside the river I had absolutely no recollection of having been there before. That’s what happens when more time is spent chatting than concentrating on the surroundings!

With a bit of map work I did get back to a point that I remembered, and it seems that my attention had only waned towards the end of the morning’s walk as the latter parts of my return journey were much more familiar (compass still came out a few times, but then the game was ‘spot the stile’ and one green field does look very much like another).

In a complete contrast to my nervousness of farm animals last year, when I had to re-cross the field of overly-inquisitive young cows, I didn’t even that the trouble to walk around them as they lazed on the ground. Instead, I walked straight through (they ignored my comments to them that they needn’t get up) and, as a boost to my confidence in such situations, once again I didn’t get trampled.

It seemed like only a few paces later that I was back at the car – having taken an hour less on the return leg than on the outward. It didn’t feel like we were walking slowly during the morning, but navigating across farmland does, I find, tend to take time with the map-work and, of course, my incessant chatting probably also slowed us down.

My total stats for the day were 14.5 miles covered, with (wait for it…) a whole 800 feet of ascent. Geoff was scheduled to cover 17 miles – about which he will almost certainly blog tomorrow. You can follow his journey here.

Geoff (sporting his third backpack of the trip) strides towards a lumpy landscape

And then somehow I got ahead and he strode towards me

I proved once again that I’m crap with the SticPic, and in changing the size of the photo also accidentally inverted the colours. I thought it looked better like this!

But for completeness, here’s the extraordinarily badly composed proper version (and you’d be right to think that my hair has been cropped to the extreme – the barber was so busy chatting that he just kept shaving – shorter and shorter and shorter)

No story here – the house just caught my eye as I left Ellastone

Aaaah! (and in about 3 months time: “Mint sauce!”)

(*With rain falling first thing I had reached for the Paramo VAL thinking that it would get a waterproofness test before the TGOC. As it went I proved that it’s most definitely wearable in warmer temperatures than my standard Velez, but once again it wasn’t troubled with rain.)

From Rugeley to Uttoxeter

The trains did as trains should, and within five minutes of me arriving at Rugeley Trent Valley, along came Geoff’s train and a few moments later we were to be found perusing a map deciding which route to take to get ourselves onto the Staffordshire Way.

The longer canal route was chosen and soon we had picked up the tow-path that I have walked plenty of times in the past on Keswick to Barrow training excursions (the training for such an event being the only reason I can think of why I would find myself 15 miles from home in the midst of a circular walk). In fact, I was familiar with the Way right until we reached the pleasant village of Stockwell Heath (where I did let out an ‘aaah’ at the sight of a gaggle of tiny goslings), which is probably a good thing because I’ve noted before that chatting with someone and paying close attention to a map seldom go hand in hand.

From Stockwell Heath we did have to start paying attention and walking through more pleasant farmland (we did find mud obstacles, but thanks to the dry weather of late, not hideous ones) we found ourselves outside of a choice of two pubs in Abbott’s Bromley at lunch time.

Purely because Geoff needs the calories to fuel his long-distance walking extravaganza, we chose one for a helping of beer, following which it was fortunate that Geoff was on the ball as I was ready to walk the wrong way out of the village (nothing to do with the small helping of beer – more to do with being blonde and female).

A handful of other people were seen out and about shortly after Abbott’s Bromley, but as the afternoon wore on I was getting the distinct impression that fewer people walk the far north of the Staffs Way than the southern sections. The paths were becoming increasingly overgrown in places and whereas earlier in the day I had commented on how well waymarked the route is, the waymarks stopped being quite so consistent too (although some marks did turn out to be hidden or otherwise missed by us – fortunately only very minor amounts of backtracking were involved in our two accidental deviations).

We arrived back in Uttoxeter at 5.30, just as people were leaving the races, but it wasn’t silly-busy so the car was collected without fuss and a few moments later we were heading out of the town.

The mileage for the day was 12, through much green-and-pleasantness. We even got a view at one point. It’s not that it was a low-visibility day – on the contrary the weather was most well suited to walking and visibility was fantastic – it was just that on land that is so flat you don’t get views of any note.

Tomorrow morning we’ll be back at Uttoxeter station from where Geoff will make his way north to Alstonefield. My destination for the day will (for obvious reasons) be Uttoxeter, but I plan to also walk a short way north first. By the time I turn around to head back to the car, no doubt Geoff will be desperately hankering after a bit of peace and quiet!

At Uttoxeter

As I bought myself a new mobile bloggng device a couple of weeks ago in the hope of beng able to blog our TGOC as we go, and as I now find myself sitting at a train station with time on my hands I thought I would test it out.

The station is Uttoxeter, which some of you (or indeed all of you) may know falls on the path of the Staffs Way. It's a town passed through by many LEJOGers when taking a middle-of-England route north.

Today Geoff (litehikersblog.blogspot.com), who set out from Land's End just under a month ago, is walking a leg from Rugeley to Uttoxeter. And so that's how I've come to be here on this fine sunny morning.

If a train deigns to arrive (it's running late) then I will be taking a very long and circuitous route to travel the 12 miles back to Rugeley to meet up with Geoff for the day.

It seems that there is racing on at Uttoxeter today. The racecourse is next to the station. All is quiet so far but I'll wager it could be busy around here when we arrive on foot later.

TGOC Food Logistics

We didn't get out for a walk over the weekend just gone. Having spent all day on Saturday at the Backpacker's Club Lightweight Fest we ran out of time to fit a walk in amongst all of the chores and errands we had to complete on Sunday - chores and errands which have been subjected to reduced timescales thanks to Mick needing to fit in a quick trip over to Las Vegas between now and the TGOC to attend his eldest son's wedding.

One of the top priorities for Sunday was to make sure that we are sufficiently organised for the TGOC and the top priority there was to make sure that we have got the food situation sorted.

With two final meals whirring away in the dehydrator, I was happy that we had enough evening meals prepared*, but I was also acutely aware that we will only be passing two shops in our 13 days of walking and that experience has told me that I would rather not carry more than four days worth of food at a time if I can help it.

That meant that we had to be more organised as to food than we have ever needed to be before (more so than at any point on our LEJOG, when the longest we went between shops was 5 days) and that meant that we had to make decisions at this stage as to what breakfasts, lunches, evening meals and snacks we would need for each day before working out what we could buy where and what would need to be bought in advance and sent ahead in a resupply parcel.

Soon I was tearing my hair out over a ridiculously detailed spreadsheet and was getting so concerned that I would miscalculate and end up on top of a mountain with no lunch to eat and no chocolate in reserve that I called for assistance from Mick.

So, then there were two of us poring over the ridiculously detailed spreadsheet, with Mick questioning and me trying to explain my thinking.

I think that we got there in the end. We now have a huge shopping list comprising the breakfasts, lunches, and snacks that we will be taking with us for the first few days and that we will be posting ahead for the last few days, but we are happy that all of the other food we will be able to buy in Tyndrum and Blair Atholl.

Perhaps my memory has simply faded, but I would swear that no part of our four months of backpacking last year was as complicated as planning this two-week jaunt across Scotland!

(*Actually, after we finished poring over the spreadsheet we concluded that we've prepared more meals than we need)

Backpackers Club Lightweight Equipment and Tent Show

Never have I seen so many people wearing Paramo in one place. They called it the Backpackers Club Lightweight Equipment and Tent Show, but to an unknowing bystander it might have been a Paramo Fan Club extravaganza (of which Mick & I fully partook; me in my new Velez Adventure Light, Mick in his trusty Vasco – well it was forecast to rain…).

We left home bright and not-quite-early this morning to make the hour-long journey up to Ashford-in-the-Water with the thought that we would probably not know more than a small handful of the people there and that the kit on show would not take us more than a short while to peruse. Our expectation was that we would be back home again by early afternoon.

Our expectations of the show were completely surpassed.

What I hadn’t expected was the number of people who stopped us to say “Are you Mick and Gayle?”.  It really was very nice indeed not only to meet those people but also to hear the very nice words they said about the Blog – so thank you all for taking the time to talk to us, it really was very much appreciated (such unexpected kind words do make all of this clattering away on the keyboard worthwhile!).

As well as the heretofore-strangers who said hello, there were unexpected meetings with people we had previously met, and so much time was very pleasantly whiled away chatting.

Then there was the gear-fondling – and considering that there were only three retailers (plus Satmap) there, there was a significant amount of gear to appreciate. Outside, on one side of the entrance, there was Backpackinglight.co.uk with Bob & Rose being constantly surrounded by people admiring their wares, and on the other side of the entrance was Satmap (with whom we did stop for a chat late in the day after most people had left, but I’m afraid that despite the salesman’s best efforts the product just doesn’t appeal to me (nowt wrong with the product, just not my cup of tea)).

Inside were two main stalls, and either I was being very unobservant (completely possible) or they weren’t displaying who they were. Upon examination it was evident that one was Alpkit, and I’m pretty sure that the other was Ultralight Outdoor Gear.

Despite having no intention of going there to spend, there were some things that just begged to be bought and my bag did get progressively heavier as the day went on.

The haul wasn’t outrageous. We patronised each of the retailers, and took away the following:

From the bottom left:

From Bob & Rose: A silk shopping bag (this is to supplement my previous one and I can’t speak highly enough of them if you want always to have a bag on you to save having to resort to disposable carriers) and a Nalgene hipflask (for Mick to fill with Brandy for the TGOC).

From Ultralight Outdoor Gear: 2 MSR Ground Hog Stakes (to replace those of our Alpkit Tykes which we have bent); Mick also got very tempted by a Thermarest Neo Air, having finally seen one in the flesh, but with a remarkable show of will, managed to resist.

From Alpkit: A pack of three pairs of socks (they said they were size 3-5; looking at them they looked bigger than that and trying them on at home they do fit me, but would be too big for a smaller foot, so I suspect they were actually size 5-8 (me being a 5)); and three roll-top waterproof stow-bags. The stow-bags look remarkably similar to the many Sea-to-Summit waterproof bags that we proved quite conclusively on our travels last year are not waterproof, however, we’re hoping that not-quite-waterproof bags inside of not-quite-waterproof pack-liners will prove to be waterproof.

With a total expenditure of £35 it didn’t feel like we had been too outrageous.

Our day possibly would have ended with a round of the retailers and much chatting (oh, and with a trip to the tea-room in the village, which served us some excellent food and tea), except that Trentham Walker strongly recommended that we swing by the tent show – and we were mightily glad that we did. Okay, so we don’t need another tent, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t appreciate what’s on offer, and we spent a pleasant hour or so taking the walk up to the campsite and looking around the many and varied tents on offer (including a brief sojourn inside the TN Laser Photon when it started raining again). I can’t think of any other place where you could possibly see such a good range of tents on offer (Lightwave, Vaude, Go-Lite, Terra Nova and …ummm…someone else, I think).

More people were then met and chatted with as we returned to the Village Hall and just as the event was due to finish we finally made our way towards the car for the homeward journey.

If it hadn’t been for following our Sat Nav’s instructions on how to get home (we had ignored it largely on the way up, so thought we would see the route it suggested for the way back) going past the entrance to the campsite where the tent show was being held, we would have gone straight home. However, as we were passing we thought we’d pop back in because we’d barely had chance to say more than two words to Darren and there we things we needed to discuss with him (stoves, quilts, TGOC, that sort of thing).

With another hour or so having passed we did many times say goodbye to people and make vague mentions of leaving before we did finally drag ourselves away. We really should have stayed over!

It was a truly excellent day (far more interesting than The Outdoor Show, and only a tiny fraction of the size), which was well and truly made by all of the nice people to whom we talked during the day. I wouldn’t even think twice of going along again.

On This Day Last Year

We left Launceston (and unfortunately missed meeting Daryl May, who was walking the other way)

A while later we passed the curious spectacle of half a house

As usual, we saw some lovely countryside

Then I got side-tracked by an interesting tree stump

Then after skirting the edge of Dartmoor

we found ourselves at a campsite (on the hardshoulder of the busy A30), only to be met with our nightmare scenario after a long day: it was fully booked up with a caravan rally. Fortunately, the owners were most accommodating and offered us either their lawn or the area in front of the barbeque area. We spent a comfortable night.

The original of the day can be read here.

Unfortunately this year is not anywhere near as interesting as last year – hence my lack of posts lately (cor, that was a long-winded way of saying “I’m not doing anything right now” wasn’t it? But at least it has caused me to post some of the never-before-published LEJOG photos).