Day # 63 Grange over Sands to Morecambe, Lancashire.

Beautiful but VERY dangerous.

          Woke this morning to strange wet stuff falling from the sky. …..they told me it was called rain! Have not witnessed this phenomenon for 11 days. Anyway back to the road and continued to follow the twisting route around the north end of Morecambe Bay and it’s sand flats, passing through the attractive resort town of Arnside, where I sheltered from the wet for half an hour in a small snack bar for the price of a cup of tea. In a cooperative gesture to this long distance walker, the sun emerged and so did I. Since my start in mid-February I have constantly noticed that the sun in England does not seem to actually warm the air. Cloud or sunshine, the temperature always seems to stay about the same.

          By 11.00am I had ‘turned the corner’ around this massive Morecambe Bay and came into Carnforth, another scenic tourist community. At this point, after having being sandwiched between hill and beach for several days I was certainly ready for a change of pace and the chance to escape cars constantly nipping at my heels on narrow twisty roads. Immediately out of Carnforth, I came on to the Lancaster Canal. Now used entirely for recreational purposes, it was a very pleasant southwards walk in sunshine for about 5 miles along the tow-path, to the outskirts of Morecambe. At least my tired legs were assured of a level surface, being alongside the canal.

          Morecambe is certainly another one of those dying British holiday resorts, complete with boarded up amusement arcades and derelict housing extending along the sea front. These towns certainly seem to be lacking a strategic plan, or any plan, to bring back the tourists.

           Despite the presence of many contractors in town working on another nuclear power station project, I was able to find reasonable B & B.

 26.5 kms. walked today per pedometer. Cumulative kms. covered: 1516.5

Hours of walking today including rest stops: 8.00

Type of accommodation: Westleigh Guest House.

Cost of bed & breakfast: pounds. 25.00, no breakfast.

Help me every step of the way by supporting Trillium Health Centre. I’m giving 110% to Trillium, will you? Donate Now:  www.trilliumhealthcentrefoundation.org

Day # 62 Barrow in Furness to Grange Over Sands, Cumbria.

Pic: Morecambe Bay. Massive and very dangerous sand flats. People are lured out far from the shore and tides flow back at a high rate of speed, trapping and drowning the unfortunate.        
       Awoke to another dry, sunny day (more than 10 in a row now). This region to the south of the hills of Cumbria is an area of exceptional natural beauty, with my route finding its way between the hills and the massive, flat sandy expanses of Morecambe Bay. The upper end tourist sector seems to be thriving in this severe economic recession with the many golf courses and luxury hotels having their car parks full to over-flowing. The route today has been very twisty with much care required to ensure visibilty to the on-coming traffic. Should not complain too much about all this natural beauty, as the next stage of the walk takes me through some of the most industrial and densely populated areas of Britain, through Preston and on into the Liverpol area.
            Once again, impressed with the popularity of walking as pastime in Britain, but also note the almost total absence of young people. Entered the small resort town of Grange Over Sands at just after 3.00pm, having covered near my maximum days walking range. Luckily, the search for a room was easy tonight and I have a room looking out onto the Bay. Most of the homes here are of the large Edwardian style, favoured by the wealthy merchants attracted by the mild climate and pleasant views.

31.0 kms. walked today per pedometer. Cumulative Kms. covered: 1489.9
Hours of walking today including rest stops:  9.25
Type of accommodation: Guest house
Cost of bed & breakfast: pounds.  21.00

Please go to Flickr.com (traveller6666) to view pics of the walk.
Trillium Health Centre has always been there for me and my family, I want to do my part and be there to support them. I’m giving 110% to Trillium, will you?  www.trilliumhealthcentrefoundation.org

Day #61 Seascale to Barrow in Furnace.

            

Sea front in Seascale

 Another absolutely cloudless and beautiful morning (that's eight in a row now!) to greet this walker as he set off southwards. The sea was so calm it looked like the proverbial mirror. I had been assured by a couple of locals that in ideal conditions it is possible to see across to the Isle of Man. I was however unable to see Manx on this particular morning; maybe volcano debris is reducing sea level visibility. My route today involved skirting the Duddon Sands to follow the rather convoluted shoreline inland passing through through Millom, Askam and Dalton before reaching the stage goal today of  Barrow in Furnace. We are well into walking country here and the frequent road side beer gardens are full of outdoors types and wanna be's enjoying the spring sunshine.The hills of the Lake District loom high over the A59 and the A5087 with inspiring views of the  golden sands that stretch to the horizon across Morcambe Bay. By adding just 3 or 4 extra kilometers to the days load by opting for the 'low' road through Millom, I was able to avoid a couple of serious 20% hills.
           Barrow is an industrial town with a working dock yard that has recently constructed one of the new generation of British nuclear submarines. As recently as the 1890's barrow boasted the largest steel manufacturing facility in the world. with unemployment currently running at a high level the town appears tired and somewhat run down.
    
27.5 kms. walked today per pedometer. Cumulative Kms. covered: 1458.6
Hours of walking today including rest stops: 9.0
Type of accommodation: Cyrene guest house
Cost of bed & breakfast: pounds. 20.00 no breakfast.

Please go to Flickr.com (traveller6666) to view pics of the walk.
Trillium Health Centre has always been there for me and my family, I want to do my part and be there to support them. I’m giving 110% to Trillium, will you?  www.trilliumhealthcentrefoundation.org

Day # 60 Whitehaven to Seascale, Cumbria.

Pic:  ---and the prize for the most elegant bed & breakfast stair-case goes to ---'Tivoli' in Whitehaven!

          With all the early TV news information about the Iceland volcanic ash cloud grounding all air traffic in the UK, I sallied forth at 6.50am into a 100% clear and cloudless day, heading south to the first navigation point of the day’s walk---St Bees. The coast-line here is very hilly as the extensions of the major hill area descend to the sea.

Locals inform me that on a clear day, I should be able to see the Isle of Man on the horizon, but was unable to make it out, maybe because of the volcanic ash at high levels in the atmosphere.

          Was pulled over by a police patrol just north of Gosforth and duly interviewed by a couple of very personable young officers. This is maybe the 8^th. time this has happened so far on the walk. There is something about an older man pushing a baby pram that attracts their attention. Nice to know that the local population is so well protected.

            Decide to leave the main road and enjoy the sunny delights of the shoreline at Seascale, the small own adjacent to the nuclear reactor facility at Sellafield. Locals, likely mostly employed at the plant and as such the town does not bill itself as a tourist destination. Aware that tomorrow’s walk includes three 20% gradients, and after today’s hills I decide to take an overnight break here.

4 million steps in support of the all our young and old who rely on Trillium Health Centre. I’m giving 110% to Trillium, will you? Donate now www.trilliumhealthcentrefoundation.org

19.0 kms. walked today per pedometer. Cumulative Kms. covered: 1431.1
Hours of walking today including rest stops: 5 1/2
Type of accommodation: Bailey's Hotel
Cost of bed & breakfast: pounds.  40.00 no breakfast.

Please go to Flickr.com (traveller6666) to view pics of the walk.

Day # 59 Workington to Whitehaven

   An early start today for a short 'positioning' walk to prepare for a section tomorrow that will be a longer and more challenging stretch over high coastal headlands.
           Left Workington heading south on a B road paralleling the arterial route, at 7.00am into a very crisp and bright morning. Clear days are of course, the weather exception in the UK, especially ones lasting several days. Thus the irony of the fact that ALL air traffic over much of Europe is 100% grounded due to the Icelandic volcano eruption is not lost on the population. Without problem, arrived at Whitehaven 15 kms south along the Cumbria coat. Was rather surprised that the town does not appear to be more active in the tourist industry, given its proximity to the magnificent hill walking just a few miles away. This lack of tourists, reflected in an apparent paucity of tourist rooms. Given the fact that the retail area is evidently suffering the recession, they may be missing an opportunity. My room tonight was obtained by word of mouth questioning on the street, as the establishment does not even boast a sign hanging in the window. Pity the car bound out of town visitor driving the streets in search a place to stay.
          An afternoon spent in my room catching up on 'office work'. Looking forward to the first ever UK prime ministerial TV debate tonight.

15.0 kms. walked today per pedometer. Cumulative Kms. covered: 1412.1
Hours of walking today including rest stops:  3.5
Type of accommodation: Tivoli Guest House
Cost of bed & breakfast: pounds. 30.00 no breakfast.

Please go to Flickr.com (traveller6666) to view pics of the walk.

4 million steps in support of the all our young and old who rely on Trillium Health Centre. I’m giving 110% to Trillium, will you? Donate now www.trilliumhealthcentrefoundation.org

Day #58 Berwick on Tweed, Northumberland to Workington, Cumbria.

Main street, Berwick upon Tweed.

          Well that was a different sort of day, that was!! Vacated Miranda’s Guest House, Berwick at a leisurely 8.30am in time to commence a day riding the buses. At Berwick, up against the Scottish border, my eastern English coastline ran out. Time to scoot over to the west coast and commence the south bound leg of this coastal walk. The transition was accomplished easily and very economically……basically a whole day riding for 19 pounds (($33.00 Cdn). Buses were modern, comfortable and exactly on schedule, as I accomplished transfers at Newcastle, Carlisle, Cockermouth and lastly into Workington. I was struck by the friendliness of the passengers and the banter that seemed to involve all on board. Almost every passenger thanked the drivers on leaving the vehicle. A nice touch of civility in a busy world. All  English citizens over 60 are entitled to free bus travel throughout England—there does seem to be a general feeling that this entitlement may be at least partially withdrawn once the new government gets down to tackling the massive budgetary deficit.

            Crossing the Pennine hill chain to the western shores, it was immediately evident that spring is at least a couple of weeks ahead of the east coast. Blossoms are out and the fields rapidly greening in the bright sunny weather that we have enjoyed for the past 4/5 days.

           I had not planned to end the day in Workington, but was reminded by fellow bus passengers that Cockermouth was victim of a 20ft. river flood last November that half destroyed the town. As a result the town is seething with contractors who have monopolized every available tourist room---hence an executive decision to add the last 8 mile  bus stage to Worthinton, a rather gritty mid-sized town near the coast. At my 5^th./6 th. attempt I was able at last to locate a rather nice room at the Red Dragon Inn, albeit at a rather inflated room rate…..  pay the b----- or sleep in a ditch!

4 million steps in support of over one million+ patients that rely on Trillium Health Centre. I’m giving 110% to Trillium, will you? Donate Now www.trilliumhealthcentrefoundation.org

  0 kms. walked today per pedometer. Cumulative Kms. covered: 1397.1
Hours of walking today including rest stops:  0
Type of accommodation: Red Dragon Inn
Cost of bed & breakfast: pounds. 49.00

Please go to Flickr.com (traveller6666) to view pics of the walk.

Day #57 Seahouses to Berwick upon Tweed.

 Pic: Yours truly, at coffee break....

Well here it is at last. Today I reached the Scottish border at Berwick upon Tweed, right in the top right hand corner of England. I left Seahouses early--about 6.30am knowing that it would be a long walk into Berwick. And my expectations were correct, with the last few painful miles being completed on a narrow footpath along-side the A1. Earlier, I had been well rewarded with the most magnificent coastal scenery since the start of this walk. Passed a majestic castle...Bamburgh, high sand dunes, wide sandy  and totally deserted beaches, crashing ocean rollers onto craggy rocks, medieval villages, (Belford) and proximity to the Pennine chain that still carry streaks of snow and off shore islands (Lindisfarne). To top this off, the setting of Berwick at the mouth of the River Tweed is itself as magnificent as its history. The town is protected by a high wall that bears witness to the fact that it was at the very heart of the savage Anglo-Scottish wars for more than 200 years. Apparently Berwick has moved from England to Scotland 10 times, and been a divided city 4 times in its history and only became an official part of England by Act of Parliament in 1927.
            Never having visited Northumberland I can state that it is at the top of my list of regions to revisit. The only down side being the rather brutal cold wind that seems to blow in continuously from the North Sea.
29.3 kms. walked today per pedometer. Cumulative Kms. covered: 1397.1
Hours of walking today including rest stops: 8.0
Type of accommodation: Miranda's Guest House
Cost of bed & breakfast: pounds. 30.00, no breakfast.

Please go to Flickr.com (traveller6666) to view pics of the walk.

Trillium serves over one million+ residents annually…the future of healthcare is here!  I’m giving 110% to Trillium, will you? Please donate to Trillium Health Centre www.trilliumhealthcentrefoundation.org

Day #56 Alnwick to Seahouses, Northumberland.

 Pic: Alnwick Castle, featured as 'Hogwarts' in the Harry Potter movies.       

Alnwick Castle is the second largest inhabited castle in England, and has been the home of the Percys, Earls and Dukes of Northumberland since 1309, making this year the 700 year anniversary.

         Strode forth into a perfect bright, sunny, crackling morning. Lawns were covered in frost and were a beautiful sight caught in the rising sunshine. My route climbed the hill on the east side of Alnwick to admire the picture-book splendour of the castle and River Aln as it cascaded over the weir. Perhaps the most perfect morning weather since the walk commenced. Roads were almost empty and fields full of sheep and lambs. I entered into several heated debates with my woolly friends in several fields as my passing seemed to stir them to a high level of verbosity. Felt particularly embarrassed when an unnoticed cyclist passed me and probably thought that I was half mad!!

         By noon I was back on the coast and before one, entered my destination town of Seahouses. Being Easter holidays till the end of the week for the kids, there were numerous families in town enjoying the beaches, trips out to the islands to view puffins and seals and partake of the myriad fish and chip parlours in the town.

         The UK is girding for a general election on May 6^th. thus the country is enjoying saturation TV coverage on the topic. Interestingly, there will be a leaders’ TV debate this week for the first time ever, although it appears that the pre-agreed format will be rather restricted. Current polls seem to indicate the 13 year rule of Labour is in some jeopardy. Undoubtedly, after the election, whoever wins, there is going to be a lot of unpleasant medicine handed down to right a serious economic situation.

Trillium serves over one million+ residents annually…the future of healthcare is here!  I’m giving 110% to Trillium, will you? Please donate to Trillium Health Centre www.trilliumhealthcentrefoundation.org

 22.6 kms. walked today per pedometer. Cumulative Kms. covered: 1367.8
Hours of walking today including rest stops: 6.0
Type of accommodation: Railton Guest House
Cost of bed & breakfast: pounds. 30.00, no breakfast.

Please go to Flickr.com (traveller6666) to view pics of the walk.

Day #55 Amble to Alnwick, Northumberland.

  Pic:  Landing the fish at Amble harbour.

     

        Deferred my departure to 7.30am to give the hardworking and friendly landlord an extra ½ hour Sunday morning in bed. Weather clear, sunny and cold and as can be expected, streets of Amble, deserted. I have set myself an easy section today in consideration to the positions of the towns that I must walk to in the next couple of days. The walking conditions were superb and the scenery magnificent along today’s coastal section. 80% of the miles today were achieved on safe, segregated cyclist/pedestrian paths.

          The first visual treat was Warkworth Castle situated at the south end of the  picture postcard village of Warkworth. Unfortunately, at this point I do not have the historical facts on the site, a guide-book being one of the luxuries dispensed with, due to weight limitations. Further to the north and just short of my walking objective today, I passed by Alnmouth, flanked by magnificent beaches and situated on a promontory at the point where the Aln River pours into the North Sea. Extensive range of sea birds noted.

        Alnwick, formally walled and still guarded by a medieval castle and massive fortified gates, is the local centre and market town for the area. Attractive with very little visually indicating that it is in the 21^st. century, appearing instead to have been lifted bodily out of the middle ages, is awaiting for this years tourists to arrive. Next to my B & B and located in what appears to be an medieval hall, “Barter Books” which bills itself as the largest second hand book shop in the UK. Complete with roaring log fires, one can spend a whole day, eating  (they also serve meals) and reading. Many arrive with bags of books and trade them in on NEW second hand editions.

        My personal excitement is rising, as I am within a three days walk of reaching the Scottish border.

In 2008 Trillium had over 700,000 patient visits. Trillium’s doctors and nurses are ‘Giving 110%’ to patients….will you? Go to www.trilliumhealthcentrefoundation.org and donate now!


 18.6 kms. walked today per pedometer. Cumulative Kms. covered: 1345.2
Hours of walking today including rest stops:  5.0
Type of accommodation: Castle Guest House
Cost of bed & breakfast: pounds. 25.0

Please go to Flickr.com (traveller6666) to view pics of the walk.

Day # 54 Newbiggin to Amble on Sea, Northumberland.

     Pic:  Ever wonder where those stories about Nessie the Loch Ness monster came from?...Saw her myself in a small lake just outside Newbiggin   

      7.10 am checked out of the least pleasant B & B encountered so far, the Tall Ship Pub, reeking of the owner’s foul cigarette smoke. Recently purchased by this couple, the business, as operated on the current basis, has absolute zero chance of success.

       A beautiful clear day without a cloud in sight and as forecast by the BBC, likely to continue for another couple of days. Normally a rather desolate backwater very early on a Saturday morning, the only person encountered in Newbiggin to verify routing along country lanes, was the local bus driver commencing his route. Anxious to avoid possible heavier day-tripper traffic along the coast, I headed inland. My walking route on gently rolling hills, flowed through a string of small villages that have been left behind as the coal mining industry has become extinct. Miner’s welfare clubs and mining wagons filled with earth and planted with spring flowers dominate the spaces of the villages. Out in the middle of no-where, and just as well as the operation is noisy, a massive Alcan production facility, clearly providing much sought-after employment for local working men who no longer have the benefit of the mines or fishing, to support their families.

         Today for the first time note snow still on the distant Pennine Hills to the east.

        I arrived in Amble, a small fishing port with an attractive marina that is trying hard to transition into a tourist destination, at about 1.00pm. Not much competition for available rooms, as the tourists have not really arrived this far north just yet. Spent an interesting half hour chatting to the owner who for 10 years had sailed the Canadian Great Lakes, bringing British steel and taking away wheat.

        This Saturday at 4.15pm the streets emptied and the whole country was glued in front of TV sets to see the annual running of the Grand National horse race, from Aintree, a steeple chase over 30 jumps and 4.8 miles. Apparently over 200 million pounds was wagered and the winning jockey was successful at his 15^th attempt, coming in at 20-1.

        

I’m ‘Giving 110%’ to Trillium through my “4 Million Step Walk” because I can. Donate Now:  www.trilliumhealthcentrefoundation.org

22.0 kms. walked today per pedometer. Cumulative Kms. covered: 1326.6
Hours of walking today including rest stops: 5 3/4
Type of accommodation: Harbour Guest House.
Cost of bed & breakfast: pounds. 27.00,  no breakfast.

Please go to Flickr.com (traveller6666) to view pics of the walk.

Day #53 Whitley Bay to Newbiggin on Sea, Northumberland.

  Pic: Bedlington, destination of the world's first stamped letter.         

      After sampling my “full English” at 6.30—you don’t expect much, or get much, for 17 pounds in the world of B & B. I rolled out along the beer bottle strewn streets of Whitley Bay, turning east again out of the town, to re-join the coast for a few miles before navigational challenges re-asserted themselves. The Blythe River creates a natural barrier to northbound pedestrian traffic and a detour several miles inland as far as Bedlington was required to by-pass the problem and find a suitable bridge crossing point. Bedlington, famous  #1 for the breed of terrier dogs of the same name and #2 being the town where the first ‘penny black’ stamped mail was delivered in 1840.

         Weather has generally improved over the past couple of days with the forecast of dry conditions to continue through the weekend. Readers may consider that this writer is perhaps fixated by a couple of things—weather and accommodation. In this world of long –distance walking these are the two things that dominate the days events. The first he has little control over: continuous heavy rain makes life almost intolerable and certainly it is a temptation to grab a rest day, till the clouds blow over. The second concern is always finding accommodation. It is still too early and way too cold for the night on a park bench to be an appealing option. I arrived in Newbiggin on Sea and had conjured up in my mind images of a resort town waiting for the arrival of happy holiday-makers. In fact, Newbiggin, is a rather run-down fishing town in an era when all the fish have disappeared. With little to offer including tourist rooms, I was lucky to locate a run down room at a run down pub. Such was the management style of the land-lord, that I even had to negotiate an extra 2 pounds (that’s 16+ 2=18) rent, in order to have fresh sheets on the bed!

     

Trillium Health Centre has always been there for me and my family, I want to do my part and be there to support them. I’m giving 110% to Trillium, will you?  www.trilliumhealthcentrefoundation.org

29.2 kms. walked today per pedometer. Cumulative Kms. covered: 1304.6
Hours of walking today including rest stops: 8 1/2
Type of accommodation: Tall Ship Pub.
Cost of bed & breakfast: pounds. 18.50

Please go to Flickr.com (traveller6666) to view pics of the walk.

Day # 52 Seaham to Whitley Bay, Northumbria.

  Pic:  Ferry across the Tyne from South Shields to Newcastle.          

        Finally escaped at 6.50 am from my Seaham hotel where I discovered in early morning half light that all the exits were still barred and locked……(what would the inmates have done in event of a fire?)  into a dry, yet cold morning, to commence a day that went surprisingly well. I had been rather dreading threading my way through the map book maze of Sunderland, South Shields Newcastle and Tynemouth. In fact, I was able to simply hang a left (north) out of the hotel and follow the coastal road right along to my evening’s destination. A first time visitor to the region, I had been expecting to find strong evidence of a wrecked post-industrial landscape. Au contraire, there has been extensive infra-structure renewal, ultra modern shopping centres, housing, parks and cultural centres, museums etc. There is a general air of prosperity reflected in pleasant public spaces and attractive architecture along the dramatic coast-line of rocks, beaches and cliffs. Interestingly, Newcastle boasts the highest proportion of public service employment in the UK and to accommodate it all, the biggest office building in Europe with room for 10,000 civil servants.

           Two major rivers crossed today, the first by bridge over the River Wear, out of Sunderland into Roker and the second, riding the pedestrian ferry across the Tyne from South Shields, crossing time about 10 minutes, fare 1 pound.

           98% of today’s walk was achieved on segregated foot-paths which is relaxing and obviates the need to have constant “heads up”.

           Arrived in Whitley Bay just before 3.00 pm after having availed myself of a large size pub lunch en route. I was able to find accommodation quite easily from among the myriad small boarding houses favoured by out of town contractors.

 4 million steps in support of the all our young and old who rely on Trillium Health Centre. I’m giving 110% to Trillium, will you? Donate now www.trilliumhealthcentrefoundation.org

28.6 kms. walked today per pedometer. Cumulative Kms. covered: 1275.4
Hours of walking today including rest stops: 7 3/4
Type of accommodation:  Guest house.
Cost of bed & breakfast: pounds. 16.50

Please go to Flickr.com (traveller6666) to view pics of the walk.

Day # 51 Seaton Carew, North Riding, Yorkshire to Seaham, County Durham.

Pic: Home of football in Middlesborough.         

         7.00am emerged into a light rain and cloud almost to the ground over the sea and set off along the deserted sea front, to retrace my steps of last night back to Hartlepool. Navigated a series of secondary roads through out the day to avoid the heavy metal monsters pounding the main A17 route into Sunderland. My route climbed steadily out of the Tees river valley & the country-side again becoming rolling, with repetitively long hills to climb following each descent. I have found that descending hills can be almost as tiring as ascending, due to the fact that the legs hit the concrete with much greater impact.

        Although the north eastern region has the reputation of being one of the most economically blighted areas of the UK, I have been impressed by the fact that I have seen here more modern housing estates, and cutting edge shopping centres than in other area, through which I have passed so far.

         Stopped this morning by the eighth police car since I commenced wanting to check the possible status of a baby that I might be pushing in my stroller. Extremely polite, I think that these young officers are a credit to their police services in terms of their attentiveness to child welfare issues.

         Rather than pressing on into the large city of Sunderland, I settled to overnight in the quiet seaside town of Seaham. Judging by the prevalence of larger homes, it is clearly a bedroom community for management types employed in the heavy industry  concentrated just north of here and through which I must thread my way tomorrow.

4 million steps in support of over one million+ patients that rely on Trillium Health Centre. I’m giving 110% to Trillium, will you? Donate Now www.trilliumhealthcentrefoundation.org


 28.9 kms. walked today per pedometer. Cumulative Kms. covered: 1246.8
Hours of walking today including rest stops: 8.25
Type of accommodation: Tourist hotel.
Cost of bed & breakfast: pounds. 40.00

Please go to Flickr.com (traveller6666) to view pics of the walk.

Day #50 Guisborough to Seaton Carew.

Has Hartlepools Got Talent? Well has it??

           Having scouted last night the routes to approach on less travelled and more walker friendly B roads, the tangled network of express roads that is the Middlesborough region, I descended a long, very steep (20%) hill off the North Yorkshire Moors and into the valley of the River Tees heading west along the south bank towards the ‘Transporter’ Bridge, the most easterly of the three bridges in Middlesborough. A region of much heavy industry, chemicals, petroleum related, rig repair/build, storage tanks. I viewed at some distance, the part remains of an aircraft carrier in the process of being disassembled. Substantial investment is apparent in Middlesborough in new infrastructure to replace ‘sunset ‘ industries, colleges, new football stadium, river-front condo projects.

          My walking goal today was Hartlepool and this I achieved in bright cool windy dry weather at about 2.00pm. Appearing to be a town ‘down on it’s heels’ I was unable to locate any hotel/ B & B’s at all, and was told by helpful folk, that the only available rooms would be at the small resort of Seaton Carew, about 5 kms back in the direction from whence I had come. Never one to enjoy energy wasteful retracing, I secured an overnight at a rather shabby sea front guest-house. Cheap it was, but I never did actually succeed in getting the land-lord to actually switch on the heating. 

        Interestingly, I am entering the dialect world of ‘Geordie’ centred on the Newcastle area some miles to the north and have considerable difficulty understanding the locals and almost nothing of the cross talk when they speak together. Some impact of Scots words---a wee bain…a baby.

Trillium Health Centre has always been there for me and I am giving 110% to Trillium as they prepare to meet the tsunami of aging boomers with weak hearts and broken bones. Donate Now: www.trilliumhealthcentrefoundation.org

29.3 kms. walked today per pedometer. Cumulative Kms. covered: 1217.9

Hours of walking today including rest stops:  8.0
Type of accommodation: Guest house.
Cost of bed & breakfast: pounds. 20.00 excl. breakfast.

Please go to Flickr.com (traveller6666) to view pics of the walk.

Day #49 Whitby to Guisborough, Yorkshire.

Pic: A very early export Nissan! 1966?? How far they have come...           

Packed and ready to roll just before 7am into a quiet world of still sleeping (hung over?) tourists, heading north with a very strong, cold wind generally howling from behind or the left (west side) quarter. After less than 20 minutes the grey, low clouds released their threat of steady rain. Seemed to hit my face so hard that they felt like mini-hail stones. The views along this stretch of the coast are dramatic indeed, with the road rising and falling across massive headlands, that terminate at the sea-shore in high cliffs. The first major challenge of this day’s difficult walking was the massive steep (25%) hill rising from the tiny port village of Sandsend, rising eventually to the top of the next cliff top. At some points on the switch-backs, I felt that I was climbing stairs. The out-pouring of energy required to make the ascent effectively reduced my appetite/pleasure with the balance of today’s walk. The TV weather forecast of 11-13 celsius did not materialize during my walking day, seeming to feel through my soggy clothes to be nearer, to 5-6 degrees, less the wind chill factor on wet clothes. Due to the slow forward walking progress made today, along with the most unpleasant weather conditions, I turned away from my planned destination of Saltburn-on-Sea for the market town of Guisborough, positioning myself to pass through Middlesborough on tomorrow’s stage and across the River Tees into Hartlepool.

       Landed for my overnight at the Three Fiddle’s Pub, whose landlord gave casebook credence to the reason for the fact that 40 pubs EACH week are closing down in England---no heating till 5pm, no food till 6.30pm.

The future of healthcare is here!  I’m giving 110% to Trillium, will you? Please support me by donating to Trillium Health Centre. Donate Now www.trilliumhealthcentrefoundation.org

25.2 kms. walked today per pedometer. Cumulative Kms. covered: 1188.6
Hours of walking today including rest stops: 7.0
Type of accommodation: 3 Fiddles Pub.
Cost of bed & breakfast: pounds. 28.50

Please go to Flickr.com (traveller6666) to view pics of the walk.

Day #48 Scarborough to Whitby.

 Pic: Whitby Abbey.        

It's been 3 days since I have had internet Wi-fi at my B & B's and I am anxious to let my family know that all is well, so I beetle off at 8.00 am on an Easter Sunday morning to the local Scarborough McDonalds to partake of their coffee and sausage roll breakfast plus their "hot-spot". My stage today from Scarborough is perhaps my most daunting so far, not so much in terms of absolute stage distance, but the fact that 90% of the walk is across the North Yorkshire moors with absolutely zero accessibility to the support services that could be available in villages, if required. It was with pleasure and some relief then, that the dramatic view of Whitby and its harbour emerged as I cleared the Moors, huddled at the base of a high rocky cliffs. Immediately aware that all the cars that had passed me on the moor were also in Whitby and had immediate concerns for a room tonight. As luck would have it, I quickly landed a pleasant clean room with an internet connection. Appears that a large proportion of the masses, largely coming it seems from places like Leeds, Bradford, Manchester, were in fact only day trippers, and will be back to work again after tomorrow. Both Whitby and Scarborough have very dramatic situations along a coastline of high cliffs. The Victorians obviously appreciated the charms of these locales as their affluent built terraces of mansions and large homes, ideal for conversion into modern day tourist and retirement facilities. Asa long time viewer of 'Heart Beat' (TVO at 9.00 pm on Fridays) it was interesting to see Whitby Abbey, the scene of some of the most dramatic episodes.over the years.
   Headline tonight on the local TV news: Farmer 68, attacked and trampled to death by his cows! Shall have to be careful skirting those fields of apparently docile Yorkshire cows...just in case....!

26.3 kms. walked today per pedometer. Cumulative Kms. covered: 1163.4
Hours of walking today including rest stops:  6 3/4
Type of accommodation: Guest house.
Cost of bed & breakfast: pounds. 28.00 incl. breakfast.

Please go to Flickr.com (traveller6666) to view pics of the walk.

In 2008 Trillium had over 700,000 patient visits. Trillium’s doctors and nurses are ‘Giving 110%’ to patients….will you? Go to www.trilliumhealthcentrefoundation.org and donate now!

Day # 47 Bridlington to Scarborough, North Riding, Yorkshire

Scarborough Bay looking northwards.

Anxious to get a head start on the tourists and enjoy car free roads for a couple of hours, I left my 2 day refuge at the exceptionally comfortable ‘Coachman’ at 7.45am into a cold, grey overcast morning, threatening what it delivered in frequent short intervals during my walking day. The countryside has certainly changed the past several days, in so far that it is now rolling, never flat, with high forelands and cliffs along the coast. I have to re-find the leg pushing power that might have deteriorated as I crossed all that flat land further south. My route today reflected much musing as to the best minor roads to take. In total, they probably added several miles to the route, but were quieter and likely more scenic.

              Can report the British tourist appears to be ending his long winter hibernation and is taking to the highways with his caravans and campervans. Determined to enjoy a bracing (meaning –cold) walk on the sandy beach of Scarborough. Scarborough is dramatically situated at the base of high cliffs and is dominated by the ruins of a castle along the cliff top above the town. Tourists also mean competition for B & B rooms  and I was lucky to find a small establishment with out trouble opposite the railway station.

           Today, Easter Saturday is the day of the annual Oxford  and Cambridge University boat-race on the Thames in London. This is the 155^th edition and still appears to grip the country. The streets were visibly quieter at about 4.00pm as the race was televised.

Trillium Health Centre has always been there for me and my family, I want to do my part and be there to support them. I’m giving 110% to Trillium, will you?  www.trilliumhealthcentrefoundation.org

 34.9 kms. walked today per pedometer. Cumulative Kms. covered: 1137.1

Hours of walking today including rest stops: 8 1/2
Type of accommodation: B & B
Cost of bed & breakfast: pounds. 20.00, no breakfast.

Please go to Flickr.com (traveller6666) to view pics of the walk.

Day # 46 Hornsea to Bridlington, Yorks.

The Good, the bad and the ugly, and then the good again! I left my most comfortable Hornsea self-catering apartment over the variety store, at 7.00am sharp. And sharp it was-----a cold crisp, snappy type of morning to make me glad that I was equipped with winter hat, gloves and scarf plus a thermos full of hot coffee. Made good progress in sunny dry conditions on the north-bound B road in light traffic conditions. That’s the good part. Just about 5 kms short of Bridlington: crack, snap, grind. Broken axle.  My trusty buggy, that has accompanied me for 1100kms, finally expired. With a rather awkward tipping motion, I was able to struggle on two wheels into Bridlington, a medium sized tourist town with pleasant and affluent suburbs. Securing accommodation at the Coachman Inn as I entered the central area, was delighted to be given a room, en suite, in the totally re-furbished hotel section. \The bar section two floors below is actually quite shabby. The lady at reception was able to direct me to a second pram emporium, not more than 50 m. down the street, where very quickly and at a knock-down price, I was able to secure a replacement buggy. This one has solid rubber tires which removes the ever-present danger of punctures that I had with buggy #1. Delighted that my problems (apparently) resolved themselves so easily and all within a couple of hours. Yes, it could all have happened to me a couple of days ago, out on the moors in the pouring rain! The God of long distance walkers smiled down on me today! Due to the fact that tomorrow is Good Friday, and shops will be closed till Saturday, I played it on the safe side and gave myself a margin, securing my room for two nights, thus ‘forcing’ myself to enjoy another ‘rest day’ tomorrow and to enjoy the sounds sights and flavours of Bridlington.

4 million steps in support of the all our young and old who rely on Trillium Health Centre. I’m giving 110% to Trillium, will you? Donate now www.trilliumhealthcentrefoundation.org

 24.5 kms. walked today per pedometer. Cumulative Kms. covered: 1102.2

Hours of walking today including rest stops: 5 1/2
Type of accommodation: B & B at a pub.
Cost of bed & breakfast: pounds. 20.00 no breakfast.

Please go to Flickr.com (traveller6666) to view pics of the walk.

Day #44-45. Rest day in Hornsea.

Bridlington harbour.

         And on the 16^th day of slogging northward, the good Lord commanded a rest day. Who am I to argue? It was cold, (heavy snow today in Scotland) rained all day today, the rent at 17 pounds per night was affordable, and the digs were most comfortable with a self-catering kitchen included. Hornsea is an agreeable small town with a pleasant raised sea front looking down on a wide expanse of sandy beach. The slot machine arcades and hamburger palaces a la Skegness and Great Yarmouth have not yet arrived. A day to do some stocking up on critical basic food supplies, that I insist on carrying—sugar, milk, cookies, cup of yoghourt----just enough to carry me through a short emergency. Spent time doing some clothes washing, socks in particular. Someone made the comment that clean socks daily, help avoid annoying ailments like athletes foot. So far, no problems with the feet, blisters et al and hope to keep it that way. Alarm clock set for 5.45 am and an early start, rain or shine, to Bridlington. Did a Google Maps calculation of the distance remaining to Berwiick upon Tweed, at the Scottish border, my most northerly point, to learn that it is 175 miles from Hornsea. At my average of 16 miles (25 kms.) distance walked per day I should arrive there about the 11/12 April. Nice to operate against a fixed objective ----if you can’t measure it, you can’t manage it. Reminding myself of a management consultant I used to know!

4 million steps in support of over one million+ patients that rely on Trillium Health Centre. I’m giving 110% to Trillium, will you? Donate Now www.trilliumhealthcentrefoundation.org

Kms. walked today per pedometer. Cumulative Kms. covered:
Hours of walking today including rest stops:
Type of accommodation:
Cost of bed & breakfast: pounds.

Please go to Flickr.com (traveller6666) to view pics of the walk.

Day #43 Hull to Hornsea, Yorkshire (East Riding)

Humber bridge.
Stock photo---I lost my camera somewhere on the bridge! 

            After chasing the breakfast lady at the Vale Hotel into the kitchen at 7.30am to cook my ‘full English’, I emerged into a very chilly overcast day. Pre-warned by the TV weather people to expect a rainy, cold day…and guess what--- they were correct. From my overnight location in the central city area, I navigated all the twists and turns required to put me onto quieter roads heading to the north east so as to re-connect with the coast line. As the morning progressed and I gradually shook loose the suburbs of the Hull region, my route led me down lanes that were the most rural encountered so far on the walk. So narrow in fact, that I was forced to mount the banks on the road-side each time a vehicle, usually of the farm variety, passed. The countryside in southern Yorkshire is gradually becoming discernibly less flat and more gently rolling, certainly easier on the eyes, after the monotony of the Lincolnshire Fens. After a road-side lunch, of Mars bar, an apple and a chunk of cheese eaten sitting on a fence post in the pouring rain, with about 50 soggy sheep to chat with, I was still able to see the support towers of the Humber Bridge on the southern horizon that I had walked under more than 24 hours earlier.

            The routing to take me back to the coast committed me to a full days walking---no cop-outs permitted due to the uncomfortable cold rain, due quite simply to the fact that overnight accommodation is only available in the small coastal resort of Hornsea. Apparently, there is nearby a major gasification project associated with North Sea oil, and as a result, lodging is required in the area for 450 contractors. This is likely to make it difficult for the tourists who arrive here soon expecting somewhere to stay. I was lucky however and discovered a beautiful self-catering apartment above a convenience store. Looking for a room at the end of the day, especially after 37 kms in the rain, is no fun.

Help me every step of the way by supporting Trillium Health Centre. I’m giving 110% to Trillium, will you? Donate Now:  www.trilliumhealthcentrefoundation.org

37.4 kms. walked today per pedometer. Cumulative Kms. covered: 1077.7
Hours of walking today including rest stops: 7 1/2
Type of accommodation: B & B above a convenience store.
Cost of bed & breakfast: pounds. 17.00 each of 2 nights.

Please go to Flickr.com (traveller6666) to view pics of the walk.

Day # 42 Ulceby Lincs., to Hull Yorkshire.

           Into a dark cloudy morning, I emerged from the Gillingham Guest House  at 7.45am, rested and ready to tackle the simple task of walking to and crossing over, a VERY big bridge. Yes, the bridge's approaches through the 8 miles of country-side were well sign posted----for motorists. As a pedestrian, I was forbidden to access these approaches and had a real problem to discover the correct routing for the pedestrian way over the bridge. In steady rain, I eventually crossed northwards into Yorkshire and made my way eastwards in a heavily populated urban setting towards Hull city centre. The crossing of the 2.2 km bridge was indeed impressive, even more so, when it is noted that the entire structure, built in 1981 is supported  merely by two massive steel hawsers.
         Hull appears to be a city strung out along the  northern banks of the Humber, and I did not observe any typical city centre. I was grateful for my pre-trip research that identified certain accommodation possibilities, particularly helpful at the end of a walking day especially in pouring rain. In fact, the TV weather forecast for England calls for cold and rain for the next week. So walking types, suck it up and enjoy!
        To put the cap on a miserable, wet day, my old trusty Canon 3.2 pixel camera went AWOL somewhere in Hull this afternoon. At a loss how this could have happened, as I always loop the strap over the jogger push bar. Thankfully, all the trip pics except for todays action, have been backed-up onto my notepad computer.

26.7 kms. walked today per pedometer. Cumulative Kms. covered: 1040.3
Hours of walking today including rest stops: 6 1/4
Type of accommodation: Vale Hotel B & B.
Cost of bed & breakfast: pounds. 25.00 including breakfast.

Please go to Flickr.com (traveller6666) to view pics of the walk.

Trillium Health Centre has always been there for me and my family, I want to do my part and be there to support them. I’m giving 110% to Trillium, will you?  www.trilliumhealthcentrefoundation.org