London Southbank, Parliament, St James Park, Green Park, Hyde Park, Regents Park and Camden Town.
On the sunniest day of the year so far a red and orange swarm hits London, seen by landing Jumbo's from far off lands on their run in to Heathrow. What's that they say? It is the red of 1000miles4hope and the orange of the MS Society brightly lit by the most fabulous yellow sun and the whole of London glowing with the bright shiny smiling faces of our troop. After all the organising, talking, emailing, blogging and dot comming of the past few months I finally get to meet Sara (our fantastic press officer),
Tracy (our amazing web controller), Gullen (our wonderful MS Society link), Maria (our facebook and national radio station queen)and again meet Charlotte (web content and designer extraordinaire). It seems like thousands more join us with family and friends full of good cheer looking forward to a day walking and talking around the sights of London.
Jane and Rob talk Kilimanjaro after remembering the dodgy car he sold her when he left Cleveland. Never again says Jane to both Kilimanjaro and buying a car off Rob. The altitude effects are as bad as people say as it can take two hours to walk two miles near the top. Rob will be ok as Alex, Chris and Mario carry their dad to the top along those final few miles. Daniel and Hazel are in deep conversation. Later I find out Hazel has been spilling the beans on the young Karen at school. I have shared a Spanish class with Karen and said I could just imagine her in her classroom at school.
Teachers pet, swotty and everything neat and tidy. Seems this is exactly what it was like. Meanwhile Rob is leading the walk from the back. Like a wise shepherd he uses his mobile phone like an obedient sheep dog to redirect wanderers and carry the stragglers.
Anna and Alex, despite Sophia deprived sleep looking lovely and deeply in love and a wonderful advert for married life. RJ is being fuelled by biscuits and starting to get some idea of the 1000 miles his dad is going to walk. 
At St James Park we stop at the Inn for refreshments and we complete our 200th mile. We celebrate it in an unprepared, chaotic and understated manner to applause from the gathered crowd. We really must work out some sort of celebration for 500 miles and clearly need to do work in advance.We are on our way to see the Queen and hope to be invited in for tea. I tell Rob I have bought him a present that I will give to him on Wednesday on our next walk. He is excited. It cost £3.50 and he immediately says he knows it is a waterproof cover for his maps. No. Much better than that and I know he will love it. All will be revealed on Wednesday when we walk.
Sou tells me Robs legs are now so much thinner and strong from his walking. I ask her if she has noticed any difference in his tongue...she laughs her lovely laugh.Sarah my niece and I catch up on football. The four goals missed by Bendtner, the wondergoal by Theo and how well Rooney is playing. All set for a great finish to the season. She is amused when I tell her Rob is not that interested in football. He is a Liverpool fan!
For those of you missing the updates on Cheryl and Ashley Charlotte tells me about a banner across a bridge in London saying 'Cheryl give us a call - JT'. Catherine gives new insight with a view that Cheryl keeping her mum in the marital home could be part of the problem. Having seen the headline in 'NOW' magazine I am confident they will be back together before we finish Offa's in May.
Viv gives the advice we have been seeking for our longer country walks. When your boots are thoroughly wet inside and you get to your lodgings stuff them with newspaper, have suppper, replace the newspaper and in the morning you will have dry boots. Viv is going to join us on the Hadrian's Wall walk and looked very professional today as he took shot after shot of the swarm. 
A bizarre moment in Regents park watching two American football teams talk in seperate huddles for twenty minutes preparing their move. They set up with a hut hut here and a hut hut there. One team goes two paces forward, everything stops and it is time for another huddle to work out the next move. Strange.
At the end of Regents Park it is time for the group photo of all those left. At the back behind the tallest people I find Catherine doing all she can to be inconspicuous and nowhere in the picture. The opposite of me waving my arms everywhere saying here I am here I am.At Chalk Farm we all go our seperate ways.
For Alex, Anna, Dan, Chris, RJ, Mario, Maria and many others this is the longest walk they have ever done. Everyone is flushed with fresh air and the warmth of feeling from mingling with friends and new acquaintances on a sunny shiny day red and orange swarming round London. When is the next one we are asked and welcome ideas for a summer walk ahead. Thanks to everyone for coming....it was great.
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