Walk 25 -10.1 miles - Total 326.7 miles - To Go 673.3 miles

Pathfinder Guide Walk 28 Clophill, Gravenhurst and Wrest Park
















Committed to the cause Rob turns up with a croaky voice, sore throat and cough but still up for the walk. We are doing this walk to make sure that we cross 500 miles with Robin Franklin (Professor of Research in to Myelin Repair at Cambridge University) on our final day of Offa's Dyke. Another gloriously sunny day making everything that is bursting in to life on tree and stem look at its best and add to the great mood you feel on days like this.

We set off from Clophill and after a couple of immediate wrong turns picked up by Rob's now highly tuned antenna for heading the wrong way we find the Green Slade Ridge walk. It is immediately delightful following paths through orchards just beginning their blossoming. We meet Bob and Sarah who are doing the same walk but much faster. They caught us up from way behind and after chatting are quickly way ahead. They give us directions and tell us we can stop off and explore the Church ruin up ahead. I hasten to add we are slower than other walkers due to the creative process we need to work through for Rob's masterpiece photos he takes along the way.

St Mary's 'Old' Clophill Church on the brow of the hill raises many questions. It is now a ruin after being Clophill's Church from 1350 to 1849. The position of the church at the top of the hill gives it stunning views across the surrounding countryside. So why would you move it down the hill. Even if it is a ten minute walk for the residents surely the view is worth it. We think back to how Thomas Hardy walked several miles to get to his church in Dorset. We see a new community of graffiti artists have moved in. They are making use of this spot for what they do. There is also a rope and steps up to a room within the remains of the church. The steps are well worn. What goes on up there? We imagine the tensions that must exist between those who are using it for what they do and those who want to see it preserved as some historic site representing its previous use in some way. We hear later that barricades have been put up to keep the new users out but they were of little deterence. I feel that enquiring energy of childhood as I wonder what goes on here now. We descend the hill and see the new church which is a sort of copy of the old church and again wonder why move it down the hill?

As we move on Rob informs me that Mercury went retrograde on Sunday and will stay there for three weeks. How we got to this from asking why we couldn't call someone who had asked us to prepare some material for the press baffled me. I had no idea who Mercury was and what retrograde meant. Rob patiently explains it is terrible for Virgo's this event and that since Sunday he has lost his phone, his internet has started playing up, he can't send out any emails, his golf swing has deserted him and he has a sore throat. All evidence that Mercury's retrogression should never be understeimated! Now I understand.


We sit resting against some hay bales in warm sunshing looking over an English countryside scene to take our lunch. Tasty Haloumi Lounza sandwiches made by Sou....wonderful. As we head down to Wrest Park I notice a sign for Global Robots on a barn just before we get to the Versaille inspired stately home. As we stop and Rob takes his photos we meet Alex and ask him about the Robots. Alex tells us he was qualifying as an apprentice electrician and needed somewhere to finish off his apprenticeship and joined Global Robots two years ago. He is now qualified and the manager here and still only twenty. The robots are those machines you see painting cars and putting them together to music on ads on tv. These are all retired Robots. Most at least ten years old and replaced by newer models. They come here and are refurbished. Andy the owner tells us they can last forever and he goes all over the world to buy up robots out to retirement knowing they have many more years of use ahead of them.
Alex tells us they can do anything. We wonder but then he tells us they can stack pallets, load potatoes on to pallets and this raised a smile......they can milk cows. We look sceptical but he assures us they have been successfully used to do this. One is also being used in a Dinosaur on Leash exhibition in London where the Dinosaur head moves forward towards visitors and opens its mouth at them. Astonishing to come across this next to a stately home in the middle of English countryside. We wish you well with your business Andy and great to meet you and Alex.

We finish back in Clophill where we meet Jill who filled us in more on St Mary's Church. Another wonderful day and next up is Offa's Dyke. We both fear it but will do it and are sure we will learn a lot about ourselves as we take it on.

AXA Framlington 1000miles4hope Charity Golf Day

Hankley Common Golf Course - Farnham

Today Rob and I walked about 11 miles playing golf. We did not add a single mile to our cause. Although there are other forms of 'fun' we are experiencing in our real 1000 miles this felt much too much like real fun for it to be part of our campaign. What a fantastic day though. It seemed easy getting up at 5.30 for this one and driving 75 miles round the M25 to get there for the start. This is a charity day organised by AXA Framlington who are kindly donating the profits from today's event to our charity. Gary Duudman at AXA Framlington has been arranging a charity day at Hankley Common for 10 years now. It is always well supported by people in the City and Gary does a great job raising a lot of money for worthy causes over the years. We are immensely grateful to Gary and AXA Framlington and very appreciative of their contribution to our campaign for hope for people with MS.

The weather was amazing. Sunny but with one of those breezes that just makes you feel perfect. Rob and I would normally be playing golf at least once a week through the summer but 1000 miles has taken all our days and we have only played a couple of times this year as a result. The golf course is fantastic. Opened in 1897 it was then remodelled by James Braid in 1922. He designed Sunningdale and there are many similarities. Tree lined with the fairways shaped by heather and gorse. Pleasing to the eye from the tee and when you are on the fairway and immensely frustrating when your ball is in the middle of it. The advice learnt so many times is when in the heather play simply out to the fairway and get on with the hole. Anything more ambitious invariably puts you in deeper trouble. Probably similar advice applies in life.

We had hoped a friend Paul Tasker could join us. He had gone to great lengths to free up a day of his busy work schedule at Fujitsu to be with us. He had not foreseen that his vacation to Australia and Singapore would be extended by two weeks with his inability to return. Instead of returning April 20th the earliest he can get back now is May 4th as the ash keeps him in the queue of returning passengers. Instead we had Andrew Spier replace him. Andrew is Rick's son and at University in Nottingham. It was a great four ball. For some reason when there was confusion over what a ball 'leaking to the left' meant to Rick Rob took this as a signal that Rick was a great arbitor of understanding English statements. Somehow Rob saw Rick as the arbitor of what it could mean when you tell someone you are 'on the other side of the bridge'. Readers who have stuck with us will have remembered the difficulty Rob had understanding this statement when we were meeting up at Elstree Station. Finding someone else who has difficulty with a clear statement like 'it leaks to the left' gave Rob a soulmate to be able to share the agonies of confusion with.



12 holes of golf in the morning and 18 in the afternoon, a wholesome lunch and traditional English dinner was enjoyed by over 80 people. Prizes given and Rob's thankyou speech well received by the audience. Fantastic support AXA Framlington ....thank you very much from all of us to you and all your guests.

Long drive home, failed to answer intelligently any of the three questions Karen asked me on return and fell asleep. Wonderful day.

Walk 24 -16.6 miles - Total 316.6 miles - To Go 683.4 miles

Pirton, Wellbury, Hexton, Barton-le-Clay, Higham Gobium, Shillington and Pirton







After a weekend with Leo our grandson and Rob with mum and sis we are ready to walk again. This time a local track around where I live. It is a stunning place and why I love living here. Rob captures a new shot of the church opposite my house. My house is name Church View for this view. We head off up to Tingley Wood where we take a slight detour to see if the bluebells are in full bloom yet. Not quite. About a third showing but the rest maybe a week a way from the full carpet of blue which impresses each year. We suffer an early delay as I suddenly feel my back and trousers becoming wet. The clever light plastic sac I carry my water in has sprung a leak. The smallest of leaks but as with dyke's in Amsterdam all water needs is a small crack and off it flows. I empty out my drink which will cost us dearly later but is a lightening of the load for now.

As we near Wellbury the countryside is stunning. Lots of blossom on the trees and with leaves now bursting out on branches and the sun shining the world looks great and it is good to be alive. Rob is impressed by the fine figure of Ted a white horse being lead off to training. Rob marvels at how women are so comfortable controlling these powerful beasts. We begin to understand why men are so easily held within their spell and control.

As we approach Mortlake Farm we see a Google Mapcar coming towards us. Even empty quiet country lanes now being captured by the google eye.
With Barton-le-Clay close by there must be lots of clay around and we come upon a field that has dried out and shows off its lines against a clay white furrow. We head off in to Hexton and decide to stop off at the Raven for a pint of orange juice and lemonade. So two pints and two packets of crisps. How much do you reckon? We would not have stopped if my liquid sac had not leaked. So it is my fault. Well for our two drinks and two packets of crisps it was £8.40. Shocking and we vow no more pubs for extortionate none alcoholic drinks. We later stop at a shop for a pint of milk and a pint of water for £1.50.
We talk football. Both of us now interested in next season rather than this. Or I suppose Rob would still say he is 'excited' about the Europa Cup....but I wonder. Later we bump in to my neighbour Pete who said he heard me being upset during the Arsenal game. Apparently I just said 'bloody' very loudly in my cursing but I was very annoyed and very upset. I obviously cheered too much at last week's Manchester United defeat and am being paid back. We talk poetry and Rob lets me in on an ode he is working on to some lonesome Cypriot sheep - a mouflon, apparently. Like all budding poets he is working through rough lines and reshaping them to seek balance, harmony and the appropriate imagery for this heroic beast. Not quite ready yet but order your advance copy as not since Wordsworth have such lines been crafted. It occurs to me that Rob is kind of the 'Nick Clegg' of poetry. He says a week ago this would have been a huge insult but he now takes it as a huge compliment.
Today's walk was a random ramble lead by me round my local territory. At one stage we did need to make some choices and had to rely on the map. Rob settles down comfortably now with map in hand, decisions to make, directions to give and more certainty about our destination...he is happy.


We pass through Higham Gobium which I only mention cos it is such a cute name. It is named after the Gobium family who lived in these parts after the Norman invasion of 1066. We now enter Shillington where rumour has it the name was originally Shitlington until the residents renamed it. We wonder if this is true. We bump in to Ida Winyard who does fantastic work raising hospice funds through charity choir singing. Rob asks her if she has lived in Shillington long to which she says she has just moved in. 21 years ago! She introduces us to Keith out walking his scotties who settle down for a rest as we chat. They recommend we take in the views from the church at the top of the hill and wander round the church. A lovely recommendation.


As we descend the hill we are amazed to see a car Al Capone and his heavies might have been seen around. Rob is thinking about how we could take this around the country with our machine guns ready politely asking for donations to the charity. Offering protection to those who support us. OK...you're right...nobody is going to be scared of us. Rob also captures more social history with his shot of the village shop where we got our milk and water.

As we walk between Shillington and Pirton we see a postmodern scarecrow. The height of kite technology representing a falcon or kestrel it looks really impressive scaring the birds from the middle of its field. I ask Rob to stretch his creative talents to their limits to capture this postmodern image in ways that convey the contrast to the stuffed old scarecrows of the past or a plastic bag on a pole.



Finishing in Pirton we are captivated by the colours of a cottage garden. All colours now pleasing the eye and giving off scents our noses want to dwell on.

Walk 23 -10.1 miles - Total 300.0 miles - To Go 700.0 miles

Pathfinder Walk 24 - Cranborne Allen Valley Cranborne.














Maybe we can actually do this 1000 mile gig. We keep worrying about the future and we know there are hard times ahead but today we completed 300 miles. Yeeeeaaaaahhhhh....fantastic...we done 300 miles. Only 700 miles to go. Mario was impressed with this soundbite as I had a cup of tea with Rob as I dropped him off at home. 'Only 700 miles to go'. Since 3pm Thursday last week and 2.30 pm today in under 5 days we have walked 75 miles. We are impressed as we know with Rob's back last week we were concerned we would not do many miles. A few months ago the minimum for this weekend was 60 miles and a maximum of 80 so 75 is great.
The walk today is described as wide vistas and a lonely walk. It certainly was the latter. The scenery is lovely and very similar to the walks around my house in Hertfordshire. The only difference being there is nothing like Luton nearby. This countryside feels really remote. We do not meet another soul until we run in to the Dales from Olderholt at the end. We are glad we do so they can capture our 300 th mile. As I think back on it there was no arm waving or cheering and I think we are actually quite tired after 75 miles in five days. Jerry Edwards is with the Dales and it is his 76th birthday today. He insists on giving us some of his birthday money as a contribution to the cause as do the Dales and we are really grateful. It is going to a very important cause. Jerry is planning on living to 100 and getting his telegram from the Queen and seeing the way he was walking today and the loving family around him we are sure he will.

The walk is lovely. We revise again Roman Key Card and demonstrate my memory needs to be better. But I am getting there. We then work more on Rob's Citywire article. I encourage Rob to develop a case for Government Bonds rising after the election and doing so in a scenario he believes in. This is really difficult. If you ask someone to develop the opposite argument to the one they believe in and believe in it they usually do so in a way that just reinforces the beliefs they had in the first place. We probably spend four miles on this and get to a scenario Rob thinks is plausible and workable. So as well as selling Government Bonds there will now be advice on hedging via commodities. Don't worry about the technical jargon used here as the bottom line is the country's finances are still in a mess. Read the longer article in Citywire next week.


We stop by the River Crane to take a break. This and later the River Allen are classic fly fishing rivers. We have never fly fished but this is how you imagine it. Perfecly idyllic spots. As we wander on we come upon an egg on the footpath towards Monkton up Wimborne. We wonder at length how it got there unbroken and waiting to be photographed. What egg is it and how long has it been there? Rob's creativity is working over time and here is the maestro's shot of the moment. Looks about the size of a pigeon's egg. Let us know if you know which bird it comes from.


We now cross the River Allen and see great reed patterns in the water and a swan sitting on its nest. We keep searching for a spot for lunch and have to keep going as most places are in the wind with a chill to it for lunch. Eventually we come to a spot by the river Allen at Winborne St Giles. This is our best lunch spot yet. Even better than Kim's sandwich for those regular readers who remember that moment. We are back at University having a couple of hours off after our lectures eating our sandwiches with the sun shining down on us in a perfectly still spot by the river. As our lunch settles it is time for a meditation with the gurgle of the water behind us and only the sound of birds disturbing the peace. Spoilt a little as Rob within a five minute meditation drifts off to sleep and scares away the birds with his rat a tat tat snore. Wonderful. Bliss.






Back in Cranborne which is the most pretty little village. The Fosse restaurant sets out how many miles away most of the ingredients for its menu come from and most are very close. Rob captures some more social history with a shot of the quaint village post office - we wander how long it will survive?





Finally I will close with two observations and a request for advice. The first observation is that Rob did his back in playing golf and then made it worse by continuing to play further rounds of golf with the Greek golf society in Spain. My second observation is that next week Rob is planning to play 48 holes of golf in 48 hours. One is a charity event to help raise money for 1000miles4hope. The next day is the Greek golf society day out. The advice I seek is whether you think this is a good idea as the following week we plan to walk 170 miles in 14 days in Wales along Offa's Dyke.

Walk 22 -15.5 miles - Total 289.9 miles - To Go 710.1 miles

Boscombe Pier to Poole and Turlin Moor.




Ouch, ouch, ouch and ouch as I walk across the carpet. Our feet are tender after our 15 miles today. The accumulated effect of 65 miles in four and a half days and 13 of our miles today on roads are beginning to tell. The good news is we do feel remarkably good in the mornings after our exertions of the day before. Also Rob's back is benefitting from the walking and is now feeling great.

This morning is sunny again with a crisp breeze. The beaches are empty after the weekend as we start out. We revise Roman Key Card and agree to use it in a match we are playing this evening. We work on Rob's next article for Citywire where he has a reqular column. I play the role of the man in the street to which Rob will apply the analysis of 'one of Britains leading economic commentators' as Citywire call him. This is a myth I say...you are just my mate Rob. The question is how does the man in the street relate to the ideas of tax and spend being put over by the parties wanting your vote. I give my views which go in to the great brain of the 'foremost leading economic commentator in Britain' and out comes an article that will be published next week. There are a few edges to round off to make sure the article is not politically biased and gives advice to investors. The long and the short of it is it seems the country's finances are in a mess and whoever comes in Government Bonds are going to get hit so sell em before the election if you have some in your portfolio. For the longer description read Rob in Citywire next week.


This takes up the first four miles and we stop at the Jazz Cafe for a coffee and where we can catch up on the Sunday newspapers. There is something fun reading interviews about events yet to happen after they have happened. So the big story in the Sunday Times of Peter Crouch having no sympathy for Portsmouth and looking forward to an FA Cup Final against Chelsea is fun to read after you know Portsmouth beat Spurs 2-0. Rob finds more material for his article in the Mail on Sunday....yes I know...I have told him to raise his standards but he enjoys it. He actually mentioned his regret that in this part of the world with your posh Redknapp residences (did I mention Spurs lost to Portsmouth yesterday?) people do not leave copies of The Sun lying around for us to keep up on Cheryl and Ashley. Rob still believes in Cheryl and the seperation. I still think they will be back together again. We shall see.

As we walk along the front towards Poole Rob draws my attention to a great missed photo opportunity and the possibility of more readers for our cause. As we pass a couple and have walked on about 30 yards Rob says with a big knowing grin on his face 'who was that then Len?'. I have no idea so I say 'no idea'. 'That was none other than Tony Pullis, manager of Stoke City'. Again with the big knowing grin. By now Tony is a hundred yards away, gone from our blog and our great opportunity to talk to a Premiership Manager and get insight on who is going to win the league. After giving Rob an earful about grabbing opportunities when they arise we then continued our conversation trying to work out who Tony played for and what was he doing down here on a Monday. Answers on a postcard......but did he play for Southampton and does he have a house down here?


We continue on around Parkstone Bay and meet Lynne from Christchurch down for the day taking her grandson Jackson out for a walk. She guides us in to Poole. Lynne works as a carer in the New Forest and has looked after a number of people with MS and knows the horrors of the disease. She wishes us well with our campaign and hopes we are successful raising the funds we are targetting.



As we walk on we stop and watch crows searching for clams in the seaweed and when they find one they fly to a great height and drop the clam on to the path to break the shell and get the flesh inside. Fascinating.


We approach Poole Quay and find a wonderful sun trap that invites us for the afternoon. We stop for about twenty minutes talking to people fishing for crabs and I am jotting notes for a poem. Rob gets going and offers his first two lines for our readership.....
Children clambering over rocks and sand
Filling buckets with mussels and clams




.........Rob also is beside himself with excitement as we wander round Poole. We come upon The Royal Oak and Gas Tavern with a For Sale sign up on it and closed. This brings memories of London Loop flooding back of closed pubs, for sale pubs and a great opportunity for Rob to continue his social history in photographs of 'THE END OF THE ENGLISH PUB'.


We lunch in Poole at the Poole Arms. As it is a monday the nice restaurants are shut. Having got used to having Sea Bass, Dressed Crab, Fresh Anchovies and Mussels/Prawn Marinara at less than £5 a plate we balk at £15 a plate for very average English pub food. Maybe there is a reason they are going out of business.
After lunch we view the Sunseeker stockpile. Millions of pounds worth of boats piling up in the recession. A great success story for Poole and hopefully once the election is out the way and our superhero politicians have secured the recovery this pile of Sunseekers will be on their way to the sun.




Our last five miles is around Turlin Moor. It is five miles of walk offered up by the Poole tourist board which has two stunning views in a couple of 100 yard sections and the rest is like the worst parts of the London Loop.


We go by bus back to Boscombe which is when we notice how tender our feet are and groans of pain annoy passengers on the bus. There is one understanding passenger Poppy who is interested to know what we are doing and again gives us tremendous encouragement. Poppy is 78 and still walking seven or eight miles every day. She has some great tips on reviving your feet after a tiring walk. I am going to collect these tips and after we complete our 1000 miles I will publish the secrets of foot recovery in a very expensive book.
We got back just in time for our bridge game. 18 hands and not a single opportunity to try out Roman Key Card and we got thrashed by players much better than us and some signs of tiredness on our part. Hopefully tomorrow we cross 300 miles!

Walk 21 -14.0 miles - Total 274.4 miles - To Go 725.6 miles

Haven Point, Studland, Old Harry Rocks, Swanage. Haven Point to Sandbanks.







Passing Sandbanks where Harry Redknap and the rich folk live we start at Haven Point where we take the ferry across the short channel seperating Poole Harbour from the sea. We get our directions from Darren a local from Poole who is cycling up to Old Harry and then along Purbeck Ridge to Corfe Castle. We walk through Studland and up to Old Harry Rocks. Old Harry was Pirate Harry Pay whose missus was with him till she fell in to the sea in 1986. It is an idyllic spot except for my discomfort with heights. My legs feel like jelly seeing Rob sit right by the edge with a sheer drop below him. We take a rest here and it is blissful. First time able to lie on the grass, meditate a while and soak up the sun. Gave Rob his first five minute meditation session.
I warned him that sleep is the biggest enemy of meditation even in this short time with the collective tiredness from walking he is tempted to drift off. As we rest here Rob gets a text from Tracy (one of our web queens in the team) who is at the Fish Store we were at yesterday. Tracy was down for a wedding yesterday and went in search of our Fish Store after yesterdays blog and saw our leaflet proudly displayed in the window. We wave to her from Old Harry.

The walk between Old Harry and Swanage along the headland is stunning. My legs are like jelly and my heart races as some of the drops from the footpath are scary. I walk faster to get it over with quickly. We meet Jeff and Carol from South Oxfordshire who ask us about local bus routes between Swanage and Haven Point and we actually know the answer. They are impressed with our 1000 mile quest and we learn that the Icknield Way we will complete our 1000th mile runs along one side of Jeff's farm.












We eat our home made ham and cheese sandwich in Swanage which was fine but a bit of acome down from our dozen oysters of yesterday. We meet Annie and Lyn from Haslemere along the front in Swanage. Annie had a friend with MS who died recently and saw the cruelty of the disease.


We spend at least five miles of our walking today learning Roman Key Card for slam bidding in bridge. We also explore the question 'what advice would you now give to your younger self' which has been wandering round one of my linked in networks. The latter parts of our walking are taken up waiting for texts on Blackburn v United and Liverpool v Fulham. Rob captures my delight when I hear United have dropped two points by drawing with Blackburn. Arsenal are still in with a chance of the league. Rob's mood dives as the final result of 0-0 for Liverpool comes through.


We finish our walk around Sandbanks looking at some of the £5m houses and appartments. They look a bit pricey to us with such busy roads in front of them. Another day full of sunshine, great thoughts and enjoyable conversations and we have now walked 50 miles in four days. A cup of tea and looking out from Steve's appartment on the surfers below by Boscombe Pier. Fantastic.