Walk 68 - 23.5 miles - Total 980.8 miles - To Go 19.2 miles

Ware, Stanstead Abbotts, Young Wood, Hall Ford, Cold Christmas, Aldeck Spring, Barwick Ford, Rush Green, Baker's End and Wareside.






We agree to meet at the church in Ware at 7.30 this morning. A bit worrying as I go past three churches on the way in to Ware. I carry on until I find the one nearest the centre of town and there is Rob just pulling up. We are so connected now after almost 1000 miles we have a sense of where we need to be. As we set off we start with a theme for the day which was all about reality. Rob is doom and gloom and promising me a 'tough, hard, strenuous, difficult, painful day' as we follow the 21 mile walk of yesterday with a 23 mile walk today. I am happy it is not raining, it is pleasantly mild, I am looking forward to the walk, expecting to enjoy the experience and take every moment as it comes. Actually both of us are content and in our different ways grab a reality that works for us. Rob will be elated cos the walk will no way be as bad as he predicts and I will be happy cos it is another string of moments to enjoy in the conveyor belt of time.

We start by the River Lea as the light is not yet fully on us. It is a lovely walk with many houseboats with smoke coming out of them suggesting a new day beginning on the river and bringing warmth and breakfast. We stop after just a couple of miles for a mug of tea at the Village Pantry Cafe. The day really starts with the second cup of tea and when you get a perfect mug like here we enjoy it all the more. There is a lovely atmosphere in the Cafe and we are really grateful for the generous donations we are given as we leave.






We then head off in to Hertfordshire countryside and will not see a place for a drink or any refreshment for another sixteen miles. It is rolling countryside with generally well marked footpaths and plenty of autumn scenes. I am searching for another story for my book on Gestalt and Rob sets to the task. Lots of conversation about what makes a good 'Sixth Sense' moment and then Rob is in to creative mode. The story he tells is risque involving a birthday, a boss, his wife and family, and his secretary. It took me a while to get it but as I thought about it I found its subtleties sank in and I saw the true extent of Rob's capabilities!

As we cross Hall Ford Rob tries out his walk on water trick and succeeds at the third attempt. Later, at a ford, he is taking photos of some local children sitting by the Ford shout 'take a photo of us' and Rob says he will so they are on their bikes and charging through the Ford.


As we pass through some of the woods we are curious about blue containers with a small tube at the bottom with corn in it. We keep trying to work out what they are. Only when we ask a local do we find out they are partridge and grouse feeders. Never would have worked that out.

We have a fun conversation about 'equally true realities' and a debate whether one reality can be as equally true as another. I think we agreed they can but it is possible there is an equally true reality that we did not agree they can. It was fun anyway.

It stayed dry and pleasant all day and I realise how lucky we are as this evening it is now raining heavily as I write this blog. Less than 20 miles to go. How will we feel at the end of what has been the most amazing journey for both of us.

Walk 67 - 21.1 miles - Total 957.3 miles - To Go 42.7 miles

Essendon, Camfield Place (Barbara Cartland's place), Hornbeam Lane and Cucumber Lane (included cos such great sounding Lanes!), Northaw Great Wood, Newgate Street, Ponsbourne Park, Broxbourne Woods, Cowheath Wood, Danemead Wood, Wormley Wood and Little Birkhamstead.



Driving to the start at Essendon in the dark for a 7.30 start brings back memories of London Loop. We set out and I tell Rob to stop while I take a look at him. I tell him I have not seen him like this for so long. Probably not since the first few miles of walking. What, what, what he says. When I see the look on his face when he realises I think maybe I shouldn't have pointed it out.You have no stick today I say. Oh no. The stress, the anguish as he wonders if he can go on. He can't believe he has forgotten it. He coped though and later in the walk picked up a stick with character and attitude along the walk and was comfortable again.

It is a walk of woods, about a dozen of them today, and mushrooms. The woods are stunning in their autumn colours and make me think of Fontainbleu and time at INSEAD and Rob think about the Fall in America. We walk and talk and enter Barbara Cartlands Estate at Camfield Place. We meet Les who is the gamekeeper for the estate and his fantastic Black Labs out walking with him. They are called Jess, Bo, True, Phee and Kip and are all from different litters of mum. They enthusiastically surround us and then are obediently by their masters side.

We talk about some stories I am putting together for a book I am writing. They tell stories about some Gestalt idea and then there is a discussion of what is going on in the story in none technical language. Rob has been a great sounding board along the way and takes out his editorial pen to suggest a Sixth Sense moment here or a Shutter Island moment there. A lot of fun through out thousand miles crafting these ideas.

We stop at Ponsbourne Park Hotel and seek out a cup of tea. Their hospitality is great as they welcome us in to use their tea and coffee station and give us complentary tea. After an early start and missing the second cup of tea early morning this one really gets the day going.


We then transport ourselves to the 70's. I am reading Martin Amis' 'The Pregnant Widow' at the moment and thoroughly enjoying it. He is in his mid 50's now like us and experienced the 70's at the same time we did. The book bounces between now and then. I paint a picture of three of the characters in the first part of the book and pose the question what would Rob have done in such situations in the 70's. Our discussion is just for us but what fun and what a time we lived through and are living through now is all I will say.

Rob continues to seek out the perfect mushroom shot. I suggest all that is missing is the bacon and eggs to sit beside them. Or perhaps the pig we meet later and a chicken.
A pig, a chicken and a mushroom representing a big part of the Great British Breakfast. Rob is now with his 'natural' stick and seems much happier.


Only two more walks to do if we keep this pace. Less than 50 miles to do. Amazing.

Walk 66 - 22.8 miles - Total 936.2 miles - To Go 63.8 miles

Holwell, Stondon, Meppershall, Shefford, Chicksands, Appley Corner, Clophill, Lower and Upper Gravenhurst, Shillington and Pirton.















Yesterday morning Rob was sitting by his pool in Cyprus in 28 degree heat wearing a string vest. Are you conjuring up the image. Very appropriate for Halloween week and scary thoughts! This morning he woke at 3am still on Cyprus time, started working on some audit reports for meetings this week. Then he set off to meet at the start of our walk in his car in which the heating was bust. When we meet he is shivering. We start and Rob is soon complaining about the frost on the ground. From string vest and 28 degrees to four layers and freezing in less than 18 hours.

It is a gloriously sunny day and it is pretty walking. Wandering through quiet autumnal Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire villages we continue our conversation on football, who will go first Hodgson or Mancini? Rob is troubled between a wish to see Liverpool lose a few more games so Hodgson can be dismissed and the desire for his team to start the long road back to being European champions. I say Arsenal will win the league and am told my heart is ruling my head. We have a great long debate over about five miles about socialism and capitalism and what is going on in the economy at the moment. Rob reassures me it is going to be all right and the market will take care of us if we take care of our debt. No walk is complete without some discusion on recent bridge hands and where we can improve.


The views continue to impress. Just after Meppershall we come upon a sign declaring 'there are dragons here' and we wait and wait but none show up. We stop at Appley Corner for lunch resting against a hedge and watching the world go by. What a lovely name Appley Corner is. As the day goes on the sun gets lower and the autumn colours get richer and deeper.Photographer
Rob is on the hunt for the picture to capture the moment and I see him stooping low to capture fallen leaves, racing after tractors with seagulls in tow and then cursing the sun for being in the wrong place.


Then as we near the end of our walk the sun sets with a stunning show to cap off a great days walking.

It was tough today as my back was teeth gritting painful for the last five miles. Probably from lifting Leo too much yesterday when we were together. Just three more days walking to do! Amazing.

Walk 65 - 24.4 miles - Total 913.4 miles - To Go 86.6 miles

Icknield Way - Pirton, Ickleford, Letworth, Baldock, Clothall, Wallington, Sandon, Therfield and Royston.








Yesterday I made the mistake of looking at the weather forecast and believing we were looking forward to 'heavy rain'. Full waterproof's at the start and the gloomy prospect of a wet walk ahead. The reality was it was a beautiful walking day which got gradually warmer and ended with a lovely sunny afternoon. Today we crossed the 900 mile mark close to George Orwell's cottage in Wallington. Only one ninth of our total left with 100 miles to go at this point. A long way from standing at the top of Highgate Hill after our first 10 miles and saying 99 more of these to go! We also reflect on how 1984 seemed so far in the future when we were reading George Orwell and was the present and is now so far in the past. We both reflect on the pleasures of reading Orwell in our teens and loving the books. As we walk the farms we look out for Boxer and Napolean and all the other memorable characters from Animal Farm.


The start of the walk is taken up with catching up on not having seen each other for a couple of weeks. Rob off in America with Mario checking out possible Ivy league options had a great week. As we approach Letchworth we meet Polly walking her dogs Bella and Basil and a rescue dog from thelittledogrescue called Fitzgerald. Look how far Rob has come along in his relationship with dogs as he gets down to be with them. We are still some way from Rob stroking them or giving them encouragement to come nearer but at least he has stopped freezing with fear every time he sees one. It was lovely meeting you Polly and thanks for your donation.

We walk past the rubbish tip in Letchworth and say this is a bit of a come down after the Lakes and the Moors of Coast to Coast. We pass miles talking about the race to get a weaker currency, worries about inflation and what will happen next with the world economy. I sum this up as it could get worse and people are worried about it to it might be ok if everyone holds their nerve. When we read this in 20 years time we will know which school was right and of course hope it is the latter.

After Baldock we hit the countryside and do not see a watering hole of any kind (cafe, shop, pub, nothing) until we get to Therfield. When we get there we find a pub but it is shut! The countryside is lovely with a flat charm. Grand vistas with small undulations. This is riding company with many gallops used by racing trainers. Len says hello to one of the local horses.

At Thurfield the Fox and Duck is closed and we are parched. All our water gone and we have just discovered that the planned 20 mile walk is going to be over 24. The psychology of this is quite significant. When you think you have 2 miles to go and discover it is 5.5 it is quite daunting. In fact it turned out to be another 7 miles. Fortunately we saw Richard Genochio out in his garden and asked him for water which he kindly obliged. After hearing what we were doing he donated to our cause (thankyou Richard) and wished us well. It turns out he also knows Madelaine and Peter who are very good friends of Karen and me. Madelaine and Peter used to live in the lovely village of Therfield and now live in France running a lovely B and B.



We make it to Royston and are exhausted. It took us eight hours to get there and then 17 minutes on the train back to Hitchin. On the same train we come in on Daniel my youngest son is catching the same train down to Finsbury Park to head of to Heathrow and Buenos Aires for a year of travel in South America. I run along and give him a quick hug and say see you South America next year. Gosh we are going to miss him but hope he has the adventure he is looking for.



24.5 miles is our longest walk and once again tests our limits. We marvel at what our bodies now appear capable of and after a relaxing soak are ready for more. Wow....less than 90 miles to go.