Walk 6 - 14.9 miles - Total 88.9 miles - To Go 911.1miles

London Loop Sections : Half of Section 11 starting at West Drayton railway station finishing at Uxbridge: Section 12 Uxbridge to Harefield West: Section 13 Harefield West to Moor Park.

Awakened at 5.45am by sound of clinking milk bottles. Apparently you can order milk to your door online now. Wonder what my dad would have thought of that idea when he was a milkman delivering to people in Nottingham on a horse and cart 55 years ago? I imagine it would have been beyond science fiction then. Get up and look out to yet more snow, ungritted roads and freezing temperatures. Loads of thoughts to give it a miss and avoid the roads and conditions but the strongest drive is to get together with Rob (Rob wouldn't wimp out) and do some more miles and conversations and meet people and clock up miles for the cause. MS is a big item on the news this morning with a possible explanation of the disease related to the size of an artery in the neck. I know this is old news that Karen has considered at least six months ago and is based on a very small sample. Lots more work to do and not a cure and I hope people don't go away thinking that problems now fixed. It is not.

A perfect days walking today. The first ten miles along the Grand Union Canal. A 200 year old piece of amazing engineering. Often we stopped to look at a river running below the canal or lakes around us well below the level of the canal. The small areas of our face exposed to the elements were bitterly cold but inside we felt warm with clear blue skies and lots of sun. Conversations ranged from what the EU, or Eurozone, or Greece should do about the Greek problem to the differences a person sees in a face and what is seen behind the viewed face. We solved both...but I can't remember the answers (Rob says Greece is a basket case and he should know being Greek).


We are now talking to people comfortably. We are walking along the canal and come across a barge occupant carrying out his daily task of chopping wood to keep his boat warm. Rob is overcome with excitement. A city boy who is astonished at seeing things like horses and fields can't contain himself when he sees someone working their own fuel. 'Can I take a photograph please he asks?'. I explain he is a city boy. The picture is taken. We talk with the axe man and for a joke ask him if he wouldn't mind using the axe to take off Rob's head. Rob puts his head on the block and as the man raises the axe Rob realises that he could after all be a mad axeman. Rob is now screaming 'no...please....no' and scares the axe man.....'don't worry I am not really going to do it' he assures.I will him on but it is just a photo shoot.

We meet a fisherman fishing for pike round the corner on Beaconsfield Lakes. We are attracted to talk to him as we hear the technology of an alarm telling the fisherman when a fish is caught. Man can build canals and lakes above rivers, and invent alarms to tell a fisherman when a fish is on the line.....so there must be a solution he can find for MS.

A fun day. We notice that our bodies are now receptive to this exercise. The miles are easier and recovery with stretches quicker. Exercise must be as good as they say it is. The London Loop is great but I realise I have driven over 100 miles today to walk 15 miles. Looking forward to Offas Dyke and other environmentally sensible walks with less driving. And as I arrive home I discover I have a puncture. Got to get to Purfleet station for 7.30 start tomorrow so now need to work on that problem.

Walk 5 - 13.5 miles - Total 74.0 miles - To Go 926.0 miles

London Loop Sections 14 and 15 - Moor Park to Hatch End and then to Elstree and Borehamwood.

Alarm goes off at 6am and I am so comfortable in my slumber I curl up for another five minutes. Then a thought strikes a chord telling me get up quick and get ahead of the traffic and I will be home for supper. I obey. Kit on, out the house and at Elstree station car park by 7.30am. Two cups of tea at 75pence each help start the day. Continuing with the theme of yesterday things are not what they seem. Rob turns up at 7.45 and tells me he is in the station car park. I say I am also but can't see him. I realise he is in the drop off car park at the station front next to the cafe I got the tea. I tell him I am in the car park on the other side of the bridge. Five minutes later another call....there is no car park on the other side of the bridge. He has driven over the bridge when I clearly told him I was in the car park on the other side of the bridge. We discuss the finer points of other sides until I say I will meet you at the station entrance. Finally we are together and his tea is not too cold.
We have decided to bring two cars and leave one at the end and one at the beginning as a tactic to reduce funding dodgy cab firms killing us with their prices and not knowing where to go. Yesterday £30 to get back to where we began and over an hour doing it as we tried to guide the cabby back. Off we set and it only takes us an hour to do 10 miles to the start of our walk. School runs and rush hour combining to test our mindfulness once again. So looking forward to Offas Dyke, Hadrians Wall and Coast to Coast where we can wake up and walk.
These two sections of walk are absolutely fabulous. Lots of woodland and pastureland. Yesterday I had joked with Rob that we should walk at night to avoid all the traffic challenges around the loop. Today I commented there was very little difference between the light now and that at night. A thick blanket of cloud reminding me of the descent in to Luton when you go through five minutes of grey before hitting the runway. The rain was continuous for two thirds of the walk. But there is something enjoyable about being in lovely scenery with the rain falling. Yesterday we stopped to admire some snow drops in full bloom. Look around for them at the moment they are such a delicate and demure flower appearing in the most challenging weather conditions of the year. Do stop and take a look. Also saw first signs of daffodils poking through. Today we saw first green shoots appearing on trees. That special moment when the buds chameleon like change from brown to green promising possibilities of spring in a few weeks time.
We continue our walk and come upon a stable where Sarah is at work. Missunderstanding once again as Sarah talks about Bob's fine chest, stature and powerful legs. Robert is preening his feathers with such talk but I have to tell him that she is referring to Bob her horse she is training for dressage. I am concerned at the puzzled look on Rob's face but believe he can cope with the truth. Sarah tells us more about Bob's personality and if in the field there are 25 horses and she calls Bob he comes running to her. Bob is a fine horse and does cast a glance to tell us that Sarah is special and he loves working with her.
On we go and eventually come upon Grimm's Dyke or Devil's Ditch in Anglo Saxon. A dyke to divide two lands and keep livestock seperated. A bit macabre all this as we walk to Grimms's Hotel up ahead. Why would you keep the name Grimm? Then we learn the house has history! It was owned by Gilbert of & Sullivan fame, built by Foster the famous architect in 1870. Gilbert died there in 1911 as he tried to rescue a young lady house guest struggling in the lake. Rob and I conjectured many theories about this incident - devil worshipping in the Devil's Ditch?.
I am sure most of them were wrong! We found the house which was impressive and I sang sections of the Mikado at the entrance. We had a well earned rest here and a relaxing place to spend time. Tea and a biscuit was £4 such a contrast to our 75p tea on the other side of the bridge earlier this morning.
We are getting fitter and almost half way round the loop now. We are learning that any pub or eatery we plan on eating at will be closed for refurbishment or just closed cos they hear we are coming. Some miles passed quickly today when we found we disagreed on issues from the Terry Pratchett Dimbleby lecture this week. After a number of miles we reached alignement on the matter of risk. One perspective of seeing risk as something to avoid and the other as something to manage brought us together.
Next week we hope to break through 100 miles. A little note on what this is all about. When I got home I did my yoga stretches and Karen returned home. She was so excited to tell me about her adventure. She managed to get a parking space in the disabled slot next to Waitrose entrance in Hitchin. She took her walking stick and a trolley and walked slowly shopping around the store. She has been working hard at the gym and with Pilates and her exercises to gain strength in her ailing muscles. She felt a wonderful feeling walking without a frame or a wheelchair or scooter and getting all her shopping done. It felt 'normal'. Rob and I may walk 1000 miles but it is nothing to the struggle people with MS are fighting every day.

Walk 4 - 15.8 miles - Total 60.5 miles - To Go 939.5 miles

London Loop Sections 19-21 - Chingford to Havering to Harold Wood

Are things what they seem was our theme today. Can it really take two hours to drive 31 miles to the start of a walk? Yes, I did it. Great practice for mindfulness work as I focussed on relaxation and enjoyment of Beethoven and fought all instincts to get stressed and angry. Can you walk at a rate of 3.5 miles an hour and then confront 200 yards that takes 40 minutes as you tentatively squelch through thick and deep mud feeling your way along a barb wire fence for purchase to support your footsteps and avoid water in your boots. We did. But then the weather forecast promised sleet and rain and general English winter unpleasantness. We didn't see the sun but we kept dry and for this time of year it was, apart from 200 yards, a wonderful day to walk. After ten miles we were ready for lunch. We had wanted to stop at the Kings Head along the way where Charles Dickens had been inspired for Bleak House but the timing was wrong. At the start of our walk at Chingford was the only remaining wooden clad grandstand in the UK used by royalty to observe deer hunts across the chase. Too early for breakfast but we imagined the gathered entourage that would have spent time in finery there in the past. For lunch we landed on the Royal Oak at Havering. Rob was ready to sit and recover and anywhere would do. Aching from carrying his golf bag the day before around a muddy Hadley Wood his legs were complaining. I looked inside The Royal Oak and saw an empty lounge bar one customer. I walked back to Rob and suggested we try the other place but I could see he just wanted to sit and a drink and crisps would do. In we went and were surprised once again that things are not what they seem. Kim greeted us with a lovely friendly smile...behind the bar it said smokers will be clubbed and beaten....but we were walkers so ok with Kim. Could we eat something? Kitchen closed but she offered us a sandwich. One cheese and ham and one tuna mayo doorstep fresh bread sandwich later we had experienced the lunch fare that all future hostelries will be measured by. Perfect. We told Kim what we were doing and she told us about 40 miles in two days last year for cancer research and how she had begged to stop after 19 miles out of 26 on the first day but had been encouraged to complete and had felt so pleased to do so. We are getting better at speaking to people and people are donating to us as we go along. People are so generous and so interesting to talk to.
We also talked about identity and myths created by the press and which is which. Some time on the balance of the rights of the individual versus the state, corporation or capital. No final answers on these but many miles yet to work some out.

PS....Boot on front for those wondering from the last blog. We have tee-shirts with a boot on the front and a 1000miles4hope message on the back. Rob and I had agreed one of us should wear the boot on front and one on the back. So when I texted boot on front it was so he would know to put boot on back. But as the last blog says he had no idea what I was talking about.

Walk 3 - 13.5 miles - Total 44.7 miles - To Go 955.3 miles

London Loop Cockfosters to Elstree

6am up and everywhere dark and outside damp. Text Rob to say 'Boot on Front' only to find out later he had no idea what this meant. Can you guess? Give us some ideas in your comments - answer in next blog. Catch the 7.19 Hitchin to Finsbury Park dressed for walking and sardined amongst suits. At Finsbury Park everyone heading to London as I head north with two other people in the carriage. A wonderful cup of tea at Cockfosters where I meet Rob and we set off. A surprising amount of snow and walking is difficult. As we build up real momentum Rob said 'Len you are off at the pace of a banker chasing his bonus'. He pulled me back to climb a small incline for a surprise view - a great big lake right there in the middle of Hadley Monken common. Lovely. Jack put it there so it is called Jack's lake.

We pull up outside Henry Livingstone's cottage - more like a mansion than a cottage. This is where Livingstone returned after his time in Africa. Rob then told me some story about Richard Burton and discovering Livingstone and the source of the Nile. Surprisingly Rob had not heard that RB married Elizabeth Taylor so it felt good to be able to educate him a little.

There before us was Barnet Common where in March 1471 the battle of Barnet was fought. As we peer into the grey mist and gloomy sky we imagine the scene. Edward IV, the deposed King of England, lands in Yorkshire and declares himself King and marches south with 12000 men and funds from Burgundy. Richard Neville the Earl of Warwick who was a supporter of King Henry VI has his 15000 and races to intercept Edward and they meet at Hadley Green on April 13th to do battle. Confusion reigned with the battle fought on Easter Sunday in thick fog. As the fog cleared and after a four hour battle it was clear Richard Neville's army is heavily defeated...and when he is found he is quickly despatched with. A large number of those 27000 troops died that day. As we leave, we have a strange sense of rideless horses carrying on their fight on behalf of their fallen riders.
Edward went on to reign for twelve years until his death in 1483. And now this is a delightful suburb of London with some amazing houses and ladies walking their dogs and chatting across the Green.

I thought we may also expire today. 13.5 miles in snow and mud is hard, and with not a single break and a hilly diversion at the end (ok - Rob got us lost) my back was siezing up and every step became painful. Rob was admirable and looks fit. He didn't offer to carry me back to today's finish line but had he done so I would have accepted. A horrible pub lunch in Elstree where English fayre was provided. With all that effort by Edward from Burgundy I so wish he had also imposed some culinary skills on the locals.

Some yoga stretches and a bath and I am now recovered and ready for more. Next walk in two and a bit weeks and I can't wait.

Walk 2 - 13.7 miles - Total 31.2 miles - To Go 968.8 miles

London Loop Sections 17 & 18. Trent Park, Forty Hall, Enfield Chase,

South Africa v England cricket test match looks well balanced. The sun shining in Cape Town and the fine tans showing a sharp contrast to the frost outside and the expected shut down of the country tomorrow after the snow falls tonight. We start the London Loop today with Sou dropping us off at Cockfosters. Within minutes we are in hunting ground in Trent Park and ahead of us there is a scene that makes us rub our eyes and look again. We see a hunting party that has riden from Hatfield to Enfield Chase. All on their horses are 12 ladies in white satin, 120 yeomen in green and 15 archers in scarlet boots and yellow caps and each armed with a bow. Along with them is a lady of the dogs ready to retrieve the spoils of the hunt. A fabulously colourful scene from over 400 years ago is there for us to imagine as we look where Elizabeth 1st brought her hunting party for a fun day out on the chase. We walk on and talk about all the things that have happened over the years on this Chase and later Epping Forest and the exploits of Dick Turpin. A little further ahead near Forty Hall we notice a man throwing his cloak across a puddle to allow a lady to pass without wetting her feet. We approach and see it is Sir Walter Raleigh making this favour for the same Elizabeth. She looks so pleased and grateful and yet later we know she orders his head to be removed. As we approach Cuckold Hill we reflect on Elizabeth 1st and the complexities of relationships between men and women.

The walk is tough with a number of hills to climb and at the end our legs are weary. As we talk about the pain in our legs and look forward to the finish today we reflect that this feeling at the end of a walk is how some people with MS feel every day when they awake. We are lucky our weariness and pain will be gone in the morning. The pain for people with MS goes through the day and for many gets worse as time goes on. We really hope that with the steps we are taking we can increase the hope they can have for something better in the future.

We have agreed to rearrange our next two days walks so I don't get seperated from Karen for too long (our village will get snowed in tonight) and to be sensible about the weather. We will be making up the shortfall as soon as we can.

Walk 1 - 17.5 miles - Total Completed - 17.5 miles - To go - 982.5 miles

Bank of England - AXA IM HQ - Houses of Parliament - St James Park - Buckingham Palace - Green Park - Hyde Park - Oxford Street - Regents Park - Hampstead Heath - Alexandra Palace -Winchmore Hill.

Up early, cup of tea, look outside at deep frost and get ready for action. First walk of the 1000Miles4Hope and remind ourselves we are doing this to raise hope for those who currently have none. The motivation is strong as we don our branded t- shirts and consider all the work put in by Tracy and Charlotte to get us kitted up (in addition to all the work on websites, blogs and twitter). Piccadilly Line and Northern Line and thousands of commuters returning to work after the xmas break. Rob and I now reflect how shy we are as we do not know how to engage this audience in what we are doing. We clearly stick out as different with our bright red t- shirts and 1000Miles4Hope logo and people are trying to read what we are about. Something to work on for tomorrow is to enter in to conversation with strangers and engage them in what we are doing.

We meet Richard Harris at the Bank of England who is ready to film us between here and the Houses of Parliament for a news clip on CityWire tomorrow. Feels good starting out. We first talked about preparing Rob for Kilimanjaro about a year ago and came up with the idea of a 1000 mile walk for charity. Now we can take our first steps and what a great place to go. The interviews go well and we are on our way. First stop AXA IM HQ. More evidence we look suspicious as two burly security guards come hurtling out of the building to ask if they can help us. Looks like we were identified as a threat and would have been straight to the ground arms in cuffs if we did anything suspicious. Somehow we got through the threat level and were allowed in. It was great to meet with and thank Martin Hall for AXA IM's sponsoship of the effort, our first corporate sponsors. Our message to the City is to give us any contributions they can to help us speed up the research in to cures and treatments for this horrible disease. Outside the Houses of Parliament we make the case to raise the political profile of Multiple Sclerosis and attract more interest to do something about it. With Rodin's statue of the Burghers and Parliament in the background we make our plea for people to help people around them with MS, support us in what we are doing and encourage them to make efforts themselves to help the cause.

The parks are wonderful and remind us what a wonderful place London is and how many tranquil places there are. We stop in Regents Park while Rob tries to capture some creative perspectives on a Henry Moore statue. There is a challenging hill up Highgate Hill West that tested our preparation and we came through with flying colours and with 10 miles behind us it is time for lunch in The Flask. I said to Rob that the distance just covered was what we needed to do 100 more times this year. He said 'you exaggerate.....it is only 99 more!. On reflection once again we are too shy to enter in to conversation with others in the pub and too focussed on how we were coping with our first steps. Must do better tomorrow. After lunch of fish pie and sparkling water we admired some wonderful views across London from the top of Highgate and then work our way across to some more stunning views across a hazy and smoggy London from the top of Alexandra Palace.

It was cold but a beautiful clear blue sky. The last four miles were really tough and we think it is the amount of walking on roads and paths. The last mile was even tougher and in the dark and it was great to get back home. Some Yoga stretches, a hot bath and a refreshing and tasty soup made by Sou left us refreshed, re-energised and ready for tomorrow.

I miss Karen as I am staying at Robs and am going to have to find ways of her coming along or being with us on more of these trips. I hope we can make a difference and bring some real hope. If you know anyone with MS think about what help and support you can give them. Also please please tell everyone you know what we are up to, make a donation and sign our guestbook to give us support.

Day 2 tomorrow and another 13 miles for hope.

Your Story for 2010

Tomorrow Robert and I start our 1000 miles and this will be a big part of our story in 2010. We will write about this with the pen firmly in our hands or those we give it to along the way. Here are some thoughts about your story for 2010.

The success you achieve in 2010 will depend on the story you tell yourself about yourself. The pen that writes this story will on occasions be in your hand and at other times in the hands of others. One of the most important interventions you can make to ensure the best success for you in 2010 is for you to control the pen at all times. If you give it without thought to your boss, partner, friend or opponent they will write what is good for them and this may or may not be good for you. If you decide what will be written and who will write it then the story written will be good for you and contribute to your growth and fulfillment. But beware the dilemma you are faced with. Giving the pen freely to others is so much easier and natural to us than keeping it in your own hand or choosing who you give it to. Accepting you can't get the promotion you want is down to your boss or you can't have the work life balance you prefer because of your partners needs is so much easier than considering your own role in getting the outcomes you want. Give up the pen and you watch life go by as others are allowed to insert paragraphs and chapters in your story. Hold the pen and face the big challenges this will raise for you and you will be confronted with some exciting and difficult choices that will open up a new world of possibilities for you. Allow yourself to face these choices to shape the future you want. Think about this. What you do today can be an increment on where you finished yesterday or it can be a move made by you in the direction you really wish to travel. You can let the pen write wherever it is or you can grab it and set your own path. Write a great story and make sure it is the one you want to tell.