Introduction

Pennine Way 2006

      > Day 1
      > Day 2
      > Day 3
      > Day 4
      > Day 5
      > Day 6
      > Day 7
      > Day 8
      > Day 9
      > Day 10
      > Day 11
      > Day 12
      > Day 13
      > Day 14
      > Day 15
      > Day 16
      > Day 17
      > Day 18
      > Day 19
      > Final Thoughts

Links on Walking Places

Monday 22nd May

What a strange feeling this morning – no rucksack to pack and no boots to put on. No lay in because we had a bus to catch so after a chatty breakfast with three people who finished yesterday in 14 days (must be mad) we headed for the bus stop. It was cold and wet and the bus was late surprise, surprise. We changed buses at Kelso which looked a very pretty little town and headed for Berwick upon Tweed where the bus dropped us off at the railway station so saw very little of the place. Pete and Eirlys train was soon due to leave so we said our goodbyes and waved them on their way. Our train was right on time and we really enjoyed the ride down the east coast seeing Newcastle for the f irst time in my life and then on to Durham Leeds and York .As we travelled it was hard not to notice all the standing water in the fields and the rivers close to the banksAnd it was pretty obvious that we had been extremely lucky with the weather.

On reflection the only thing I would have changed on the planning side would have broken the long day to Greenhead as it took a lot out of us physically. It did spoil the end of the walk a little being in Kirk Yetholm the day before because it took away the thrill of seeing it for the first time after 280 miles but of course if Uswayford Farm is full there are no alternatives. The walk itself was not as hard as I expected and navigation was very easy – we did not get lost at all even on the notoriously difficult parts. A lot of the boggy areas have now been tamed with flagstones a necessary evil to protect the countryside. The good weather of course helped, spirits are always high when the sun shines and aches a nd pains don’t seem half as bad. I am glad we stayed at the YHAs because so many of the rural ones will close at the end this season and I think it is the end of an era really because if the YHA is to survive it has to change. My personal favourite section of the walk were the Yorkshire Dales as I knew it would be, with the sun shining and the brilliant green of the landscape it was just fantastic. The least favourite was the northern pennines through the forestry plantations which were overpowering and gloomy. The best bed and breakfast was of course Doreen Whitehead at Keld what an amazing woman – what will happen when she retires doesn’t bear thinking about. The very best thing though about the walk was the company and chat. I was really glad Pete and Eirlys joined us and I hope we didn’t get on their nerves too much - at least Peter had a smoking partner . There is nothing better at the end of a days walking to go to the pub have a meal, a drink and have a good laugh and for the laughs we have to thank Pete and Pat who were just the most brilliant story tellers.

We will return in the near future to the Cheviots and climb The Cheviot just to finish things off
 

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