March 7th saw SS become another year older! (She has been kidding me for years that she is only 29...yeah right!)
Anyway, following on the tradition from last year, she didn't want a party, or a spa day, or shopping....she wanted a walk......
So, at 7am, we hit the common on the start of SS's birthday trek! Last year we walked just under 41 miles...the goal was to beat that distance.....(yep, she's older, not wiser....)
It was cold, and windy, and by the time we had done 9 miles and got to the 'Tea shop by the Canal', it was also wet! A pot of tea and scrambled eggs on toast very nearly broke our resolve, tempting us to stay by the open fire all day.....but as Jim (SS's partner) had the day off too, and was also sat in the tea shop, she thought it better to get out and put some miles between us......
The next stretch took us along the canal in the direction of Hungerford..the lunch time rendezvous point being at Cobbs Farm shop, at 21 miles and our half way point. This section was cold, wet, windy and extremely muddy...in fact, I felt like I had skied there as I constantly slipped from side to side the whole way. At Marsh Benham, 4 miles out of Newbury, the rain was torrential....at this point I was walking behind SS and thinking of ways to push her into the canal........
Anyways..we reached Cobbs Farm..and fortunately the goats cheese and onion marmalade paninis were still on the menu, as well as steaming cups of cappuccino!
Just when you think it might be nice to stroll home...birthday girl has a plan....the next walk was not to return to Newbury (far too easy((AND sensible)) )....so we carried on towards Great Bedwyn...fortunately the sun had decided to put in an appearance and the wind dropped so walking conditions were near perfect. Great Bedwyn was reached, and here we turned and retraced our steps back towards Hungerford.
Just as things were going so well, disaster struck! Well, it wasn't really disaster, but the story sounds really boring if I tell it as it is....... After 28 miles I was begining to daydream a bit...truthfully, I was planning what I was going to have to eat at the Tutti Pole coffee shop in Hungerford, when SS disappeared through a gap in the hedge saying "I'm sure this is where we cut through..." so I followed, still in my daydream.....and before I could say 'cream tea' I had gone flying!
There was a stretch of barbed wire, about an inch above the ground, which I had tripped over, and, as anyone who knows me will verify, when I fall over I lack a certain grace....it was a real 'arse over elbow' kind of moment!!
My kneecaps took full force, and ouch! did that hurt!
I give SS full credit for not laughing too long and too much, and for helping me up, and I'm glad I didn't push her in the canal earlier (not!)...and we hobbled to Hungereford and the coffee shop.
First Aid was in the form of the biggest creamiest meringue you have ever seen...honestly, it was like eating a pillow, but it was healthy as it had a strawberry on....and the sugar rush definately made me feel better.....well enough to walk the last 10 or so miles home.......
So...32 miles down, 10 to go......
The last stretch along the canal between Hungerford and Newbury was uneventful, apart from the odd cyclist we were tempted to push into the canal, and the workmen who were dredging sludge from the bottom of the canal and for some reason just patting it onto the banks of the canal...this they were doing by spotlight as daylight was fading fast.
SS and I finshed the last 2 miles in the dark, which was fun when you are walking through the copse at the bottom of the cornfields and up through said cornfields, with no torch ...having just watched 'The woman in Black' at the cinema..!!
Anyways, 42 miles later, and we had completed SS's 29th birthday walk!!
Happy birthday matey ;-)
