‘I guess that’s not a pub, is it?’

For our walk this week (for we are now officially ‘in training’ you know*), V suggested that I drive her up to Osmotherley, where she was going to spend the weekend in their new caravan, and walk from there.

Once we arrived, bags duly deposited at said caravan, we went down into the village, and quickly discovered that Osmotherley is stuck in a bit of a time warp. It has three pubs, which range from the ‘quick pint for serious walkers’ standard, to the ‘Rennie Mackintosh décor and Molton Brown toiletries’ one, where we had coffee – the meals there being a bit rich for our blood outside a special occasion. It also has a walking shop, a village store, and a village hall, which is part time Post Office, cinema, and presumably, village hall. Time it wrong, as we did, and you’ll find chairs being put out for the cinema rather than being able to buy a stamp.

We also had to ask directions to the start of our walk in the shop, as the instructions told us to go by the antique shop, which has since closed.

Once on our way, though, it was glorious. We climbed along part of the Cleveland Way, and were rewarded with beautiful views. It actually felt like Spring for the first time, with the sun on our backs. By around 2, we’d almost completed 5 miles, and still felt quite fresh. We then realised that, normally, we’d stop en route, which is why it takes us longer.

So we headed back into the village, and had a bowl of soup at the third pub (mid range, very nice), before heading back to the caravan park, and leaving the car, setting off to walk another two miles, round the reservoir – it was so lovely, you could have been in the lakes or Scotland.

We are so lucky to live in an area where such places are less than an hour’s drive away. We get to look at the beautiful scenery, and also get fitter. In all, we did around 7 miles, and we’ve never done that before!

* I have been sent a training schedule, which shows the training plan over the 10 weeks prior to the walk. Hmmm, like that’s ever going to happen!