The Wolds Way: finished at last

Back in January, when we started walking the Wolds Way, I said I'd update as we went along (*cough* sorry about that).

Today, we finally finished the 79 miles, on the top of Filey Brigg, the same spot where the Cleveland Way ends.

It's been a walk with some good sections, and some fairly boring ones. Not as strenuous as the Cleveland Way, but with a few very steep uphill stretches.

Where it really let us down was in the quality of the tea shops (when we could find one, they were very few and far between), and pubs. Until today, when first we called in at the charming and quirky Ship Inn in Muston for coffee. Worth a return visit.

When we reached Filey we found ourselves on the West Cliff, an elegant terrace with a bandstand, and, nestled below, next to what used to be a lawn where Queen Victoria once played croquet, was the delightful Cafe Rendevous.

We'd promised ourselves fish and chips as our reward for our achievement, and these were delicious. Fresh, beautifully cooked and very reasonably priced. Washed down with a pot of tea, we then just had to walk along the sea front, and finally climb to the top of the cliff to reach the end of the walk.

And where next? Well, we already have a few ideas.

This year's walking project: the Yorkshire Wolds Way

79 miles, from the Humber estuary to Filey Brigg. It doesn’t seem that far after 110miles of the Cleveland Way.

We started two Sundays ago, and have already completed the first stage, so it’s now 66 miles to go. Of course, we will do this in our inimitable style, so are trying to work out where the best pubs and coffee and tea shops are. (Note: the Yorkshire Wolds are lacking in tea shops in comparison to the North Yorks Moors. They’re just not as touristy)

Once again it’s an opportunity to discover parts of Yorkshire, practically on our doorstep, that we’ve never been to before. Walking along the breezy Humber, and under the huge span of the bridge was fascinating, as was discovering that this route has been used since the Bronze Age. The dry, chalky valley and wide hill tops of the Wolds are very different to the rugged bleakness of the Moors. To me, not as dramatic, or quite as inspiring, but with their own charm.

I’ll try and update as we go along.

Did I mention that I'd completed The Cleveland Way?

As I began writing about it in January, when we began with some short sections, and then tailed off, it would be remiss of me not to record on here that J and I finished the Cleveland Way on 30 August 2010.

Impressed? Well, I am, though I knew we would do it if we set our minds to it. It took considerable effort, mind, and most of our Sundays over the Summer, and we did it in 16 stages. One of the most challenging aspects was sorting out the logistics of where to leave cars. We encountered all kinds of weather, sometimes 3 kinds in one day (though I missed out on the day with the snow), but it didn't stop us. We are, indeed, intrepid walkers now.

The best things about it were definitely the fantastic views, of parts of the Yorkshire countryside and coastline that you can only reach on foot, the sense of achievement when we completed a particularly strenuous section, and of course, the tea shops, pubs and cafes we found along the way. Some sections had better eating and drinking opportunities than others. I remember one day heading home in disgust as we couldn’t find an open tea shop at the end of our walking. Along the way we visited 6 pubs, 8 tea rooms, 3 hotels, and 4 restaurants, some of them more than once.

In the spirit of the Handbag Walkers, then, I present:

The Handbag Walkers Awards for walking, eating and drinking on (and slightly off) The Cleveland Way

Most scenic section

A difficult one, as so many parts of the walk were beautiful, but I think Swainby to Clay Bank, and perhaps Runswick Bay to Whitby were the most stunning. It was wonderful along the coast to be able to look back, and think that we’d walked along all of the coastline that we could see.

Most strenuous

Swainby to Clay Bank – 4 hills in one day, up one side, down the other, and then up again, but worth it for the views.

Most boring section

Definitely Black Hambleton, from Sneck Yate to Square Corner. A long moorland stretch, but without the view over the escarpment, as there was a stone wall on that side. A long and boring trudge until we reached the descent towards Osmotherly. Bizarrely one of the busiest sections of the walk.

Best Tea Shop

There were quite a few, ranging from the Black Swan Patisserie in Helmsley to Lord Stones Café at Carlton Bank, which I would call a ‘biker’s café’, only it’s clear that isn’t what it wants to be.

I really liked Wit’s End at Sandsend, and also Coast Gallery and Tea Shop in Cloughton, which was a real find

Best Pub

(I feel I should only count pubs where we actually had a meal here, rather than those we visited for a drink, so the Blacksmith’s Arms at Swainby gets an honourable mention for being a nice pub that I’d like to eat at, rather than one I have eaten at)

We had a few Sunday lunches on our travels, visiting the Fox and Hounds at Slapewath twice, but I think my favourite was The Bay Hotel at Robin Hood’s Bay, where we sat in the window, able to see the sea, and I packed away a whole Sunday lunch, and then regretted it when I saw the hill that I had to climb as we left the village.

Best Fish and Chips

Mariondale, Robin Hood’s Bay. Possible because we were both shattered and starving by the time we ate, so never has fish and chips been more welcome. But I think they were pretty good.

So that was it, 110 miles. Our longest walking day was around 10 miles, our shortest about 3, but we did it. And we’ve even got the certificate to prove it.

The end, Filey Brigg, August Bank Holiday Monday, in what felt like a gale. Hardly the balmy Summer breezes we'd hoped for for the end of the walk.

The Cleveland Way - Part 3

Let’s face it, it was always going to be a bit piece meal. It’s a linear, but not a sequential, walk as far as we’re concerned, by which I mean we will probably jump around a bit depending on which bit takes our fancy. I’m already playing catch up as J and V walked one week when I had to go to rehearsal, so I’ve only just done my first 10 miles, in three separate stages.

This time, we started from Osmotherley, and had the advantage of convenient husband, (V’s) and sometime honorary handbag walker, K to meet us in the pub and collect us at the far end, so didn't have to move the cars around.

I’d done the first part of the walk last summer, when it was a lot less muddy, but emerging from the trees and looking out across the still snow topped moors to Roseberry Topping and beyond, the view gave a sense of scale of the thing we’re doing.

It was all very well marked, and there were a lot of other walkers. For once I too looked like a serious walker, as my handbag had been replaced by my bright blue back pack (only because I decanted into a smaller handbag for hols, and haven’t ‘upgraded’ again since). V managed to get a bit of shopping in by buying a dozen eggs from a farm en route. It was slight less eventful than last time, i.e. no evil turkey (though there were a couple of cockerels and some hens which I gave a very wide berth).

After about 4 miles we detoured, and headed into the village of Swainby, discovering a very nice pub which we’d like to return to. This time we just had tea, but they had a lovely range of food on offer. I'm still thinking that this is really all about what surrounds the walking; the food, the drink, and the shopping.

The Cleveland Way - Part 2

We did the second stage* of the Cleveland Way on Saturday. It was eventful. Firstly, we were quite late setting off. Are the timings of ‘serious’ walkers affected by hairdresser appointments? Well, those of handbag walkers are.

Two new haircuts later, the three of us set off in the early afternoon heading for Rievaulx and Cold Kirby. It was probably a mistake to rely on V’s satnav to get us there, as initially it didn’t seem to recognise Cold Kirby as a place, and wanted to send us towards Harrogate. When I entered Rievaulx as an alternative, it took us via some winding back lanes. I kept reverting to the map to check if there was a better way, and ended up ignoring it completely. It also got foggier and foggier the closer we came to our destination.

Eventually we got there, and we all piled into one car to head to Rievaulx as our starting point. At this point I realised I’d forgotten my socks, and my pashmina. We parked at Rievaulx amongst horse boxes, and started our route, initially along a road.

We hadn’t gone far before we encountered The Turkey, in the middle of the road. A big, very scary, bird, which had somehow escaped Christmas, and wasn’t going to let us past easily. I tried to hide behind J, but she would insist on taking a photo of it, which only attracted its attention.

The others got past. I couldn’t, and for a few moments thought I would have to go back to the car. Eventually, as it clearly wasn’t going anywhere, I climbed over the fence into a field, and gave it a very wide berth, all the time checking to see if it was coming after me. I finally managed to rejoin the others two field later by scrambling through the hedge. I was a bit shaken.

After that, the walk took us through a valley, which we all agreed would be lovely in better weather. About this point, J wondered if she’d left her car keys in the other car.

‘Well, I’m not going back past that rampant turkey’. Thankfully, a quick check revealed they were in her rucksack.

The walk up the valley side was tiring, and then the final stage across open field, with the view obscured by the fog, just made me long for a cup of tea.

We reached the car in Cold Kirby having only done about 4 miles, but we were pretty tired, and looking forward to cake. As it was getting late, we headed for Sutton Bank Visitor Centre for the nearest tea shop, only to find that it had closed 20 minutes earlier. Have they no thought for handbag walkers?

There was no option for it but to head back to Helmsley, and the patisserie tea shop in the Black Swan Hotel. With mud on our boots, we weren’t exactly dressed for it, but they didn’t seem to mind. And the tea and cakes there are lovely.

I’m really not sure how we are going to manage when we have to walk the long barren stretches of moorland.

*This is our second stage. We have yet to complete the recommended first day of walking in the official trail guide

The Handbag Walkers Guide to the Cleveland Way

Last year, we did the Ribbon Walk. It was challenging, but it made us get out and walk, even when we didn’t really feel like it, as we had to ‘train’ (I remember how I scoffed at the very idea at the start), but we did it. And we’ve managed to keep going since, though not with quite the same level of intensity. Winter isn’t the best of time to walk as it is a) cold, b) tends to be muddy (or, this year, snowy), and c) gets dark early, but we’ve still been out there.

This year, our project is to walk The Cleveland Way. All of it, all 110 miles. Not all in one go, of course, but over the year. We’ve done a lot of bits of it, but this time we want to complete it. We probably won’t do it in the right order, and there may be quite a few logistical difficulties, but that’s the plan.

As it’s a linear walk, we’ve already realised that it’s going to take a bit of organisation, for example, we have to leave a car at each end of the section, so we have to decide how far we can walk in a day. It’s not a good idea to get stuck in the middle, as there’s not a lot of public transport to be had. There’s also other minor issues, like making sure you have the right equipment in the right car, i.e. don’t leave your camera, your map, or your socks in the car at the end.

We did our first section on Sunday. Helmsley to Rievaulx. We were going to go further, but it was a bit rainy, and the path was very muddy, (and we’d forgotten the book). It’s a walk we’ve done numerous times, though usually there and back, so it actually seemed quite short. There’s a good tea shop at Rievaulx Abbey which does an excellent, and filling, bowl of hearty soup.

Of course this is going to be the alternative guide, with recommendations of all the best places to stop for refreshment along the route. Though, looking at the map, there are one or two sections where we may have to *gasp* take sandwiches. There will also be shopping. We finished on Sunday with a walk round Helmsley, J bought a lovely pair of boots.

It’s started well.

What a difference a day makes

From this:

To this:

but you know what else is different? I'm actually smiling on both pictures, even the one where I'm in the wind, rain , and mud (though still with my handbag). Now that's progress.

(Coming soon, the tale of my 'dressing up' day)

Post walk post-mortem

‘Did you enjoy the walk on Sunday?’

The rant starts. About the pace, about the fact that we saw a shop, and a couple of pubs, but never got the chance to test them out.

‘That walk was a doddle. You didn’t get left behind, did you? We’ll soon get you fit!’

What he doesn’t seem to grasp is that, for me, I am fit, or, as fit as I’m ever likely to be. I’ve heard this so many times in the past, though it must be said, not recently. It’s the same as the incredulous looks you get when you say that you don’t like sport, and more specifically, certainly don’t want to play any sport. How can anyone actually think that, the look seems to say, it must just be a case of finding the ‘right’ sport.

I try again. ‘I am fit. And you’re missing the point. I don’t want to walk like that. I want to stop, to take photos, to pop into a shop and a café if I feel like it. I’ll still walk, but there’ll be things to enjoy’.

I can see he doesn’t get it. Later on there is talk of badminton. ‘What about you, will you play?’

I give him a look.

‘Ah!’

A Tale of Two Walks

I did a lot of walking at the weekend. Two separate walks, one with the ladies walking group, and one with Spice. I'll let you to decide which one suited me more

Walk 1

‘I think I’ve successfully subverted you’

We’re sitting in a tea shop in Helmsley, our second of the day. We’ve just completed the 6 miles from Helmsley to Rievaulx and back, the return being in almost unremitting rain. The rain has soaked us through in a way which isn’t particularly attractive. However, we have agreed that we’re intrepid, as it no longer phases us, (‘well, we either have to walk back, or stay here’), we’re planning future events, which, it has to be said, revolve around food, as well as walking.

I explain. ‘When we started walking, and I said I was going shopping at the end of the walk, you all gave me funny looks. Now, we always fit in tea shops, and also other shops’.

I find myself explaining the concept of the Handbag Walker. They all agree that it is an untapped market, and that there are a lot of people just like us who want to walk, but who are not serious walkers. Who just want to take their time, look round, take photos, stop when they feel like it, or when there is a convenient shop, tea room or pub. We get the exercise, but it’s fun.

Walk 2

‘The most important thing to have brought with you on a Spice Walk is your sense of humour’.

I always worry when someone says that, as it usually means that they don’t have one.

It was with some trepidation that J and I signed up for our first Spice walk a few weeks ago. Ever since I joined, I’ve looked at their walks and thought that they were too ‘serious’ for me. They class 10 miles and more, with hills, as ‘moderate’. But I’d spoken to a few people, and they’d said that they weren’t too difficult, so when I saw a Grade 4 (‘easy’) walk of 7 miles without hills advertised, I decided it was time to sign up and give it a go.

It started from a car park in Wetherby. We didn’t make a great beginning, by nearly joining the wrong walk. We’d gathered with the group going on the Wetherby Civic Walk. It was the number of handbags which gave it away. Later there were a few times we wished we’d stuck with them.

I think I knew from the start really. By the time we were crossing the road out of the car park, we were at the back of the bunch. It was very hard going, and tailored more to the walking speed of the men, which, given at least 75% of us were women, didn’t seem quite right. The pace didn’t slacken as we walked down the track of a disused railway. It was pretty, but there was no time to stop and take photos. First we walked across to Stockeld Park, which had just opened it’s Christmas World. But no, we couldn’t stop.

I asked the leader if I could have a look at the map, so that I could see where we were walking. Not only was there an attitude which suggested surprise that I could read a map, but an almost allergic reaction to my purple and silver sparkly nail varnish.

Eventually, we reached Sicklinghall, by the village pond.

‘We’re breaking for lunch now. You can eat your sandwiches here. There is a pub up the road, which also has a shop. We have half an hour.’

J and I were off, to the pub, which proved to be quite a distance (‘that’s just added another half mile’), so that we only had time for a drink, and no food. We were both knackered by this point.

Continuing after lunch (a packet of crisps in my case), my pace slackened, as I just couldn’t keep it up. By the end, I had given up any pretence of enjoyment, and had got progressively more subversive as it went on. We couldn’t wait to see the car park.

Having passed yet another pub (where we didn’t stop), and a Spa Hotel which was offering afternoon tea, when we finally saw the tea room at the entrance to the car park, we were off, sending a message that we’d gone.

It was advertised as 7 miles. Given that we know our average walking speed, and that the pace was faster than we’d normally walk, I’d say it was more like 9. I ached more than I did after the Ribbon Walk.

Unfortunately, we have already booked another one, in a couple of week’s time. I’m already worried.

I leave it to you to judge which of the walks was more ‘me’.

The Ribbon Walk

I can’t actually believe that we’ve done it. That I have walked 10 miles, without any noticeable after effects.

More importantly, I have reached my target of raising over £250 for breast cancer care. Thank you to everyone who has sponsored me, and of, course, for all your encouraging comments along the way, as well as those that reminded me of how unfit I have been my whole life till now.

A fuller report of the day is coming, but for now, here’s the proof.

On reaching targets

Training

I walked 9 miles this weekend. Not without a few stops, but still, 9 miles in one day. I know that for some people that doesn’t seem much of an achievement, but for me, that’s something I never thought I’d be able to say. I still haven’t done 10 miles, but, as J said, we have to leave ourselves something to aim for.

I was still ‘testing out’ the leg, so we chose somewhere fairly flat. Pretty villages in East Yorkshire, across bright yellow fields, under a bright blue sky, for suddenly, we had hot weather. Idyllic, as we often say on our walks.

Of course, we did have coffee before we started, lunch in the village of Kilham, and afternoon tea at Burton Agnes Hall. Having completed the ‘walking’ part of the walk (7 miles) in under 3 hours, we felt we needed to top it up with a little more walking, so headed home, and then did another two miles round another village, before finishing at a pub.

I’m still thinking those refreshments stops are going to be essential on 20 June* though.

Diet update

You might remember I set myself a target back in March. To lose another half stone before the end of May. And then things went a little quiet, because I was working away a lot, and eating out, and basically nothing was really shifting. This wasn’t helped by a four course Chinese banquet the other week, so I really had to set my mind to it to reach my target, and didn’t think I was going to.

However…when I got weighed on Sunday, I’d made it. I’ve lost a stone since I started in February. Admittedly, that’s only 3.5lbs a month, but it’s still half a stone down on this time last year.

For my next target, it’s another half stone, ideally before my holiday in July. A tough one this, as it’s only about 6 weeks, but I’ll try, for I’m bound to put weight on when away. And then that’s it, I’ll have reached my target.

*If you haven't sponsored me yet, it's only three weeks away. Here's the link

Training update

Having been in considerable pain at the start of the week*, I asked our MD at work for some advice on my leg, thinking he might suggest strapping it up, or exercises.

‘Rest’
‘Anything else? It has to be better in six week’
‘Oh, it’ll be better in six weeks’

Very useful, I must say. By the end of the week, however, it wasn’t causing me as much pain, so I ventured to the supermarket in flatter shoes**. Not too bad.

So today I set off on a day out, which involved a 3 mile walk as part of it. It was, as promised, pretty much all downhill, which didn’t put much strain on it. I took it steady, and was ok. We managed the three miles in not much more than an hour, so we’re not doing too bad, I think.

I now need to start building up again from next weekend, but still taking it carefully. I really wish they’d tell us what route we’ll be walking, so I can check it out on a map.

*I acknowledge I am being a drama queen over this.
**Bizarrely, because I did it when walking uphill, and extending the muscle, I was able to wear the killer heels last night with no problems.

Training injury

I’ve always maintained that exercise is dangerous, and really needs to be avoided at all costs, and sport even more so, however, I now find myself nursing a 'training injury'. I think you can safely say it's not a phrase that I ever expected to apply to me.

When I climbed Roseberry Topping the other week, as we encountered one of the steep sections, I felt a pull in my calf muscle. Painful, yes, but it didn’t stop me climbing, and I finished the walk.

Last weekend, on Saturday I did about 3 miles with V*. I could feel the strain as we did the first uphill section, but it was ok. On Sunday, I’d planned another, 5 mile, walk with the ladies walking group.

The first section was steeply up hill. We encountered the first significant mud for a few weeks, and I did a bit of shrieking like a girl, but managed not to fall over. Then the incline became even steeper, and as I took a step, I felt my leg ‘go’.

After that, it was difficult to put any weight on it for a while, and I had to abandon the walk. I was gutted. I walked back down hill, and then along the river, as I waited for the others, wondering just when all this became so important to me.

I’m now resting it this weekend, which is good, as the weather is rubbish anyway. I’m supposed to be doing 3 miles on Sunday, but am told it is downhill, so I’m hoping it holds up. I remain determined to complete my 10 miles in 5 weeks time.

*We did find a fabulous, and highly recommended tea shop, in the village of Glasshouses, with gorgeous cake.

'That's not a hill, it's a mountain!'

Two years ago, just after we started walking, I remember Cat and Shona suggesting that we walked up Roseberry Topping. I think my reply was ‘in some other lifetime!’

However, things change, and I get fitter, and then I get a target, and the next thing you know, when this walk is suggested again, in a Scarborough fish and chip restaurant* on Easter Monday, I find myself agreeing that it is a good idea.

The planned day was this Sunday, another bank holiday weekend. It was going to be quite an outing, however, things changed, Cat had to work, Shona had pulled her back, V couldn’t manage it, so it turned out that there were only two of us facing the climb.

We’d done Captain Cook’s Monument in the morning. Having been told that it wasn’t much of a climb, I’d found it quite strenuous, but the views were fabulous. It was only when looking across to Roseberry in the distance that I felt a little daunted.

Having called in at a pub for a lunchtime drink, J and I were dropped off in the car park at the foot of Roseberry. I looked at all the small children and dogs coming back down. Surely if they could make it, I could. I mean, most of them didn’t even have ‘proper’ footwear.

We took the gentler route, through the bluebell woods, rather than the direct, and very steep, ascent. It still seemed pretty steep to me. We got through the woods to a small plateau, which we referred to as ‘base camp’. It was from there that it started to get really steep. The summit loomed. We stopped for breath a lot, and were overtaken by more small children. I wondered how the hell the likes of Chris Moyles got up Kilimanjaro!

Finally, we reached the rocky outcrop which signalled the top. Boy, was it windy. The view were spectacular though. We could see across to ‘Boro, over to the moors, and across to the sea. I really felt a sense of achievement. Looking down over the steep edge, other climbers just starting the ascent were tiny dots on the landscape.

We then looked at the next part of our route, which took us down a winding path at the other side, and up again to another plateau, as we were not going back the way we came, but continuing with our walk. Every time we turned, it was a photo opportunity.

Finally we reached the car, in a park below Captain Cook’s Monument. We’re claiming it as 6 miles, but I’m thinking it’s the most strenuous 6 miles yet**.

* Fitting, as it’s only by doing the walking that I get to eat fish and chips
** If you haven’t sponsored me yet for the Ribbon Walk, the link is here

The training continues

I’ve been trying to get a few walks in recently, though it’s been difficult as I’ve been away quite a bit, and of course, there was Easter. However, since the foggy walk of a few weeks ago, we’ve had some glorious weather, quite perfect for Spring walking, and we’ve been to Bolton Castle and Aysgarth, and today to Coxwold and Husthwaite. We even managed to fit in a three mile walk in Scarborough on Friday morning*. We’re also trying to gradually increase the distances we do. Of course, we’re nowhere near 10 miles yet, (up to 6-7 miles actually) but, despite my thinking it was never going to happen, I’m finding myself almost on schedule with my training for June. No, I can’t believe it either!

Of course, this is all fuelled by tea shops and frequent stops. I’m still not sure how we’ll be when we try and walk a longer distance without a tea shop or a pub in the middle. We’ll need to carry more with us, but I’m still hoping it will be possible for someone to provide tea and cake halfway round.

Over the next few weeks, we aim to set ourselves a few challenges, going further, and/or climbing more. My worst fear is not that it will rain, but that it will be too hot, for that’s what saps your strength.

Through it all, however, I remain a handbag walker. I may have lots of other gear now, but I still have my trusty pink handbag on my shoulder. And we still have to fit in time to shop, as well as the refreshments.

So once again, dear readers, please sponsor me, if you haven’t already.

*we were out, and walking before 9am – how impressive is that?

Into the mist

Despite it being a very murky morning, we decided to head to Farndale, to do a walk which included the Farndale daffodils. We were being quite ambitious, as it was 6 miles, and listed as having a ‘sustained, but not strenuous’ climb. Yes, well, more of that later!

Having had the obligatory coffee stop in Kirbymoorside, we arrived at Farndale around mid-day. It was still very misty, and we couldn’t see the valley sides as we headed out of the car park. Soon, we were climbing the valley side, and kept having to stop and check our directions, as we couldn’t see the next way mark. The view wasn’t up to much!

Pretty soon, we decided that the climb was both sustained and strenuous. The path narrowed to a track through the heather, and there were some steep edges. We felt like intrepid explorers, as all we could hear was the sound of the birds. There wasn’t another soul in sight. Walking into the mist, it was like a scene from a spooky novel. I kept praying that we were on the right route, looking for some grouse butts to confirm this (they would also confirm that we were near the end of the climbing).

Eventually, they appeared, and we crested the ridge, still not able to see very far. As we walked along the top, the sun was trying to break through, but hadn’t quite managed it when we slithered and slipped down a rocky track, and finally, reached the pub.

After lunch, we emerged into sunshine. And gulped. For we could see where we’d been, we could see the road we’d come down, and it was high. If we’d have been able to see the height of it before we set off, we might not have begun.

We walked back along the banks of the river, admiring the daffodils, and past the ‘Daffy Café’ and it was glorious. We kept looking back, though, to where we’d been.

When I checked later on the map, we’d climbed about 1000ft. We had to go and eat cake to recover. But the great thing is, I wasn’t stiff the following day. All this training must be working.

The training starts here

I’ve signed up to do the Ribbon Walk, (the 10 mile version, that is) at Harewood House, so I’m now talking of being ‘in training’. For many, maybe it wouldn’t be that scary, but I’ve never done a 10 mile walk before, so for me, it is.

When you sign up, they send you a training schedule, which covers the gradual build up over the 10 weeks prior to the walk. This means I should be starting my training some time around now. When I looked at the proposed schedule, my first thoughts were ‘yeah, right, like that’s going to happen!’

But, as is the way of me, the last couple of weeks, I’ve started to get a bit obsessive. I need to walk. No, I can’t believe I’m saying that either. It still has to be a true ‘handbag walk’, with all the essential elements of tea shops, shopping etc, but the walking has definitely got more challenging. I’ve also invested in new walking boots (still breaking those in), and new walking trousers. I’m starting to look scarily like a ‘proper’ walker.

I have to raise at least £250, so, if anyone would like to sponsor me, I’d be ever so grateful, and it's really simple to go - just go here.

Where I realise again that a 'short walk' is rarely short.

My awareness of distances in London isn’t great, mainly because for years, I always travelled by Tube, and never really went out of the centre.

We’re having our first cocktail of the evening in Verve, and when I’m assured by Dean that the restaurant ‘isn’t far’, I foolishly believe him. I’ve already changed into the shoes that I cannot walk in*, to stand and pose in the bar, and decide that, if it’s not too far, I can walk in them, and not have to go through the hassle of changing them again.

‘Not far’ turns out to be about a mile. Halfway, having been assured that we were nearly there, and of course, because you just have to make an entrance, Coza also changes her shoes, which happen to be the same as mine, just a different colour. She’s soon wondering how I’ve managed to walk so far in them already.

By the time Piccadilly is in sight, I’ve slowed down a lot, and my feet are complaining, but, quite surprisingly, I’m not. I have discovered that walking in them is helped by having had some alcohol.

Meanwhile, Director Boy is some distance ahead, having realised that walking anywhere takes considerably longer with girls in heels. Finally we cross the road, and arrive at the restaurant (which is fabulous, and sadly doesn’t allow photography**, so I can only show you the link).

I have to admit that the seat, and the glass of champagne is extremely welcome!

*I walked across two roads, and into a theatre in them in January, and that was quite enough.

**which is why I'm posing with Beau Brummel

‘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!

Whatever happens, I will still carry a handbag!

It’s only when I’m showing Corinne some of the photos on my camera that I realise we’ve already done a lot of walking this year. And we haven’t even been put off by the weather. I stand accused of not looking like a handbag walker!

However, the ‘new social group’* also do a lot of walking. There are details in their newsletter about the rambles, and initially I was quite interested. It was when I read on, and saw that they classed 11 miles as a ‘short stroll’, that I got a bit scared. Talking to them, they all seem to regularly walk about 10 miles, and they also *horror* talk about ‘packed lunches’! Where’s the fun in that? Who wants to be halfway up a hill eating a soggy sandwich?

Yesterday, I went walking with the ladies group from a few weeks ago. We did about 5 miles around Ripley. As I’d done the walk this time last year, and, more importantly, I had the book, I became walk leader. The blustery sunny day turned to a blustery cloudy one, and it started to sleet, just as we turned into the wind. Hard, face stinging sleet. I had to put my hood up, and fasten the jacket up across the lower half of my face. My pashmina got soaking wet, and it rained into my handbag! But we laughed, and headed for the tea shop to warm up and dry out, and to plan our next walk. We all felt very intrepid, and I think I’ve found my level.

*at the moment, I’m still going to call them that. They seem a friendly bunch.