The Yellow Sign: Nantwich to Keele

We started the day in the AromA Cafe, a bright, modern, angular place very different from the slightly ramshackle and homely Cheshire Ice Cream Farm where we kicked off last week. The guy behind the counter had a luxuriant blond Van Dyke, like a young Custer or Rupert of of Hentzau; I didn’t know [...]

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Beat the Retreat: Beeston to Nantwich

After the (non) camping debacle, I’ve decided to resume the walk from an earlier point, abandoning North Shropshire in favour of a route through Cheshire into Staffs. The ‘blue remembered hills’ will have to remain as mere memories, the spur down to Whitchurch written off as a dead end, Shropshire conceded as an unassailable Eastern [...]

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Well that was weird…

We planned to camp in Shropshire last night; I would have been walking on from Whitchurch today. I found a promising looking site on a Shropshire tourism web page, and rang the number given there to make arrangements a week or so ago. The conversation was fairly normal, with a few nonsequiturs which I ignored [...]

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Untouched

Managed to fit in two unexpected walks on Monday evening:
1. Lancaster Station to Lancaster & Morecambe College. 40 minutes including getting lost – finding myself too far along the river – heading back towards the town – past a closed bridge then over a rather graceful modern one, along a cycle path and then a [...]

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In praise of kit

Actually experiencing a walk – being in nature, seeing spectacular scenery, exercising – these things are all very well, but what really matters is having the right kit. I’m sure you’re wondering what kind of gear I wear for this epic journey. Wonder no more…
Boot-wise, I have a pair of Berghaus Explorer V, bought shortly [...]

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