Had I completed my walk to John O’Groats, I would have arrived there on Sunday, and would have returned home yesterday.
So now seemed a good time to reflect on the end of the adventure. The intervening weeks have been a little unsettled, with a lot of regretful looking back, and I am aiming for sort of ‘full stop’ at this point. (Counsellors might call it ‘closure’?)
Several things are joining in making this ‘full stop’ possible:
I have finally been able to send the paperwork to the insurers, having waited ages for various replies. This represents over £600 of bookings which were non-refundable. Once the money comes through it will be added to the sponsorship (and, as it is my money, it will be gift-aid-able).
My foot is virtually better – I am still doing the exercises, but there is no pain or discomfort. I can do walks again!
In the last two days I have retraced my steps to walk the two short gaps in my walk. Firstly, there was the stretch from Bridgwater to Highbridge, when on day 18 I was defeated by heat (it was one of the Amber Heat warning days) and by the fact that I had walked 21 miles the day before. Then there was the shorter stretch from day 27, when I had got a few miles behind due to map-reading errors and poor signage, and I was picked up from Richards Castle rather than Ludlow.
On Monday I walked the Richards Castle/Ludlow stretch – 5.5 miles - before driving on to stay in Highbridge, at the same hotel where I stayed during the walk itself.
Then on Tuesday, my foot showing no problems from the day before, I walked Highbridge to Bridgwater. Because I could not find the bus-stop in Highbridge, I actually walked the opposite direction (and got the bus back), and I also extended the walk to go mainly by villages and the river Parrett, rather than along the A38 (though it does have pavement all the way). This meant I walked 13.5 miles – with still not foot problems.
So now I have a complete unbroken line from Land’s End to Ellesmere. I will build on this in the future – probably starting by completing the English stretch of the walk next summer.
The sponsor money topped the £17,000 mark today, and the giving pages will remain open until the end of the month (or when the insurance money comes, if later). So further donations still welcome – and thanks to those who have given in the weeks since ‘The Ellesmere Conclusion’.
Thank you for following the Blog. I have enjoyed writing it and am glad some people have enjoyed reading it.
There will be one more, giving the final sponsorship total after the end of the month.
Today's route
No Strava today for obvious reasons
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