Underway.....

Its Cheryl here, writing for John as he's either in a no signal area or has discovered that bashing the keys on his phone to make it work might actually do the opposite, or alternatively (and most likely) he's had a couple of beers and has retired to bed resplendent in woolly had and the kind of nightwear best left to the imagination.....

John started out this morning with Andy (Louise's husband) to see him off. They did that blokey hand shaking/pat on the back type thing, but suspect they both found it an emotional moment bearing in mind what, or rather who, inspired him to undertake this walk.

The start of this trek wasnt without controversy. Yesterday, having gone to The Bay Hotel in RHB followed by fish and chips overlooking the beach, John decided that this would count as the first 'Coast' and he would start the walk this morning from the camp site on the hill at the top of RHB. Being a bit of a stickler for tradition, I 'suggested' that he should dip his boots in the sea today to mark the official start of the journey. John was not at all impressed as the walk from the sea back up to the camp site is just about vertical (well it is to me, having lived in Cambridge most of my life). But, this morning, suitably fortified by a bacon sarnie on the way down the hill, he duly got his feet wet as you can see in the photo above. Just as well really, cos it would have been a bit of a bugger to have got to St Bees then decide that the start of the walk hadnt been done quite right...

Am sure John will write in a much more entertaining way about his first day tomorrow - and hopefully he'll tell all about the aggro in the pub in Grosmont where some visiting train spotters and a couple of locals got involved in a bit of argy bargy....Yes really, trainspotters!