On the merits of walking backwards - blog continued from Porlock!

Many of you will know that I have now had to temporarily suspend my walk; whilst my wife Daff recovers from illness back in Porlock (where I am writing this). She was in hospital in Northampton for 3 days - excellent care - and while she was there I walked a little - but not far - always trying to be within a phone call from the hospital. This was an attempt to redeem myself from the day of her admittance, when a friend’s friend - Jill - had to take her in and when I got the phone call I was lost - about 3 hours away from my car!

My friend there, Sue, suggested a walk by a reservoir - which would have been my destination from her house - but it made more sense to do it the other way round and meant that it would give Sue’s two miniature poodles a well-deserved walk.

We walked together for a short distance, rested and chatted, and then said goodbye as she returned (with dogs) to her car and left me to walk (the wrong way - Westwards) towards her Rectory in Great Brington.

Predictably enough, the phone call from Daff came not long after - saying that she was now free to be discharged  - so I managed to get Sue to pick me up earlier than I had intended from Brixworth church - near Spratton on my itinerary.

So - I walked far less than I had intended, backwards - and met Sue at the church rather than at a choice of 5 pubs (it was very hot and I was thirsty) - but the church was delightful. It was very interesting architectually (parts of it Norman/Saxon). If I can get it put on the blog, I have a postcard of a fantastic “Celtic” eagle carved in stone. The church was also decorated ready for the Queen’s birthday with flower corgis, horses and pigeons!(??is HM a pigeon-fancier?).

I felt suitably refreshed and encouraged - so it was worth walking backwards away from the pub when spiritual reawakening awaits you.

It has spurred me on towards my destination as it could easily have been a Lindisfarne eagle - with only a little stretch of the imagination!

So let’s each keep going and walking in whatever way we can

Bill.

PS Daff was ready and waiting by the time I got there