Advice

I've been given the odd bit of advice - mainly on how to look after my feet. Advice which includes soaking the feet in salt water, soaking them in spirit (No chance! If we get hold of any spirit we'll drink it) and rubbing them in vaseline.

When I was walking to Reading today (last minute training!) I met a man in his late 50's or early 60's with three randomly distributed front teeth who asked me how far I was walking. "Six and a half miles each way" I replied "but next Wednesday I'll be setting off to walk from Lands End to John O'Groats".

"You must be one of the idiots I read about in the Wargrave News" he said. "I've done that walk and it's very good but you don't want to bother with b&b's or camping. You should rough it. A piece of tarpulin is all you need."

"Are you ex services?" he went on to ask. I wondered if I had somehow acquired some military bearing from my two years as a Cub Scout when I was 9 or 10 but I said no I wasn't. "I still think you should rough it. And you can get water in churches" he said as I backed away and continued my way along the A4.

Just in case he reads this blog I have to say he was a very nice man and I will think about the tarpaulin.