A BLISTER BUT ANOTHER DAY OF WALKING UNDER MY BELT

It was the third of the three pre pilgrimage walks this time from Leek in Staffordshire to Ilam in Derbyshire, a much tougher day than the previous two but the actual event should be a lot easier in comparison to these warm up days. Five of us out today, Roger pickled us up and we left the car at Leek and got a minibus from Ilam back to the car and then Roger dropped us off home. It was good weather and although the sun vanished in the afternoon it was good to be in the cool as we tackled some stiff gradients. It was a tight schedule, we did have lunch outside a pub in a tiny village with real ale and ate our sandwiches in the sun. I ended up with a two inch long blister on my left foot, my replacement knee did a bit of clicking and doesn't like styles but other than that no aches or pains. No shower or bath though as the water pressure in the surrounding villages and Lower Peover is way down through a major burst quite a way from here.

We have hit yet more records with the Youtube site which just seems to go from strength to strength. We are due to be at Heaton Park this Sunday but the weather forecast doesn't look too good, we don't want to spend a day in mud and rain, both too long in the tooth for that game which illustrates the time and effort going in to our net activities which make use of what I've already got and can be achieved from the comfort of home. We still get out and about and have plenty of future plans for the coming year and have already started our next round of local area bus updates. The photos this evening come from todays walk and from Southend on Tuesday.