Walking Lands End to John O'Groats 2025 for Alzheimer's Society

I left the Old Silent Inn at 9:15 after chatting to landlord re the state of hospitality business and of grief. Also over breakfast I chatted with a couple using Brigantes to walk the Pennie Way - with some 20-22 miles which they are dreading and wished they had kept to 14-15 miles. The day was already hot. I heard a Cuckoo and willow warblers singing as I walked around the reservoir and passed Ponden Hall at 9:45 which apparently inspired the Vicarage in Withering Heights. By 10:30 I was starting to head up Ickornshaw Moor meeting a couple of blokes doing pothole repair for Bradford Metropolitan Council. I thoroughly enjoyed chatting to them about the heat and their hot work and bless them, one donated to the charity. As I climbed higher onto the moor it was lovely to hear curlews all around me building up to their bubbling cry. I’m sure Mum would have loved that - but perhaps not the heat and the climb! I know Dad would though! The thought of him offering to be my pack carrier along ...

I started out around 8:30, saying goodbye to Martin until I meet him in Malham to pick up my camping stuff. I walked up behind the B&B through the woods to re-join the Pennine Way. The bluebells on the steep slopes were amazing - and despite my poor sense of smell these days I was pleased to pick up the occasional drift of scent as the sun warmed up. Indeed the heat was rising quickly and it felt humid. Coming out of the woods to the fields I was glad for the occasional breeze - but it was occasional! I recalled the wonderful sound of curlews calling here in March 2020 - all seemed quiet until 3 flew over. This part of the walk is undulating as it crosses a couple of valleys running parallel with a particularly attractive stone bridge spanning the “Golden Water” stream.  I was relieved to reach Mays Shop at 10:30 but was dismayed to see a Closed sign. Although there was a door bell saying ring for attention I was reluctant to do so, but apparently there’s a camera and sure enou...

Last night and this morning were very much planning logistics for the next week as I transition to 3 nights of B&Bs, meet Martin for a resupply at Malham for 2 nights of wild camping, and then do a final resupply at Keld to take me through to Fort William. And at that time make a final decision on whether to go on the Cape Wrath Trail which is worrying me if the weather is inclement. That’s a decision for a week’s time but I want to pencil out the route on my hardcopy OS maps to ensure it’s all clear in my head over the next few days. We left Martin’s Mum at 9 and headed back to Standedge picking up packed lunch for me on the way. What I’ve liked about this commuting to and fro is that it has given me a better context of the Pennine Way - both of parts of the country I know but also parts I’d not been to or remembered before just as names I’d heard as a child while listening to my mother talk to her Mum, or to Dad….. Stalybridge, Marple, Whaley Bridge, Mottram A pair of curlew gree...