Filming with the BBC

Posted on January 18, 2012 by admin

I am enormously grateful to Andrew Knowles, aka @andrew_writer in the twitterverse. Andrew is a professional copywriter and he is also a BT Storyteller for the London 2012 Olympic Games. It is through this role that he has been able to bring walk2012 (or The Games Way as it is becoming known publicly) to the attention of the BBC.

Andrew Knowles: BT Storyteller for the London2012 Olympic Games

So it was that last Friday Andrew and I found ourselves at the viewpoint at Portland Heights with Simon Clemison, presenter of Spotlight for BBC Southwest.

View from Portland Heights: Chesil beach with Weymouth to the right

The filming process is very interesting to take part in. Firstly we get acquainted and Simon makes lots of notes about the walk and how it came about. Then he explains roughly how the piece will be structured and we start filming.

…or we would if the camera worked! It turns out that the quality of BBC filming comes at a price, and that price is tempermental cameras that are very fussy about dust. This doesn’t phase Simon, despite having driven from Plymouth to film us. A phone call to “support”, a new tape, and a bit of fast-foward and rewinding, and we are back on track.

It’s a couple of takes for Andrew and I to point down to the start of the walk and then start walking. Then Simon interviews me, followed by Andrew, and within a few minutes most of the talking on camera is complete.

Simon Clemison from the BBC with me (in the hat)

Simon pays an awful lot of attention to the sun – in order to keep the lighting constant, otherwise it becomes difficult to edit together. We spend quite a bit of time filming our feet walking, and then we drive down into Wyke Regis and film us walking along part of the Rodwell Trail (it used to be called the old railway line when I was a kid).

Passing dogs and an elderly couple all got roped into the filming, and the sun continued to shine which always makes Portland harbour look beautiful. A man digging for bait just added to the atmosphere!

Digging for bait, with the National Sailing Academy in the background

The finished piece is here – I cannot tell you how excited I am about being able to search the BBC News site for “Mark Stanley” and finding me :-) …and my tiny tiny ego!

Sign up now to join Walk2012. It’s free and you can bring your friends!

Join us for a day, a weekend or however long suits you. We’d love to share the experience with you.

Posted in Stan's posts, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Games Way route for campers

Posted on January 7, 2012 by admin

Don’t panic – this page takes a few moments to display properly

Fresh on the excitement of being named as number 3 in Country Walking Magazine’s “12 great walks for 2012″, here is the route broken down into day stages for campers. Shortly I’ll post up a similar breakdown for walkers who prefer the comforts of a B&B guesthouse.

The end to end route of The Games Way is the same for camping and B&B, but the days have slightly different start and end points in a few places.

Day 1: Portland to Durdle Door. 14 miles.


View Walk2012 – 1: Portland to Durdle Door in a larger map

This day is pretty much all along the South West Coastal Path and is very easy to follow – just keep the sea on the right and the land on the left and you’ll be fine. Be warned though, there are a couple of steep climbs, but not as tough as Day 2! We camp just short of Lulworth Cove – if you prefer there is a YHA hostel in Lulworth and a couple of small hotels and restaurants. The campsite has a pub/restaurant onsite and plenty of other facilities.

Durdle Door

Day 2: Durdle Door to Wareham. 18 miles.


View Walk2012 – 2: Durdle Door to Wareham in a larger map

Easily the toughest day of the walk with a series of steep climbs along the coast path. You will be well rewarded with some spectacular views and a fossil forest so it is worth the effort. For me the view from Swyre Head is the best view in Southern England. …and then you get Corfe Castle thrown in too :-) We pass 2 campsites, one just after Corfe Castle, and one just short of Wareham, which is the one I propose to use.

Day 3: Wareham to Wimborne. 18 miles.


View Walk2012 – 3: Wareham to Wimborne in a larger map

Away from the coast and the route is less signposted as we make our way through Wareham Forest and eventually along the river Stour to Wimborne. There is a 5-star campsite option, but £30+ a night feels a bit steep so I’m proposing a more cost-effective site.

Day 4: Wimborne to Red Shoot (New Forest). 17 miles.


View Walk2012 – 4: Wimborne to Red Shoot in a larger map

A mix of river, pasture and disused railway to Ringwood, and then we head off into the gorgeous New Forest, camping at Red Shoot with a popular pub/restaurant on our doorstep. I love this bit of the walk.

If enough people sign up for the walk in July to make it worthwhile, we will divert to Lyndhurst and have a fantastic night in the care of Girlguiding UK at Foxlease House. This adds a few miles to the walk but that just means more time in incredible countryside with wild ponies, birdsong and flowers – an incredible sensory feast.

Bolderwood, New Forest

Day 5: Red Shoot to Romsey. 17 miles.


View Walk2012 – 6: Red Shoot to Romsey in a larger map

More fun in the forest and a crucial stop at the Royal Oak in Fritham (for me it’s the best pub in the New Forest) before hitting Nomansland and heading east towards Romsey and the river Test. There are NO CAMPSITES in or near Romsey, so it is either wild camping by the Test or in Ampfield Wood, or a comfy bed in a B&B in Romsey.

Note – if we do go to Foxlease House in Lyndhurst there will be an extra day of beautiful walking from Lyndhurst to Nomansland, and then a shorter walk from Nomansland to Romsey the day after.

Day 6: Romsey to Winchester. 15 miles.


View Walk2012 – 7: Romsey to Winchester in a larger map

Romsey to Winchester is (as our route-tester Victoria James is painfully aware) is the trickiest stage of the walk in terms of following the route directions, not least because it involves a couple of spells in the woods and it is easy to get turned around and lose the route. That said, it also has some of the prettiest riverside walk as we follow the river Itchen into Winchester.

As with Romsey, there are no campsites in Winchester. I will be speaking to the good folk in Hampshire Council to see if they can help me find somewhere suitable, but failing that it will be another B&B night I’m afraid.

Winchester Cathedral, start of St Swithun's Way

Day 7: Winchester to Bishop’s Sutton. 12 miles.


View Walk2012 – 8: Winchester to Bishop Sutton in a larger map

The next 3 days see us follow St Swithun’s Way from Winchester to Farnham. It is mostly over farmland although the first day includes some gorgeous water meadows too. Felix and I walked this leg on the day of the Royal Wedding and we met some lovely people in The Ship at Bishop’s Sutton, including a lady who worked for Ordnance Survey, a chap who’d just run a marathon and and a very friendly german shepherd! Through them we got permission to camp in a field by the river and we propose to do the same in the summer. Failing that, there is a campsite (Two Hoots) with wooden pods a couple of miles further on which sounds good too.

Day 8: Bishop’s Sutton to Bentley. 17 miles.


View Walk2012 – 9: Bishop Sutton to Bentley in a larger map

This stage of the walk is almost entirely across farmland and the rolling hills of Hampshire, interspersed with a couple of copses and small settlements. Despite being in Hampshire the walk is surprisingly remote and it is a good idea to bring your food with you as there are few options. That said, Bentley has a pub with food but it is a bit out of the way of the proposed wild camp site. When Felix and I did this leg we were too tired to divert to the pub (yes, really) so we just pitched the tent, ate some cous cous and slept like the dead!

Day 9: Bentley to Puttenham. 12 miles.


View Walk2012 – 10: Bentley to Puttenham in a larger map

St Swithun’s Way finishes at Farnham and we pick up the North Downs Way by the train station. Hint: The Mulberry does a FANTASTIC brunch, extremely restorative :-)

There is a definite change in nature of the walk once we are on the North Downs Way. It heads due East and so there is a good sense of progress. As with St Swithun’s Way there is a lot of farmland and a few woods, including a charming fairy tree. I feel the landscape is somehow more open and there are times when you can see for miles and miles.

It would be quite easy to walk until Guildford, but at Puttenham there is an eco-camping barn next to a fine pub called The Good Intent, whereas there is no camping at Guildford.

Day 10: Puttenham to Weybridge. 21 miles.


View Walk2012 – 11: Puttenham to Weybridge in a larger map

It sounds long, but it is a very easy and pleasing walk following the Wey Navigation all the way into Weybridge. The scenery is beautiful and the Wey Navigation is steeped in history. The campsite is the Caravanning and Camping Club’s site in Chertsey – if anyone in the group is a member then we can get a lower rate :-)

Day 11: Weybridge to Putney. 17 miles.


View Walk2012 – 12: Weybridge to Putney in a larger map

We take the Thames Path to Kingston and then skip with the deer across Richmond Park and Barnes Common before rejoining the Thames Path at Putney Bridge. Sadly there are no camp sites here and I can’t recommend wild camping so I think it will be a guesthouse (or 5-star hotel if you prefer) for the last night of the walk!

Day 12: Putney to the Olympic Park. 15 miles.


View Walk2012 – 13: Putney Bridge to Olympic Stadium in a larger map

Ah, the final day of the walk, and the only day that is virtually all on pavement. We take the Thames Path through Battersea, Pimlico, and along the South Bank past Westminster, crossing over before or at Tower Bridge to go through Wapping to Limehouse Basin. Here we pick up Regent’s Canal and then cross Victoria Park in Hackney to the Green Way and the Olympic Park. Ta-da!

Olympic Stadium

Olympic Stadium

Posted in Stan's posts, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

So long 2011 and thank you

Posted on December 30, 2011 by admin

I am writing this blog post from our friends house in Wales where we are staying for New Year celebrations. We’ve had leek and potato soup and homemade bread, Felix and Brenda are talking about knitting, books, and canals. Who knows what direction the conversation will turn next, but for certain there will be much more talking and laughing over the next couple of days.

As a project manager I like to think I have a pretty good relationship with time – it kind of comes with the job description. Nevertheless I am always stunned at how quickly a year can pass. It doesn’t seem possible that 2011 can have whizzed by so quickly. In a minute it will be spring and then KAPOW! – the Olympics will be here and we’ll be walking and then it will all be over and I’ll be feeling a bit lost, and then it will be Christmas again and I’ll be wishing I hadn’t put “2012” in this website address!

2012 is a HUGE year for walk2012 of course – it is the year when a group of us finally get to walk the complete route during, and in celebration of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

I am very excited about sharing the route with everyone, and fingers crossed the walk2012 guide will be a useful resource for walkers for many years to come. A huge debt of gratitude is owed to the walkers who have road-tested the guide. Thank you to Colleen who has been a regular commenter on this blog, and has tested out the final stage of the route and offered some good tweaks to the route. Thank you to Victoria, whose adventures in Hampshire were the subject of the last post. Thank you also to Anne, Latimer and Terry, who are also testing out the guide for me.
One of the big surprises of 2011 was the interest in getting the route available online and on mobile phones. I remain massively grateful to Curly for his Android app called Mapcial, which has the walk2012 route on it, and to Phil and the brilliant Social Hiking site.

Felix has been a terrific co-conspirator this year and with her PhD completed it has been lovely to go walking together again. Her photoshop skillz have been invaluable in helping make the walk2012 guide cards look so good (the directions are 100% my fault!) Felix also got me these amazing walk2012-themed cufflinks for Christmas:

walk2012 cufflinks


The Dorset twitterers are as fantastic as ever and it was a real treat to meet up with everybody in the summer to celebrate Ben’s birthday. 2011 saw the addition of @andrew_writer to the crew when he and his family moved to Weymouth. Andrew is a copywriter, blogger, and one of the BT Storytellers for the London2012 Olympic Games and he and I have been working on the walk2012 story. More in 2012!

I hope you are celebrating the New Year with friends and/or family and/or fancy dress. Alas no fancy dress for us this year, but there is the Pembrokeshire coast …and gin! Wishing you all the very best for the coming year and I look forward to walking with you in the summer.

Happy New Year!

Cheers!

Posted in Stan's posts, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Road testing the walk2012 route – a good idea?!

Posted on December 15, 2011 by admin

Walkers of the world, please raise a glass and toast the amazing pioneers of the Walk2012 route. Brave souls who sacrifice weekends to stand perplexed in the middle of nowhere trying to turn my nonsensical instructions into something actually useful, so that future walkers of the Walk2012 route (officially called The Games Way) won’t get horrendously lost.

This blog post is dedicated to the fantastic contribution to Walk2012 of Dr Victoria James, who I am pleased to say is alive and well, despite attempting to walk the Romsey to Winchester stage of the route.

Laminated Walk2012 route cards and official Walk2012 road test badges have been posted to about half a dozen intrepid walkers and I am beginning to get some really useful feedback.

Unfortunately, I have to report a few problems with the route instruction – alas! And I write this as someone with a lot of experience of day-walks, and of following only written instructions.

Oh dear! How bad can it be? Let’s see…

I only got as far as Hursley, for reasons which will become apparent! Here are some thoughts on the instructions for the section I did do… Blue text is commentary, red is suggested expansions of your directions.

…ah, there is rather a lot of blue and red text. This doesn’t bode well…

[...]This got dodgy. [...] taking the stile to your left gets you to a stile in the corner of the field which takes you over to the riverbank. I was then casting around for a way of crossing the river, before abandoning it and backtracking to find another way across.

…hmm, yes we struggled a bit there ourselves. Still Victoria found the crossing eventually, and then had a couple of relatively trouble-free walking until coming out of the woods, near(ish) Hursley…

At this point you lost me. [...] there was no option to go straight ahead, it was a t-junction. I backtracked to the footpath sign [...], couldn’t see any other options, so retraced my steps down the hill [...] it brought me out at Ampfield, miles from Hursley. I walked two miles along the main road on the hard shoulder.

Not good. I think I would be in a bit of a strop if I was in her shoes…

What with backtracking several times earlier to check bits of the route, and the final ‘where on earth!’ moment, it had taken 4 hours to cover approximately half the route. So I decided to abandon it in Hursley. I couldn’t risk encountering similar problems on the second half after dark.

…but no, she still has her humour…

It became surreal after a while – the public footpath that mysteriously disappeared, the stile that led to nothing but an overgrown riverbank, and the mud that reached Somme-like proportions across most of the route. I was caked in it solidly from the waist down by the end!

It is testament to the resilience of walkers that despite having been put through such a frustrating experience, the email continues…

I may try the Hursley-Wincehster section before Christmas, or over the holidays if I can. The Putney-Stratford version I’ll try either this weekend or next. Got my badge!

and…

But what a beautiful day it was to be walking! Who could ask for more…
And at one point, four small deer (Muntjac i think, but possibly sika) bounded through the sunstreaked trees in Ampfield Wood – a beautiful moment.

Thank you so much Victoria!

What this blog post doesn’t contain is all the detailed improvements Victoria has suggested. I am planning to rework the route instructions when I retrace the walk with my friend Terry in the new year and we’ll be taking all of Victoria’s notes with us.

Sign up now to join Walk2012. It’s free and you can bring your friends!

Join us for a day, a weekend or however long suits you. We’d love to share the experience with you.

Posted in Reflection, Romsey to Winchester, Stan's posts, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Road-testing the walk2012 guide

Posted on November 24, 2011 by admin

Despite having over 25 miles of walking planned, there was no walking for me last weekend. Boo.

On Saturday my friend Terry had planned to test out my walking guide for Romsey to Winchester. Terry walked from Ringwood across the New Forest to Romsey with me last year and is daft/brave enough to road test my instructions. However a somewhat more important situation arose (this is an understatement!) and took priority.

On Sunday, fresh from giving a much acclaimed talk at the Boring conference in London, Dr Felicity Ford and I were going to walk from Farnham to Guildford and write up the walking guide for this leg. Alas we were thwarted at the train station by a closed platform and replacement bus service which would add hours to our day.

All was not lost however, and we set about designing the walkers guide, and our first prototype is ready! Here it is:

Walk2012 Road Test

Walking guide prototype and Road Test badges

The badges were Felix’s idea – she has been making (and selling) dozens of badges for WOVEMBER, and thought they would be a fine addition to the Walk2012 badge collection.

If you would like to road test a stage of the Walk2012 route then I have two available on request: Romsey to Winchester, and the final leg from Putney to the Olympic Stadium.

As things stand, the guide will be 12 cards, one for each stage of the walk. They are the same size as a (folded-up) OS map so they will fit neatly in your map pocket. The aim is to have the map and instructions on the same side so there is minimal faffing – I love walking and I love reading, but not at the same time! The flip-side of the card will have other useful info about the stage and some points of interest (pubs!)

Sign up now to join Walk2012. It’s free and you can bring your friends!

Join us for a day, a weekend or however long suits you. We’d love to share the experience with you.

Posted in Stan's posts, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Walking in wool

Posted on November 19, 2011 by admin

Last September I wrote about a fantastic pair of Walk2012 socks knitted for me by Felix and pictured below:

walk2012 socks - with Durdle Door, Tower Bridge and more!

This month Felix and the legendary Kate (aka Wazz, author many popular knitting patterns, the hugely successful Needled blog and Textisles …and most importantly human companion to Bruce the beautiful black Labrador) have been beavering away on a brilliant campaign / project called WOVEMBER. No, it isn’t encouraging women to grow or even knit moustaches and beards. WOVEMBER is all about showing…

…our collective appreciation of WOOL by wearing as much of this fabulous fibre as possible, and celebrating WOOL and its unique qualities in stories and pictures throughout the month of November. We hope that through our enthusiasm and creativity we can raise awareness of WHAT MAKES WOOL DIFFERENT, and jointly create a force for WOOL APPRECIATION strong enough to effect changes in how garments and textiles are described and marketed.

(taken from the About page of wovember.com)

I am lucky enough to live with an obsessive knitter and stalker of rare breeds of UK sheep, and through osmosis, waterboarding and personal experimentation I have come to appreciate the many properties of wool, particularly in regard to walking.

Hands up who has a wool base layer? You do? Fantastic. I can pretty much guarantee it is made of Merino wool from a New Zealand sheep. Here’s a famous one called Shrek:

Shrek the Merino sheep

So why Merino? Well according to the people at the excellent Chocolate Fish company where I bought my base layer…

New Zealand Merino fibres are long, strong, flexible and extremely fine. It is these distinctive characteristics that make New Zealand Merino so soft and comfortable against the skin. Merino provides insulation, moisture management, breathability, odour-resistance, stain-resistance, anti-static properties, flame resistance, comfort, and a natural degree of sun protection.

Perfect right? Admittedly it sounds a bit like an Andrex advert in parts (soft, strong, long…) but if you could make a tick list of the features for the ideal base layer this would be a good starting point.

Contrast this with the mighty Herdwick, the toughest sheep in the UK. They hang out in the high Lake District fells and endure all kinds of weather. They have a thick grey fleece that dries out quicker than other fleeces. However their wool would scour your skin like a Brillo pad, and so tends to be used for carpet and loft insulation. Pity really because if ever there was a walker’s sheep…

The Herdwick walkers association. Photo from www.selectcottages.com

So currently New Zealand has the wool base layer market pretty much to itself. However we have been monitoring progress at Finisterre who are working with Devon Fine Fibres and their Bowmont sheep.

Warrior the Bowmont Photo from Finisterre's blog

Bowmont are a cross between Saxon merino and Shetland sheep, and very nearly died out as a breed. Fortunately Devon Fine Fibres has been growing their flock and Finisterre has seen the potential in the wool. Recently they have launched their first two products, a hat and scarf. I really hope it is a success and a base layer will be the next product – no offence to New Zealand but I would love to be wearing a base layer from a UK sheep.

Pardon? You don’t have a wool base layer? OMG! Ok, here’s the truth. Wool base layers are really expensive if you think of them as a t-shirt, or if you compare them to the cheaper man-made “technical” base layers. But they are INCREDIBLE. For years I had “technical” base layers which I used when walking or snowboarding. Some of them work well, but all of them smell awful after a day’s hard work. I mean eye-wateringly bad. Do you find you get space to yourself in a crowded bar after a day on the hills? …do people lose their appetite when you take off your coat at a table?

You hate people and don’t care about the smell? Ah, you are an ultralight backpacker!! Well good news – wool is lighter than cotton. And it is *much* better at keeping you warm, even when wet.

Christmas is coming – put a wool base layer on the list. Santa will love you, WOVEMBER will love you, and so will your fellow walkers in 2012! Yes – you spotted the self-interest: hopefully I will be walking with you next year when you join us on Walk2012 :-)

Posted in Stan's posts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Clapham Jct to London 2012 Olympic Stadium

Posted on October 22, 2011 by admin

The previous 2 weekends have been centred entirely around our home, working in the garden for one glorious weekend, and then spending the whole of last weekend in our cramped cobwebby loft putting in extra insulation and floorboards. So it was a treat to be able to get out and about ths Sunday and write up another leg of the Walk2012 route. This time we decided to do the final leg, which is from Putney Bridge to the London 2012 Olympic Stadium.

Of course things never go quite to plan, and this weekend there were big chunks of tube line not working so after a fair bit of cursing we made our way to Clapham Junction and declared it the starting point for the day. Here is our route:


View Clapham Jct to Olympic Stadium in a larger map

So stepping over what appeared to be casualties of a Rugby World Cup party in a fancy dress shop we made our way to the Thames and were greeted with a fine collection of tyres…

When you are tyred of London...

When you are tyred of London...

…and some derelict buildings of byegone industry:

Thames near Clapham Jct

Thames near Clapham Jct

There really is a peculiar mix of old factories and modern offices, boathouses and penthouses along this stretch of the Thames. And just when you think you’ve seen it all, you bump into the Peace Pagoda in Battersea Park.

Peace Pagoda, Battersea Park

Peace Pagoda, Battersea Park

It is a beautiful if rather unlikely building/monument, and it is appreciated by chavs and monks alike, which I guess is kind of the point. The Peace it refers to is the no war kind of peace rather than the peace and quiet kind of peace, which is just as well because the trees are filled with shrieking parakeets!

"O hai" LOLbuddha

"O hai" LOLbuddha

Crossing to the north side of the Thames we walked along Grosvenor Rd with a great view of Battersea Powerstation and some impressive but fugly (sic) green glass apartments that look like the architect mixed his drawings up with his children’s pictures of ships and seagulls.

Battersea Powerstation

Battersea Powerstation

Comparing these with the MI6 building next door gave Felix and me plenty to debate as we crossed back over and walked along Albert Embankment and the joys of the South Bank.

Westminster sailing club

Westminster sailing club

I love the South Bank, I find it an exciting place to be and in my view it’s one of the bits of London that make it such a world class city.

Just down from Tate Modern on the South Bank

Just down from Tate Modern on the South Bank

We have an unresolved dilemma and I’d love to hear your opinion:
Should we cross the Milennium Bridge to St Paul’s and walk along the north side to the Tower, or should we stay on the South Bank and cross over Tower Bridge? All comments very welcome :-)

Tower Bridge

Tower Bridge

Beyond Tower Bridge is the pretty St Katherine’s Dock and then we get properly into Wharf territory as we headed towards Limehouse, which made Felix very happy as there were many opportunities to photograph bricks, and imagine what it was like in its heyday.

Limehouse Basin seems to to be a bit of a local hangout where teenagers can get away from parental scrutiny and impress each other with BMX tricks and smoke-rings. We carried on up Regent’s Canal, filled with pondweed and plastic bottles at this time of year, but nevertheless loved by moorhens and runners. It is very different from the canal near us (the Kennet and Avon) and although it is grubby and graffitti’d it is thriving with life, unlike Victoria Park!

Steampunk fish, Regent's Canal

Steampunk fish, Regent's Canal

My goodness, what has happened to Victoria Park – have you seen it?! Last time I was here I enjoyed sitting by the pond and pavillion and walking in the shade of the trees. Now it looks like a demolition site!

An unhappy me at Victoria Park

An unhappy me at Victoria Park

I know I am speaking out of turn, but seriously folks, what are you doing? It seems there is a “restoration” project going on – I am sure it is well intended but it isn’t obvious to me what needed restoring. Now there’s no doubt – they’ve trashed the place! It also looks like they are attempting a nature-defying feat of planting a 20-foot wide flower “meadow” under a very shady strip of trees that is hopping with a community of very hungry squirrels who are probably grateful for the seeds.

Green Way

Green Way

We headed out of Victoria Park and across to the Green Way and the last few hundred metres alongside the Olympic Park as the sun started to set. In all the route was a little over 13 miles.

Olympic Stadium

Olympic Stadium

Sign up now to join Walk2012. It’s free and you can bring your friends!

Join us for a day, a weekend or however long suits you. We’d love you to share the experience with us.

Can you help?

As with our last walk from Romsey to Winchester, I have written up some walking instructions for the guidebook and I need people to roadtest them! Please get in touch if you fancy trying out this walk.

Thanks, Mark

Posted in Putney to Stratford, Stan's posts, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Wanted: guidebook guinea pigs pioneers!

Posted on September 30, 2011 by admin

Finally, a bit of progress with the walk2012 guidebook. I have taken the recordings of last weekend’s walk from Romsey train station to Winchester and turned them into written directions.

Can you help? Walk2012 needs a brave soul or two to test out the directions and help improve them. Your feedback is the key to making sure the directions are clear and useful.

If the directions work well you can look forward to a beautiful 15 miles of riverside, woodland and fields with several fine pubs along the way.

Of course if the directions aren’t as clear as I hope then, well…. er… gosh, well your sacrifice means that those who come after you will not suffer the same misfortune. You should be proud :-)

Stumped?

Stumped by bad directions?! You can help :-)

So how about it? Do you fancy being a pioneer for a day and help me firm up the walk2012 directions?

Please get in touch and I’ll send you the directions. I might even buy you a celebratory/sympathy (delete as appropriate) beer in Winchester!

Cheers, Mark

Posted in Romsey to Winchester, Stan's posts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Romsey to Winchester – 15 miles of joy

Posted on September 25, 2011 by admin

Yesterday Felix and I got our walking boots and recording gear together and got the train down to Romsey. The plan was to walk the leg of walk2012 between Romsey and Winchester, and document it as we went so that I can start putting together the guidebook.


View Romsey to Winchester in a larger map

It was important to me that we picked a leg that had some complexity to the instructions because I want to figure out how to make the walking instructions succinct yet actually helpful. Plus it was an opportunity to finesse the route out of Romsey – when I last walked it I tramped along an A-road for a couple of kilometres. This time we concocted an alternative route that was twice as long but in my view many times better. It follows a small river north out of Romsey with huge fish in it, although none quite as large as this local artist suggests:

The Romsey whale

The Romsey whale, fisherman's tale extraordinaire

Part of the alternative route involves walking across some farmland which at this time of year is populated with frisky horned cattle like this fine fellow. We had a stand-off with two who were blocking our way for a couple of minutes as the rest of the herd quielty surrounded us. Of course they backed away and all was fine – but in the moment you can’t help but imagine the local news story…

Handsome cattle

"All dis grass are belong to me. U can try, but do u haz horns?"

The reworked route is a triumph – no busy roads at all, and a much more rural setting for the walk. It does add a couple of kilometres to the route, but I feel its good value, and we get to spend longer in Ampfield Wood too, which is a fungi-fan’s dream destination.

Fungi in Ampfield Wood

"Well you *could* join the crowd, but there's not mushroom

The wood is managed by the Forestry Commission and they like to keep walkers on their toes by re-routing the paths on a regular basis. However as long as you head East it will be fine and eventually you’ll hit the Monarch’s Way, which will lead you through a tree nursery to Knapp, where there’s a bit of road before diving back into the woods and onto Hursley.

Throughout the woods there were signposts and distance markers for the Hursley 10k all terrain run, which is happening today (Sunday). It looks like a great route. So that explains the sign in this picture, but can you explain what on earth Felix is doing?!

What is Felix doing?

Birdsong conducted by Ms Felicity Ford

The trees were ringing with birdsong – my guess is that there was one of those huge flocks of starlings all around us, and they were having a party! Hopefully Felix’s recording (she is holding 2 microphones) will come out well and she’ll post it on her blog.

Hursley has 2 pubs – the Kings Head and the Dolphin. Our route goes past the door of the Kings Head but there was a wedding on and they didn’t want muddy walkers like us in the photos! Consequently we ended up at the Dolphin which has a really friendly landlady and we were soon tucking into a ploughman’s and a pint of Ringwood Best in their lovely garden.

There is a long stretch across wide open fields to Shawford, which is just south of Winchester. Clearly I know too many knitters and felt-makers because I found myself thinking about the colours and the patterns in the fields. My friend at work, Amelia – is doing her Masters and recently sent out abstract squares of felt for comment. This field reminded me of her…

Stubbly field - feltwork?

Stubbly field - feltwork?

…and this one had me thinking about the suitability of these colours for a Fairisle project, for someone else to knit of course!

Inspiration for a Fairisle?

Inspiration for a Fairisle?

Just past Shawford station we turn left onto the Itchen Way and follow the river into Winchester. Apart from a dodgy bit under the M3 it is a stunningly beautiful walk, particularly with the sun low in the sky.

Fly-fishing on the Itchen

Fly-fishing on the Itchen

As well as the river, the path takes you past St Catherine’s hill, which is the site of an ancient fort and a huge number of stairs for budding young Rocky Balboas to run up!

Rocky! Rocky! Rocky! Rocky!...steps up St Catherines Hill, Winchester

Rocky! Rocky! Rocky! Rocky!...steps up St Catherines Hill, Winchester

The Itchen is a very inviting river and the temptation to take a sneaky swim is hard to resist. In fact it is one of the many spots that Roger Deakin goes for a “wild” swim in his beautiful book Waterlog. This book and another of his (Wildwood) are two of my favourite books about our connection with nature, and I love his irreverence and sense of mischief.

Itchen for a swim

Itchen for a swim

We followed the medieval city wall into the bustling heart of Winchester and headed up the high street towards the station and home, stopping for a celebratory pint just by the grounds of the Cathedral. In all I made 72 recordings of instructions on the dictaphone, and today I’m going to try and turn them into a guide. Watch this space :-)

Cattle drinking from the Itchen

"Mmm, I'm getting gooseberries, grass, a flinty little number..."

Posted in Romsey to Winchester, Stan's posts, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Back from the summer break

Posted on September 16, 2011 by admin

What a busy summer! Here are a few words and pictures of the various things I have been getting up to:

Babies!

My brother and his wife have had their first baby – here is Ben with his mum.

Yvonne and Ben

Yvonne and Ben (4 weeks old) in Cornwall

Cider!

My brother and wife moved house a couple of weeks before Ben was born and its garden was full of apples. What’s a boy to do?

Apples

Apples courtesy of my brother's new home

Cider press

Shredded apples going into the press

Walking!

Felix and I slipped off to Pembrokeshire for a glorious weekend of walking, camping and surfing on the Pembokeshire Coastal Path – it is absolutely stunning, and we had a terrific time camped on the cliffs just above a rocky cove with tunnels and caves to play in:

Felix

Felix looking uncharacteristically coy through on a hidden cove in Pembrokeshire

Pembrokeshire stacks

One of many stacks and arches on the stunning Pembrokeshire coast

Belly boarding!

I am now officially in the top 200 belly boarders in the WORLD following a triumphant display at the World belly boarding championships in Chapel Porth in Cornwall a couple of weeks ago. I made my own board using finest ply from B&Q and some spray paint and varnish. Top job:

My bellyboard

My handmade bellyboard

Fancy dress!

I had won a fine pair of vintage trunks on ebay that were the inspiration behind the paintjob for my bellyboard:

My trunks

Matching trunks, won on eBay but never delivered :-(

However, I am still waiting for the damn things to be delivered. Consequently I needed to put a new look together for the World championships, or else suffer the shame and mocking of my superbly attired brother. Hence…

World belly boarding championships 2011

Just like Keanu and Swayze in Point Break


World belly boarding championship 2011

Hot stuff at the World belly boarding championship 2011, Chapel Porth, Cornwall

Venice!

A couple of Felix’s long standing friends got married in Venice so we seized the opportunity to visit this gorgeous city. It is essentially car-free and perfect for walkers who enjoy exploring and seeing amazing sights and hidden beauty around every corner. And it was WARM! Amazing.

Felix on a Gondola

Felix and Monkl on a Gondola in Venice

Venice canal

One of many sideshoots of the Venice canals

Venice abstract

Check me out - art photography!

So, lots has been going on – not so much writing of guide books for Walk2012 however. I am procrastinating like a pro at the mo, but Felix is taking me in hand and so next weekend we will be making a start. Although there is hoovering to be done, and the cat needs a wash…

Posted in Stan's posts | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment