COAST-TO-COAST WALK Day 14

Who is Jesus?   Jesus is the Word

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. 

John 1: 1-5
Our New Home

Hubby and I are regularly enjoying strolls through Toowoomba's parks.

This delightful statue is in Laurel Bank Park, near the city centre.

The park  features beautiful rose gardens, spectacular manicured gardens,  

a playground, a picnic area and croquet greens. 

Also, there is a "scented garden" created with ideas from the Downs Association for the Blind, displaying fragrant blooms, herbs and shrubs grown in easily accessible raised garden beds. 

 http://www.queenslandholidays.com.au/things-to-see-and-do/laurel-bank-park/index.cfm

The Great Outdoors

Memories of England's Coast-to-Coast Walk Friday 22nd July 2005
What fun Jonathan and I had today, leaving Hubby with our bags when we went to the shops in Swainby for food. I noticed a middle aged cyclist, and the rider most definitely looked like Josie Dew. Josie's book "Wind in my Wheels" had been the inspiration for me wanting to achieve something "out of the ordinary", and take on a chalenge like hiking across England, coast-to-coast.  A pity I was too shy to call out to her and say "hello"!
You can click on the following link for a book review on "Wind in my Wheels" regarding Josie's bicycle travels through 4 continents and 36 countries, with her possessions strapped to her bike.
http://blog.duluthpack.com/general-discussion/book-reveiw-the-wind-in-my-wheels-travel-tales-from-the-saddle/

Here is hubby's daily diary.....

Day 14   Ingleby Cross – Lion Inn

Got up at 7.15 a.m. to shower and pack.  It looked like rain, but the clouds kept fairly high.  We couldn’t face steep climbs and descents again, so we walked along the A172 for 6 miles and then re-joined the hiking track at Clay Bank Top.  It was a cold and windy day and although the sun came out in the evening, it remained cr itold throughout.  The walk along the road was noisy as expected and we were treated to several low passes, by a Tornado jet. 

When we were close to the village of Swainby, Denise and Jonathan set off to the shops, leaving me minding our bags by the roadside.  They took over an hour, and I was very cold sitting still in the wind. When they returned with fresh bread, buns, butter, cheese, lollies, chocolate, eggs, bananas, milk and the trusty Kendell Mint Cake, we had quite a party!

Hiking on a path which was once a railway line.
It's afternoon and Denise is tired with very sore feet.
Jonathan has found a new way to carry her bag for her!

We left the road to join the hiker’s route at about 4.30 p.m. and climbed a steep rocky path to get to the moors. The hikers track then followed easily defined paths, one path being a dis-used railway.

It took us till 8.30 p.m. to get to the Lion Inn, battling in the cold wind.  Eventually we saw it in the distance, perched on a lonely hilltop in the middle of nowhere. The inn, isolated on the moorland, dates from 1553 when its patrons were coalminers and ironworkers. Motorists and walkers are the current patrons. We pitched our tents on some waste ground along with a dozen or so other campers.  Once again, there were no camping facilities, apart from a toilet inside the hotel. There were over 100 people crowded inside the cosy inn,  eating, drinking and some of them singing around the old  out-or-key grand piano.  The inn was kept warm with open fires.   We asked about staying there but it was fully booked, so we spent a cold, uncomfortable night in our tents.

Our shy-ness can lead to later regret - so God forbid that we be shy!

from Robyn

painting of robin by Brenda, Robyn's mum

COAST-TO-COAST WALK Day 13

Who is God? God is Love

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. 

1 John 4: 9-12

Our New Home

From our back lawn we gaze at a spacious sky in its various moods.

The Great Outdoors

Memories of England's Coast-to-Coast Walk  Thursday 21st July 2005
It was a very embarrasing morning for me, emerging from our tent pitched on the village green - Danby Wiske's camping site.  And only 10 metres away were mothers and children at the bus stop waiting for the school bus! 

Here is hubby's daily diary.....

Day 13  Danby Wiske – Ingleby Cross

The village green, Danby Wiske 

We woke late after sleeping on the village green, and watched mothers put their children on the school bus. Denise was very embarrassed to find that we were waking up after a night of camping, in what now had become a village public place!! 

  

Walking along the pedestrian "right of way"
in a farmer's wheat field 

Then we set off for another flat walk, but we were tired and didn’t cover the distance too quickly.  We walked through farmland with fields of wheat and oats. So long as at least one pedestrian walks through a farm once a year, farmers in England by law must give “right of way” to walkers.

We followed a narrow track through this wheat field, grateful for the unique opportunity to travel through farms.

  

Again it was good to see the full circle of sky, although it was overcast most of the time.  We made several long breaks – one of these breaks was for breakfast (porridge and tea) which we cooked after crossing a paddock with hundreds of chickens which following us until we climbed over the style which they couldn’t get over! However, one stray chicken joined us for breakfast. 

Passing through a free-range chicken farm
on the pedestrian "right of way".

A stray chicken joins us for breakfast

Thanks Jonathan (again!!)
Jonathan carries Denise's bag on his front
and his bag on his back for the last 2 miles

We strolled into Ingleby Cross at about 4.30 p.m. and set up camp at the back of the Blue Bell Hotel.  Denise and I enjoyed sitting outside behind the pub, at wooden tables, drinking shandies and Jonathan had a lemonade.  Then for showers and washing some clothes. We  sat chatting to a man and his son from Germany who were also hiking/camping across England, but they were getting their bags carried by a courier each day.  Denise cooked tea, but we were still hungry, so we bought pies from the pub – not up to the normal standard of English pub meals!

  

Cricket was played adjacent to our camping spot

Cricketers arrived on the well-kept green next door, and as the sun began to shine at 6.30 p.m., they commenced a 20-over match.  The players were good, but the ball was lost several times in the bushes or in the beck.  We all sat talking and watching cricket until 9.00 p.m.  It started to turn cold, so we finally went to bed.  Cricket stopped soon after that.

Cricket and a beer outside an English pub. That is the life!

from Robyn

painting of robin by Bren

COAST-TO-COAST WALK Day 12

Who is God?  God is our Guide

This God is our God for ever and ever;
he will be our guide even to the end. 

Psalm 48:14

Our New Home

A 2 metre high lemonade tree in our back garden has branches hanging to the ground, 

laden with ripening fruit.

The daily water jug has sliced citrus fruit added, giving the water a nice flavour.

Rhubarb growing under the lemonade tree gave us a tasty desert last night-

cooked with apple and sweetened with sugar. 

The Great Outdoors

Memories of England's Coast-to-Coast Walk Tuesday 19th July, 2005

Since I was a child, I have wanted to meet a gypsy! My wish came true today, as I met a gypsy lady out on her daily walk. We had a delightful chat for an hour or so.  Here is a little of Penelopy's story below in hubby's daily diary.....

Day 12   Richmond  - Danby Wisk 

Up late after a fantastic night’s sleep in our cosy, second floor bedroom, with windows overlooking lovely hanging flower-baskets in a courtyard below.  We packed and went down to our fourth full English breakfast since leaving Hong Kong 12 days ago. The first two English breakfasts we had enjoyed at Tomlin House in St. Bees before starting our long hike, and the third at Grasmere where we had stayed because of rain and tiredness the previous Wednesday.  We had now spent seven nights camping and four nights at Bed and Breakfast. Our next B & B would be another six days away, at Robin Hood’s Bay.

It was a warmer day although still windy.  We heaved up the steep road out of town and onto the road towards Brompton-on-Swale, through the flat farming land between the Pennines and the Cleveland Hills. Hiking through the Vale of Mowbray, we kept to the road rather than choosing the hiker’s path through farms.  It was a pretty walk yet busy, and the flat farm-land for the first time was not farming sheep, but instead we saw paddocks of wheat and oats which were being harvested in many fields.  It was nice to be in the wind – not cold this time.  We enjoyed the full horizon and the cumulous clouds scudding across the blue sky before the driven wind. 

  

We were resting near the road when a lady out doing her daily walking exercise stopped to talk to Denise.  Her name was Penelopy. She had come from a gypsie family and had lived her childhood in a gypsie caravan.  She had been shell-shocked as a baby during World War 11 and as a result  she had not ever spoken.  At 9 years old, however, when her mother was discussing sending her to a speech therapist, she anxiously cried out, “I won’t go!!”   Her first words!  As a 10 year old, some 55 years ago,  she was chosen by the gypsie community as England’s bonniest gypsie girl for the May festival. She was England’s last May Queen, for the gypsie community has not celebrated their May Festival with a Queen since then.

The road was mostly paved and direct and we made the tiny village of Danby Wisk by 5.45 p.m.  Camping was on the village green at the front of the pub, with toilets and showers across the road, behind the pub.  We rested in our tents and waited for the “White Swan” to open for evening meals.  We enjoyed our third Pub Meal since setting off twelve days earlier – and it was absolutely delicious - roast lamb again and side dishes of vegetables. 

Dreams really do come true! 

from Robyn

painting of robin by Bren

COAST- TO-COAST WALK Day 11

Who is Jesus?Jesus is the Light of the World
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." .

John 8:12

Our New Home

Every man needs a shed, and on the left is hubby's "man shed"
which he is absolutely delighted with!
There is hubby in the background,
having afternoon tea on our freshly varnished back patio. 

 We enter our small vege garden through a lovely white archway with its trailing pink roses.
An echidna has been digging in  this garden during the past few evenings.
This "spiny ant-eater" with its elongated and slender nose
and short strong limbs with large claws is about 20 cm long, and is a powerful digger, sweeping up ants with its long, sticky tongue. 

The Great Outdoors

Memories of England's Coast-to-Coast Walk  Tuesday 19th July, 2005
Hubby and I have been watching Wainwright-Walks on TV each night, lately. Tonight, we saw the section of the walk leading to the town of Richmond. It was great to view that amazing and awe-inspiring countryside once again! Here is the video link to the TV documentary. http://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/video/24096835691/Wainwright-Walks

Below is hubby's daily diary from our Coast-to-Coast Walk....

Day 11     Reeth – Richmond   

Up at 6.30 a.m. to a blustery Winnie-the-Pooh kind of day, the kind that blew Piglet’s ears back.  Not too much sun.

Just as were eating our eggs and bacon, a fellow camper  walked by and chatted, saying that he and his wife had discussed the night before, that they could drive our bags on to Richmond for us. They weren’t really headed that way, but they were holidaying and weren’t worried how they spent the day. This was possible for us, because we knew where our next destination would be, having previously booked Bed & Breakfast in Richmond.   We were so very grateful to have our bags taken on for us,  and we had our easiest day.  We followed the road east of Reeth, parallel to the River Swale, only carrying our water, cameras and one small day-pack between us. This time, we kept to the road not wanting to continue tripping and stumbling along the hiking path.  The wind turned cold and we  wore our jackets. Patchy rain blew in off the moors in misty wafts.

  

Sheltering from the cold wind to eat our lunch

Although the route had a long, steep climb towards the end, we made good time and reached Richmond at 2.30 p.m.!  What a beautiful place. The centre was the market square surrounded by churches, pubs and the castle.  The town was busy and had a real community feel – the sort of place where one might like to live! 

The town of Richmond

We found our Bed and Breakfast, “Willance House”,  which we had booked before leaving Hong Kong. It is  the oldest cottage in the town, filled with antique ornaments and furniture. The cottage displayed a plaque for winning 1^st prize in the annual competition for “Hanging Baskets at Commercial Properties”.

  

Willance House B & B at Richmond
A delightful place! 

Willance House had once been the home of the first Mayor of Richmond, Robert Willance.  Although his horse died after leaping over Whitcliff Scar in 1606,  Willance used the warmth of his horse to keep himself alive overnight, and he was rescued the following day. It was after the horse riding accident in which he lost his leg, that he became the Mayor of Richmond.

We unpacked in our comfortable, inviting bedroom on the second floor,  washed our clothes and had amazingly delicious showers.  It was around 4.00 p.m. and Denise snuggled into crisp, white cotton sheets, nursing her tired, sore feet and she slept at Willance House while Jonathan and I went out to visit the computer at the library.

The keep at Richmond Castle 

I went on to tour the castle, leaving Jonathan to email his friends.  It was still cold and blustery, and I was only at the castle for the  last half hour before closing time.  There were  only two spectators at the castle. I made for the top of the keep to photograph the views of the rest of the castle and the surrounding town. Then I quickly looked around the castle grounds and the museum.  It was a great visit – interesting  because the English Pacificts were locked up  and brutally treated at this castle during World War 1.  There were 16 Pacifists due to be shot one day, but their lives were saved because of a protest from the townspeople.

At 7.30 p.m., we all went out for fish and chips and a plate of salad. We did some food shopping and then it was off to bed. Our night at Willance House cost a total ₤60, including breakfast.       

http://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/video/24096835691/Wainwright-Walks 
Click on this link to see the TV commentary of this walk! 

We should never under-estimate the effect that our vocal opinions can have, even to the saving of lives, as happened in Richmond! 

from Robyn

painting of robin by Bren

COAST-TO-COAST WALK Day 10

Who is Jesus? 
Jesus is Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace

To us a child is born, to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end.

He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.  

Isaiah 9: 6-7

Our New Home

The noisy chattering galahs - also known as rose-breasted Cockatoos -
wheel across our sky each day, showing their rosy breasts,
then their grey backs as they change direction.

This galah is sitting on the electricity power cable outside our home. 

The Great Outdoors

Memories of England's Coast-to-Coast Walk   Monday 18th July, 2005 
When you are already tired, a shorter distance can be quite a long way!

Here is hubby's daily diary.....  

Day 10       Keld - Reeth 

We packed up our gear to a fewer number of midges and set off down the road under a lowering sky and a calm wind.  We stopped at a nearby Youth Hostel where we made ourselves a cup of tea – and questioned why we weren’t sleeping at comfortable places with real beds and no midges.  We had a lovely relaxing hour, just sitting in the YHA lounge armchairs, reading a few pamphlets and sipping hot tea. 

 Outside Keld Youth Hostel                         Denise is appreciating
where we made a cup of tea                              her walking poles

We then set off on an easy day’s walk along a river to Reeth, but we got lost, or rather, made a wrong turn. It was Jonathan’s first day of being “map-reader”, and it was made somewhat difficult because when we asked for help by a “local” out hiking, he showed us where we were on our map, but in fact we had diverted off to the side of our strip-map!  Later we asked directions from some experienced and energetic local hikers with a larger Ordinance Survey Map, and they directed us on to the path following the Swale River. It was then that it rained.  Not hard, but a blowing mist across the dales.

   

Colourful roses grew in the deserted street of Gunnerside

We walked past the greystone houses bordering the deserted street of Gunnerside, admiring the beautiful roses blooming in this small, tidy village.

We then  headed for Reeth, by now in the full sun although the wind kept us cool.  We walked past farms where fields were divided by ancient stone walls.

Next stop - Reeth 

Farmers' fields were divided by ancient stone walls

At 5.00 p.m. we arrived at Reeth to stock up with eggs, bacon, bread, fruit and milk.  We were sore and weary after our comparatively short hike of 11 miles. 

Reeth was a beautiful spot, and so was the caravan park with its flat green lawn surrounded by farmland.  We found the owner of the caravan park who told us to hop into his ute in order to drive us to the exact spot where he wanted us to pitch our tents.  When Denise went to get in the front seat of his ute, he kindly told her to hop in the back tray!!  

Sheep bleated all night, mothers calling to their lambs.

I was glad that we had spent a few moments "smelling the roses" today! 

from Robyn

painting of robin by Bren

COAST-TO-COAST WALK Day 9

Who is Jesus? 
Jesus is the Way and the Truth and the Life

 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. 
No one comes to the Father except through me." 

John 14:6 

Our New Home

 

 When I saw this beautiful white duck in the peaceful Japanese Garden at Toowoomba's University,
I thought it was a statue!

The park is Australia's largest and most traditionally designed Japanese stroll-garden. 

The Great Outdoors

Memories of England's Coast-to-Coast Walk   Sunday 17th July, 2005 
It was a great relief to buy walking poles today.  When we relaxed eating treats from the baker by a delightful stream at Kirby Stephen, we had no idea of the challenge ahead! Dave did not realise that he was packing a 2 day hike into one day only! 

Truly, it was a very hard day! I (Denise Robyn) took the responsibility of filling our water bottles at Kirby Stephen in a public toilet block, but because I felt pressured to hurry, with hubby wanting to be on his way, I only filled half of our bottles. Little did I know that there would be no more fresh flowing mountain streams to fill our bottles on the remainder of the journey, as we had been previously doing. And that was only the beginning of the challenges for the day!
It would have been realistic to have stopped at Kirby Steven overnight. 

Here is hubby's daily diary..... 

Day 9  Bent's Farm - Keld     A killer of a day!                                                                              

Bent's Farm to Kirby Steven - perhaps a 10 mile hike for us.

Then there was another 20 plus miles (with getting lost) from Kirby Steven to Keld 

We paused for some minutes plucking up enough courage
to pass through this field of cows,
unsure of our safety.

We left Bent’s Farm at 7.00 a.m. and got back onto the track over the moors.  We were unsure of our safety on passing through a field of cows as we had heard stories of cows  attacking hikers, and a farmer's wife recently being squashed by an attacking cow. The weather was cloudy and cool as we made our way down  slopes, over a disused railway line, up over the slopes on the other side and towards Kirby Stephen.

mothers with their sons 

Lunch in the shade by a cool creek at Kirby Stephen

It took us until 1.30 p.m. to make Kirby Stephen where the first thing to purchase was walking poles for Denise and Jonathan.  Denise possibly would not have been able to carry on without some help!  We enjoyed a welcome lunch of fresh bread and Battenburg cake from the baker plus a large drink of cold milk as we sat in the shade beside a bubbling creek.

By now the sun was shining and it was quite hot. We wearily trudged up a long incline and out over moorland again. Denise had only filled four of our one litre water bottles at a pub in Kirby Stephen, and unfortunately we had not realized that we had just passed the last of the clean, bubbling creeks from which we could constantly replenish our water supply throughout the day.

                                                                                                   

We made a diversion to the map to take a shorter journey due to the intense heat. We headed for a bitumen road towards Keld. It was hard hiking and we were rationing our water.  Denise walked with umbrella up and a wet towel soaked in algae water around her neck.  We had to make sure that we didn’t drink from the bottle of algae water which she had collected to keep her towel wet. We stopped to rest and eat some fruit, all alone in the  great expanse of hills.  We had seen no-one on these hills and our only sight of life was the hang gliders above us.  Jonathan, who was suffering  heat stroke, had drunk most of our water supply.  After he slept for an hour on the lonely sunny expanse, fortunately he was able to carry on.  Denise kept a litre of water between us for emergency.

Dave decides to take a diversion to the map!

Resting in the afternoon heat with no shelter.

At 7.30 p.m. we reached the road and headed east, the hillsides a beautiful colour as the sun

sank in the west behind us. It was a long road and  we were sore, tired and thirsty. 

It was already 7:30 p.m. when we saw a never-ending long straight road
but we did not dare feel despondent as Jonathan had already suffered heat-stroke,
and we were at the end of our water. We slowly plodded on. 

Jonathan and I pitched the two tents
while Denise filled the water bottles
suffering an invasion of midges. 

We reached Keld at 10 p.m. – just light enough to set up camp.  However, the grass was infested with millions of midges which crawled thickly all over us – in our eyes and ears and down our throats, driving us mad. Denise filled our water bottles as Jonathan and I hurriedly pitched the tents.

We quickly threw our things into our tents as soon as we pitched them, trying in our haste to evade some of the midges.  Jonathan and I had showers, but Denise wouldn’t even go out amongst the midges to go to the toilet! We dived into our sleeping bags, but there were many hundreds of midges in our tent already, with unzipping the tent flap a few times. What a night!

Life is made up of both good times and hard times!  

from Robyn

painting of robin by Brenda, my mum