Sussex to Lands End.

WEEK 1
Due to a major glitch to the arranged transport from Crawley to John O Groats, I have been forced to change my route. We are now heading West to Lands End. From there we will head north to John O Groats. This will add another month and another 300 miles to our journey but we will no doubt enjoy and savour the extra time on the road together, plus we will have the added bonus of catching up with some friends that we met on the "test run" to Glastonbury.

DAY ONE  
Thursday 1st May

9 am. Set off from Crawley in West Sussex a last minute change of plan has us heading on foot to Lands End instead of by arranged truck. This has its advantages, as we can catch up with some old friends that we made on our last trip to the West Country. 
Changing our route, Crawley to Lands End, and heading North does put me in awe of the impending mileage, but as long as I look after poppy and we take it easy, there is no reason why things won’t go to plan.  
At the moment I am sitting in the cart enjoying a nice cup of herbal tea just watching the world go by. We have had quite a lot of visitors, well wishers, and people just curious as to what we are doing. Two of these were Nathan and Nikki who run a mobile equestrian suppliers. They didn’t give me any sales pitch, in fact quite the opposite, they gave us some items for free, things they thought we might need and some sound advice. Not only that but later on that evening they went out of their way to bring me out a home made spaghetti bolognaise.
People’s kindness never ceases to surprise me.
As the night draws on I am sitting in the back of the cart looking at the maps thinking about the hard work that all three of us did to get us here, I don’t mean the walk to where we are now but where we are at, living a dream, something that was a mere thought three years ago but now a reality and one for which I am truly grateful.

DAY 2
Friday 2nd May

"Started out from Broadbridge Heath at 9am, it was raining very hard and there was a great deal of traffic on the road as well. I decided to switch the top-flashing beacon on, as visibility was poor and the wind was picking up as well. We continued along the quiet country roads, so as not to take too much of a risk with the traffic, which by now was becoming quite heavy and dangerously fast regardless of the rain or us.
The back roads carried us safely towards Billingshurst, and offered a much nicer view. We had a quick stop to gather supplies from the garage shop, once we had reached the village, much to the amusement of those already filling up their cars. As poppy waited patiently beside pump number three I went in to the shop and bought the important supplies, mars bars etc. We pulled out of the petrol station and headed towards Wisborough Green.
As we neared the village the skies opened up again, we carried on for about three more miles and found a nice spot to pull over it was only mid day but I decided that it was probably the best place to stay the night. We pulled over and I unpacked all the kit, I then took Poppy out of her harness gave her a drink, and then set up camp.
Firewood was the first job, and being next to a wood made things easier, so off Pru and I went. It didn't take long to find a good supply, one which would keep us warm through the night. As we walked back to camp I spotted some Goose Grass growing alongside the path which we had passed, this is also known as Cleavers and is very tasty, boiled for five minutes Then a knob of margarine on top when it is out of the pan, lovely. Shame we didn't have any margarine!
After dinner I spent most of the time feeding the fire and cleaning the tack. As the daylight faded Pru and I are off over the fields to try and get us a bunny. Find out tomorrow if we do or not."

DAY 3
Saturday 3rd May

Woke up to a lovely sunny day. I climbed out of the cart stretched said hello to Poppy then put the kettle on. The night before Pru and myself had gone for a walk over the fields to try and get a rabbit for the next day's dinner but had no luck. As I drank my tea I gave Poppy and Pru some breakfast, and then had a wash, its very important if you are living as we intend to for as long as we intend that hygiene be adhered to. Cleanliness is very important to me, if I wish to stay healthy and also so I can approach people and they feel they can approach me.
After I had my breakfast it was time to pack up the camp and load all the equipment on to the cart, after which a quick check for any litter, which sounds petty but if we want to stay there again then it's only right, plus of course it isn't nice leaving rubbish around for other folks or animals to deal with. After the cart was loaded it was time to groom Poppy this must be done not only for her appearance but also her health as well.
This done I hitched Poppy to the cart and we set off heading for Petworth a couple of miles down the road. As we came in to the village the traffic was getting quite heavy and the width of this maze like road system didn't help, with hardly any place that traffic could pass us.
Most of the other traffic waited, while a few sounded there horns, which to Poppy didn't bother her, but to me, kind of made me think hang on a minute these people are only going to be five minutes late at most, what's the worst that could happen if Poppy was concerned about them, these people either don't realize what could happen or just don't care!
We made our way out of Petworth heading towards Midhurst stopping off about a mile just before to have a cup of tea and some water for Poppy and Pru. As we started to approach the village Pru, who had been running beside the cart as she does, jumped on board as to save time so I didn't have to keep an eye on her through this busy place.
Next stop was about five miles down the road to a nice little place that wed stayed last time we were passed by here, a lovely spot surrounded by a bluebell carpeted wood next to an medieval church, the history of worship on that site goes back a lot further, we pulled up I then unhitched poppy and put the kettle on.
The midges seemed to be out in force so I put the midge blanket on Poppy, an absolute must if your trying to keep a horse healthy and sweet itch free, this done we all ate and drank, then Pru and I played give me my last mars bar back, which she won, BAH!!
As the evening drew in Pru and I went scouting for firewood, and enjoyed the pleasant surroundings. We walked back to camp about half an hour later with a good load of wood, settled down with another cup of tea and watched the warm glow in the wood burner."

Sunday 4th. May 2003
DAY 4

"Woke up at five thirty, and put the kettle on and as I did this an army of midge's descended, and formed attack formation. As they started swarming around me I fumbled around in the horse's stuff to find the midge spray, a few good squirts for the dog and me seemed to put them off. As I stood up from having sprayed the dog thinking ha! ha! that will show them, the door of the cart had swung open, and smacked me straight in the face.
The kettle was now boiling and it was time for the first cup of the day and what a great cup it was. My tea drank, it was now time to pack up the camp and groom and tack up Poppy. We headed off towards Petersfield and into Hampshire. The day was sunny and warm, not always a good thing, if its raining then Poppy won't get too hot which helps her not to dehydrate to much, or too quickly. I do carry rehydration additives that are put in her feed, these help to replace the minerals and salt that she has lost through her sweating, its like the equestrian equivalent to Lucozade. If it is sunny and warm, we don't get wet and I can do my washing and get it dry.
We passed through Petersfield quickly, due to our Satellite Navigation Device. It makes life a little easier when passing through towns that have one-way systems to negotiate, as I don't have to look at a map constantly. We carried along the main road for four miles and came upon a major hill climb of at least a mile and by the time the sun was getting pretty hot. I went to the back the cart and unhooked the rolling blocks, these hang up under the body of the cart on chains and in the event of a steep climb they are unhooked and left to drag behind the back wheels enabling the cart to roll back on them if we need to stop thus giving the horse a chance to rest and not have to do the hill in one go.
The hill was climbed and we rested up to cool down and regain our pace. This done we continued on our way for four more miles to West Meon. The place we stayed on our last trip was the at the back of the pub at the cross roads. I hoped that the same people were still there and that we could stay in their paddock. To my relief they were still running the place and said we could stay. We pulled into the field and unpacked and unhitched, the sun had taken its toll on all of us and Poppy stood by her bucket and drank two fills straight down. Pru also had quite a thirst so she took her fill; me, well I thought I'd go to the pub and have some colder water from the tap?
As the evening drew in, we lay in the field and enjoyed the scenery whilst I cleaned the tack."

DAY 5
Monday 5th May.

Woke up at around seven thirty, I decided to treat myself with a cappuccino from the garage which was just over the road from where we were staying. As I walked back looked at the time and remembered that the local radio station were about to call to do an on air interview in about five minutes, my phone was switched off and back in the cart, I just made it in time as I turned the phone on it started to ring, and sure enough it was them. The interview went well I thought, I mean I didn't say xxxx or any other nightmarish word like that so I was happy.
We left West Meon and headed towards Winchester on the 272 turning off through Cheriton. This is a lovely little village that has a brook running along side of it, the water is crystal clear and brown trout can be seen swimming about in quite large numbers. We turned out of the village and headed for New Alresford which I knew had a shallow ford crossing, it was a hot day so I thought that it was a good idea to head for there. We arrived at the ford after taking a small narrow lane, the water here was about three feet deep and was very inviting, we took our time going through, as it was such a hot day, Poppy seemed to enjoy the water as did Pru and I. We headed from the ford which came out on a main road, to Kingsworthy passing through a couple of small villages on route, by this time we had covered about ten miles so we stopped off to take a well earned break.
We pulled out of the place where we had taken a break and headed to the village of Crawley, which was another five miles or so up and down the road, and this proved to be a very tiring as there were so many hills again, but Poppy came into her own and walked on and got us there.
We found a nice spot thanks to some local kids who had joined us as we had entered the village. As I unpacked the girls petted Poppy and helped around the camp setting things up, it was nice to meet nice kids who were very much into horses and had good manners as well. When Poppy had been groomed and fed I made a cup of tea and sat and chatted to our visitors, they spent a long time with us and even went to get some playing cards so I taught them Blackjack.
As the kids left, a van pulled up and two men got out with them also was a little girl, it turned out that these people were a Romany family and very nice to, they were pleased to see us and hear about what we were doing, we talked for a long time and said we would meet up soon and talk some more.

DAY 6
Tuesday 6th May

I got up at five a clock as I knew it was going to be a hot one and so not to give Poppy too much of a hard day pulling the cart in the heat. I fed Poppy and Pru then had a cup of tea myself, It was quite chilly so I put my jumper on which was quite painful because of the last few days sunburn. When Pops had finished eating it was time to groom her, and then pack the camp up.
We headed for Stockbridge, which was five miles down the road. The road to Stockbridge is all countryside, and at this time of year its teaming with wild flowers and walking at a horses pace you can appreciate it completely. The other thing about walking slowly day after day is, you slow down in everything else. When I am at home doing my nine till five like everyone else, I tend to do every thing at stupid speed thinking, eating, working, and especially speaking, talking as quickly as possible the brain going mad making every day life sometimes a ball of confusion.
Walking and living at a horses pace is certainly a good way of calming down, I mean you couldn't make Poppy rush, not in the way I'm expected to sometimes, she wouldn't have it!
Any way I digress, where were we, just coming into Stockbridge, a nice little village with a river running through it. Now at this point as things start getting more interesting as far as places, buildings, etc. I will only go in to the history of it if I think its relevant, otherwise I'd probably fall asleep typing it, let alone listen to someone tell me about its in's and out's for the last four hundred years and taking as long to tell me. Now as I said if its not obvious or its really not that interesting then a picture or short text is all your going to get however, if its interesting people or places then okay.
We pulled out of Stockbridge to its neighbour Longstock. The sun was getting hotter so I decided that we should stop just down the road at Danebury Hill Fort, which dates back to the iron age, but because of the cattle grid in front of the entrance we could only admire the car park and sign post to the Fort which date back at least three maybe four years. Still it was a very nice signpost!
After admiring the sign we headed off up the road towards Grateley a further four miles. Again the scenery was stunning the fields were teaming with flowers and different crops that were growing it, this was how I had always pictured the west country to be. We passed through Grateley, and then on to our final destination at Quarley. This was going to be our stop for the night, as it was getting very hot.
As we got to just outside the village we stopped and asked a farmer for some water, and for me to use there tap to water Poppy and Pru. We said thanks and left to find a nice spot to pull in by the village hall. I unpacked the cart and put the kettle on.
As I was drinking my tea a man walked over and introduced himself as Mr. Phil Rose former Wheel Wright to the district and village. Making cartwheels for agricultural use over sixty years ago. Phil reminisced about his life in a bygone age and we talked for quite a long time until said he had to go. We said goodbye and I went about the daily chorus of what needed doing. Cleaning the tack and making dinner and that was pretty much it for DAY 6.

DAY SEVEN
Wednesday 7th May

The sixth night was the worst nights sleep that I’ve had so far due to a migraine .If you have ever had one, then you know that the best thing for it is to lie quietly in a dark room, not to be setting off in brilliant sunshine without any sunglasses.
That’s just what I had to do and it was hell! As we left Quarley the sun was directly in front of us.
Anyway we headed out towards Cholderton Hill, and then down and along to meet the B3084 and then north to the under pass, where the A303 passes over the top. It was the safest way of crossing that particular road.
When we had passed through the under-pass we headed up to Shipton Bellinger two miles further on. When we had reached it I was starting to have serious problems with my eyes. The last few days without shades and now this head splitting headache It was getting hard to concentrate, and even harder to see.
I looked at the GPS and by its estimate Durrington, which I knew was the nearest pharmacy, was seven miles away. We took a break and I composed my self washed my face and tried to bring a little relief to my eyes.
Then the phone rang, I stumbled around trying to find it getting more and more angry with my self at how stupid I had been in not packing painkillers and for not taking sun glasses. I found the phone just where I had left it, only I was getting more angry as the pain went on.
I answered, and it was Jet, my wife, "you ok"? she said.
"No" I snarled. With surprise at my tone she asked what was wrong.
After I had explained I said" this is not a good time darling, I'll call you back later".
When I had finished talking I thought to myself, that's not a good way to speak to Jet and I would ring back later and apologise.
We set off, heading towards Bulford army camp, which we had to pass through to get to Durrington, this is a military town and spotlessly clean. No graffiti and little or no crime. We passed through without any problems, and then on to Durrington. It was not a moment too soon, as my eyes were becoming puffed up and red due to the glare from the road.
I found the pharmacy and bought some painkillers and sunglasses. As we started off down the road a gent called out to me and asked if Poppy would like to visit his garden and eat some off his grass. This was a good idea as the painkillers had not started to work yet.
No sooner had I sat down and took a rest, than the rest of his family joined us. They were all really nice, down to earth folk. They made Poppy myself and Pru all very welcome. Apples for poppy, a bowl of corned beef for Pru and a plate of Cornish pasty, mash and carrots for me.
What a delight needless to say I soon forgot my headache, my eyes were better so I tucked in. After lunch we chatted about this and that and spent a really pleasant afternoon with some good genuine people. We said our goodbyes and headed towards Lark Hill, the second military town we had to pass through.
We arrived at our final destination of the day at around two thirty, just off of an old byway on Salisbury plain.
Poppy was very sweaty and hot so after I had unpacked we walked to a nearby farm and used the hosepipe to give her a good cool down and clean.
We then went back to camp to relax the rest of the day away.     

Thursday, May 08, 2003
Day Eight
THE HEDGEHOGS

Waking up somewhere as nice as Salisbury Plain is a real pleasure. My first thought upon waking was how peaceful it was.
After getting dressed I fed us all and then went for a quick wee, this is relevant as far as hygiene goes. When having no other choice but to answer the call of nature in the back and beyond, always make sure you are not leaving a mess for others to find. It’s not so bad taking a piddle but the other, make sure you bury it and then as soon as possible wash your hands. You might think that’s too much information, we don’t need to know all that you do, but over the next few months of this journey I might as well touch upon most camp craft, as I see it.  If you disagree that is ok.  Anyway, I went back to camp and packed us away, groomed Pops and tacked her up. 
As we entered the first village I found a post box and sent my first week’s diary entries to Andy, the guy who runs my web site.  We headed out towards Chitterne four miles down the road, passing great tracts of open country.  This is what its all about, the open road, country air, and the odd military convoy rumbling by.  Some of them waved as they went by, the others gave a strange “I bet he’s a god dam hippy” look.  I’m sure they didn’t mean to look at me in that kind of way.  I mean I’m no hippy but I do love everybody, man.
We passed through Chitterne and after five more miles came into the very quaint village of Heytesbury.  I decided to stop here for our tea break.  We pulled up on a verge beside a river.  Poppy needed a drink and so did I.  The bank of the river was quite steep, so I attached Poppy’s lead rope to the bucket handle and lowered away.
After about forty minuets we made a move out of the village; as we did so a group of about ten children appeared and their teachers.  These kids were only about four or five years old.  The delight on their faces when they saw Pops was great.
“Good morning children”, I said, “would you like to say hello to the horse, and in harmony they all shouted “yes”.  Poppy was great, she just stood there while the little people crowded around and made a fuss of her.  I asked Nettie, who was one of the teachers, if I could take a picture of the kids as this would be a good one for the site.  “Of course” she said, so all the children climbed on the cart with Pru, who they also seemed to adore, and with two of them holding the reins at the front I took this great picture.
The children climbed down off the cart and the teachers asked them to say thank you.  As we left, lots of small people waving and saying goodbye to us sent us on our way.  I must add that this experience left me feeling really happy inside.

We walked out of the village and let a car pass, as we try to when possible. As it did a woman opened a window and asked me to stop. It turned out she was from a local TV company and asked what was I doing.  I explained and she asked if she could do a short piece on our trip.  Not only was it lucky that we had stopped off to talk with the children, but when I told her about this it turned out that her little boy was one of them.  We arranged to meet after we had stopped for the night, so with that done we headed to our final stop Warminster.  As we approached the town I could see that it was very busy with a lot of traffic to get through.  In the centre there was not a tree, flower, or blade of grass for Poppy to relate to, but as always Pops was a real star and with Pru walking beside me we made our way through the town without incident, towards the camp for the night. As I unpacked, I assembled the trolley which I use to carry the water barrel. This done, I went to a house just up the road, from where I got some water on our last visit. This was the house of Mr. and Mrs. Penn.  After saying hello and explaining what we were up to this time, they very kindly offered me the use of their shower.  This I did willingly as seven days of bucket baths don’t compare with a nice hot shower. After my shower I got a call from Rachel, the TV reporter. She was on her way and ready to do a little piece for the local news. When she arrived I was nervous and didn’t want to make an ass out of my self, but all went well and I didn’t say f… which can only be a good thing. After Rachel had gone I cleaned the tack, made some dinner, fed Poppy and Pru and settled down for the night.

Friday, May 09, 2003
Day Nine

What a great night’s sleep. I opened the cart door and it was a lovely morning. I put the tea on and wandered over to Pops, and she gave me the usual neigh to say hello. Pru emerged from the cart shivering so I put her coat on her and after a big stretch and a yawn she came round to her usual happy self. The day was going to be difficult, because no matter which route we could take, there were major hills involved. This called for extra breakfast all round, which neither Pops nor Pru seemed to mind.
As I drank my tea, two people who we had met yesterday evening, turned up to wish us well and to feed Poppy some apples and wish us good luck, which was a nice thought. We have met a lot of good and decent people on our journey thus far and it fills me with a renewed sense of faith in the ordinary folk of this land in which we live.
Anyway, we got ready to go and I packed up the camp making sure that there was no rubbish and such like left lying around and one of the reasons I do this is that I might want to stop here again. We set off towards Corsley Heath at a slower pace than usual as I was trying to conserve Poppy’s strength for the hills to come, but as usual at the start of our day Pops just wants to go for it, having had her oats and a good rest. Now there is nothing wrong with this, I see it as the sign of a good horse, one which is willing, and looks forward to the days work, but, and this is a big but, if you need to hold back a horse, and this is only my opinion, that’s exactly what you must do, just because they want to go, and don’t forget, are in some ways more persistent than we can be, you must hold it back, not just because its what’s called for, but if you give in on anything, no matter how small, a horse will start to get the upper hand and with something as strong and unpredictable as a horse you don’t want that.
Like I said, it’s just the way I see it, not necessarily other peoples’ way but mine. This doesn’t mean I don’t trust Pops, of course I do; if I didn’t have total faith in her then we wouldn’t be on our journey. I am just trying to make the point that, for the common good, especially as we are going so far and through major towns, busy roads etc, Pops must adhere to my way of thinking. This builds trust between us and we now have friendship, and when those things that can scare a horse witless appear, and they do, believe me, then calming her down is made a lot easier with trust and understanding. Anyway, we passed through Corsley Heath and in front of us lay our first hill. Now this was what I was waiting for, now was the time for Pops to steadily pull. As for pace, I let her set it. Two miles further down the main road we turned left down a small lane so we could avoid the main carriageway that lay ahead. This lane was very beautiful; the odd thatched cottage lying back off the road, trees in leaf and wild flowers everywhere covered this landscape. The air was filled with the birds singing, and no traffic noises, just the sound of Poppy’s hooves clip clopping down the lane as we went. We stopped off to have a break further up the road and just took in the scenery.
After about forty minutes we moved off and out of the lane to cross the only piece of carriageway that lay between us and our other short cut. This done, we came across a couple of local lads chatting beside their car. We stopped off to talk for a while and explained what we were doing. The two lads were Mark and Paul; nice lads and a pleasure to talk to. We said goodbye and moved off towards the outskirts of Frome. Down another small lane - this time not so pleasant, as halfway along I realised that a lot of fly tipping was done here, and spoilt an otherwise nice piece of countryside. It amazes me that people tip rubbish from their homes in the countryside; they probably went further to find a quiet spot than the distance to the dump. There is no reason to do this. If you’re running a business and want to cut costs, or just can’t be bothered to go to the dump, think again - the countryside is not your dumping ground.
We carried on through the lanes, winding up and down, diverting us quite nicely onto the A361, and once on it a three mile walk to camp nine. We arrived at about two, which was quite a good finish time, made camp and settled down for the night. I must add, the people who have allowed us to stay here, as they did before, have asked that I do not name them or picture them and I will respect their privacy, but I am still very grateful to them and thank them.

Saturday, May 10, 2003
Day Ten

Today’s entry will be a bit different because we are now in Glastonbury, about twelve miles from camp nine in Leighton. The reason it’s going to be different is the fact that we are going to have a couple of days off and I want to spend a bit of time telling you about the place, and the people that I have met and live here. The journey up here was quite a hard one. There were lots of hills, the worst of which was Pilton Hill, but thankfully one we only had to go down. We arrived on the outskirts of the village at around lunchtime and stopped off at a feed shop to get another bag of oats for Poppy. We then set off to see a friend of mine from our last trip, Mr. Marcus Gullvier. Now if ever there was a character that epitomized country life, Marcus is he. Spending all his life in Somerset and working with animals from the age of seven, Marcus holds a wealth of knowledge. The last time I was here he made me feel welcome from the off, he allowed us to stay in his orchard, which as you can see is absolutely beautiful. His welcoming ways put me at ease straight away, that and a glass of his own cider that he makes himself, and let me tell you it’s very, very strong stuff.
Marcus worked horses on farms from a very early age; ploughing, logging, haymaking, mowing, the list goes on. Marcus still spends his day working on his smallholding. This man is over seventy but still thinks nothing of sawing logs, tending cattle, and the upkeep of his land. He also keeps chickens, and from his chickens I have some eggs that I’m going to have for my breakfast tomorrow. Throughout the day, Marcus will have people call on him, including tourists that happen upon his place while exploring the moors and some that are just plain lost. Marcus is a favourite with the Americans - he even appears on some web sites. Amongst the regular visitors are his old pals, friends that he has grown up with, themselves real characters and all of whom worked the land many years ago. These men hold a lot of knowledge of the ways that have passed into history and some just forgotten, yet here we were, sitting in Marcus’s little shed drinking cider and eating bread and cheese, listening to the stories of how it used to be.
The other good thing about today is Jet is coming out to see me, and I am looking forward to seeing her. As the day rolls on and more stories are told and more cider is drank, I realise how tired I am. Some people along the way here are surprised when they hear that I don’t ride the cart. The only time that I ride on top is when we are going down hill so I can apply the brakes and stop the cart pushing Pops down hill. The rest of the time I walk alongside with Pru. Pops has got enough to pull without my weight adding to it. So, as you can imagine, I was quite tired and I thought I would go for a kip. The next thing I knew it was half nine and Jet had arrived full of smiles. It was good to see her.
Jet had brought her two sisters and her niece, Catrina, who I adore and think the world of. Catrina and me have a real strong bond and have always been close. She would come with me and Pops and Pru when we were riding around Crawley getting ready for this trip. It was good to see them all. Catrina had brought a bear from school that kids take with them if they go anywhere special. She had told them of her uncle’s exploits and that he was the man in the paper and that her auntie was taking her to see him on Saturday. We took the girls to their hotel in the car, then Jet and I spent a very good evening together.

Sunday, May 11, 2003
Day Eleven

We’re not doing any driving today and maybe none tomorrow, as I think from now on we had better take a couple of days’ rest every four or five days. It has to be two days as I see it, because any less would start affecting Poppy and rather than getting fitter, she would start to have problems with her health. This gives me an opportunity to explore and meet people, and in Glastonbury  you are bound to meet right characters, but today I shall relax and spend some time with Jet and the girls. I will also clean the tack, which is in need of doing. The weather takes its toll on the harness and if not cleaned it is sure to fall apart. It also gives me the chance to plan our route and look a bit more in depth into the scheme of things.
At lunch time, after doing a few odd jobs, Marcus called me over to his shed where he and his pals sit and talk. The wood burner was going and on the top was a pot containing a large piece of pork. “Do you fancy some dinner?” he said. “That’s very kind of you”, I replied. By this time Jet and the girls had nipped into town to shop. We sat down in the shed  - myself, Marcus, Bill, Doug and Les, and ate pork and boiled potatoes with hunks of bread and glasses of cider. What a great way to spend a Sunday .
Jet got back from the shops and by this time it was getting into late afternoon. We had a coffee together and talked about where next we could meet. It was time to go so we hugged and kissed for a while, much to the amusement of Catrina. It is always difficult saying goodbye to Jet as we are so much in love. I feel guilty that I am putting her through this but, as she says, I need to do this journey and get it out of my system. I have been planning this trip for at least three years and have had to train nearly every day. I am very lucky to have a good woman like she is. I don’t think many would stand for their partners swanning around the country on a horse and cart for months on end. Thank you Jet.
There is not a lot more to tell about today, other than my burner is alight and it is nice and warm in the cart, typing away telling you about my day. The sun has gone down, all is quiet and before long I shall be going to bed.

Monday, May 12, 2003
Day Twelve

It was good to wake up here in this lovely place again, even though it was raining it mattered not. I jumped out of the cart and put the kettle on as usual, said hello to Poppy and had a bit of a stretch. I was thinking about how to show the village of Glastonbury, or at least part of it. Should it be the spiritual side, because here was a place that features them all; any belief system from just about anywhere is here, including new age. There is no end of shops selling tie dye clothing, crystals, incense and such like. These shops are all situated along the High Street but the rest of the town looks pretty much like any other rural village.
I decided to walk around with the camera and see what I could see. Anyway, I finished my tea, got washed and made sure Pops was ok, then myself and Pru set off towards the village. After a walk of about a mile, we came across the springs that come from under the tor. One is known as the White Well and the other as the Red Well. The locals come to these springs to partake of their legendary healing properties. They are opposite each other but separated by a small lane that runs right up to the tor. We left the springs and went into the centre of the village, where we came upon Steve, who has the task of keeping the streets clean and tidy, and I must say does a good job and works hard. My self and Steve chatted for a while until he had to get on.
We strolled over to the café in the high street to grab a cup of tea and as Pru sat just outside I went in and ordered a drink to go. As we wandered about we met Ian and Lee, two local lads, sitting outside the Abbey enjoying a fag, so we stopped and talked for a while and they told me about a local trust that looks after the needy amongst the community of Glastonbury. The building that the trust operates out of was just down the road, so I thought that I would take a look. The name of the trust is the Robert Barton Trust. They look after the homeless and travelling folk with such things as hot showers and they will help with the liaising between travellers and their families back home. They offer advice on benefits and housing, they also provide clothing and food to those who are desperate.
As I walked up to the place a lady called Dee-Dee smiled and said hello. I asked her what went on here and she told me that if it were not for this trust and the volunteers that help to run it, she did not know where a lot of the people who rely on it would be. “These people are great”, she said,  “they work hard and help a lot of people, you should go inside and say hello.” So that’s what we did.
When we got inside there was a room full of people, but not unhappy or angry, quite the opposite. They were chatting away to each other, laughing, and looked to me to be totally at ease. I walked up to the desk in the reception and asked if I could look around. “Why?”, was the question that came back. I explained that I had been told of the work that went on here and was interested to find out more, and if it was alright, I would put something on the site for them to tell everybody what they do.
The lady that I had been talking to was Sioux, and her fellow worker Simon. They talked of the problems they encounter fund raising and trying to get a fair deal for these people and the day to day problems they face, but always manage to help. They have asked the local supermarkets to donate just out of date food for their cause, but have been turned down a lot of the time and sometimes don’t get a reply from the appeal letters that they send out. Simon went on to tell me that not all people are happy about the work they do, in fact they see a lot of the problems of the homeless around Glastonbury as being their fault, which as far as I am concerned is a pretty stupid point of view.
I stayed for a couple of hours and chatted to some of the people. Some of the prejudice that I was told of horrified me, and we are talking about women and children, some of whom don’t choose this life but through circumstance have no choice.
I’m going to put a little something on my site about the trust and, when you read it, remember it could quite easily be you who finds yourself on the streets; no house, food, or anyone that gives a damn. Spare a thought for these good people who do this very good work. Without them a lot of people would go hungry and have no-one to fight their corner.


Tuesday, May 13, 2003
Day Thirteen

The alarm went off at five thirty and I awoke to the sound of heavy rain and thunder. I always make sure that, the night before, I have put my waterproof inside the cart, just in case we get a shower, and this certainly was one. Thunder started to rumble overhead and Pru got a bit scared. I kissed her and said it would be ok, then covered her up again in our quilt that we sleep in, there was no need for her to get up yet and get wet. She has got a full set of waterproofs herself - she has a wax jacket, a fleece for when it gets cold and a full waterproof suit which covers her legs, neck and back. The reason we carry this wardrobe for her is that, being the breed she is means there is nothing of her and she gets cold very easily. If the weather was too bad I’d make her a bed in the cart amongst the equipment and she could stay there until it had passed.
Poppy also has a blanket which could be used if the weather gets too bad. She also has her midge blanket which she will definitely need when we come across the little buggers. If you have never been attacked by midges you are lucky. They are a pain; they bite man and beast in the most merciless way.
Anyway, I put the tea on and went and fed Pops, who had been waiting under one of the apple trees in the orchard, getting out of the rain. This done, it was time to feed myself and then Pru, who by this time was sound asleep.
Breakfast over it was time to bucket bath. Not a pleasant experience at the best of times, but made a little more difficult because of the heavy rain which was still coming down. I had to take my waterproofs off and pretty much everything else, but hygiene is important and must be kept up. To cut a long story short, I was now clean but bloody freezing. I dressed quickly and ran around like a mad man for a bit, going brrrrr excessively and not noticing Marcus who had just pulled up to open the gate.
“You alright Si?”, he said, looking puzzled at me, “yes Marcus, I was just getting warm after my bucket bath”. “Your bucket what?”, he said. “It’s what I do in the morning to get clean, wash out of a bucket.” “Ah”, he said, smiling. “Come see me before you go, Si.” Marcus said, walking off to feed his cattle. “I will”, I said and then went back to pack up the camp. It made me feel quite sad to be leaving Marcus and the others. We had become good friends and had talked at length about the times of yesteryear and the way things were in a bygone age. ~
I packed all of our kit away, put Pops on the cart and then went to say goodbye to Marcus. I called out to him as I could not find him any where. “I’m in the cider house”, came the reply, “come in”, he said. “You will be needing this”, he said, handing me a gallon jug of his now famous cider. “Thank you”, I said letting out a sigh, “that’s very kind of you, in fact thank you for everything that you have done for us and letting us stay here, its very much appreciated”. We shook hands and with that we were on our way.
First we headed out of Glastonbury towards Street. The rush hour hadn’t started yet so we wouldn’t hold up too many people along the way. The rain was still coming down heavy as we came out of the village. It felt quite strange to be heading towards virgin territory; the previous trip of last year had taken us this far but from now on it was all going to be new. As we passed through Street, I thought to myself that, by the time we are in the same area again, we would have travelled to Lands End and back, heading north having covered a few hundred miles but not having gained any ground. If we don’t go to Lands End but still make it (god willing) to John O Groats, we probably will be told by some smart ass, “You may have done all those miles but you didn’t go to Lands End”. Which I suppose is true, but never mind, Cornwall is a part of the country that I am looking forward to seeing.
We carried along the A39, passing through several small villages until we came to Bawdrip service station, where we stopped for water and then pulled over on to the verge to have a break. After we had rested and were ready to move off, we headed towards Bridgewater, a small but busy town. It was now just gone one o’clock and the traffic was very heavy. We moved very slowly through the town as there were a lot of road works, and us adding to the confusion didn’t help. On a couple of occasions drivers sounded their horns in anger, but Pops being Pops didn’t scare. If she had, because of these stupid people, there could have been a bad accident.
We headed out of Stockbridge about two miles and stopped on the side of the A39. I set up camp and settled down for the night. As it turned out, we were on the local news that evening and had a lot of visitors and also, because the local news had plugged the web site, we had lots of very nice emails from people. Thank you .

Wednesday, May 14, 2003
Day Fourteen

Woke up at five thirty sharp this morning, and lay in bed and thought, why had I set the alarm so dam early again? This time I leapt out of bed and did my customary fifty press ups. Well actually, it was more like none. I put the kettle on, stretched and grabbed a KitKat, thinking that Pru couldn’t possibly hear me unwrapping it in the cart under the duvet, but as soon as the micro noise reached her k9 ears she was at the cart door with the quilt still wrapped over her, looking at me with those “you never feed me” looks, which is a bloody cheek, she eats every time I do. So, with a mouth full of KitKat, I reminded her of this fact, but it made no difference to the poor staving dog. So we went halves on the biscuit and with that, Pru went back to bed.
By now the kettle was boiling and I decided to have tea whilst packing up. As I opened the cart door a smell hit my nose. I thought, hello Pru just done one maybe I’ll finish my tea after all. The time was getting on and the smell had gone. With Pru now out of bed I started to pack away, we didn’t have far to go as Poppy needed a set of new shoes and I wasn’t going to risk it, especially as we were coming into very steep hills.
Going up and down hills is quite a tricky business; going up too steep a hill with nowhere to turn around could be a disaster. On the rear of the cart hang wooden blocks attached to chains, that on a steep incline drag on the road just behind the rear wheels. This stops the cart from pulling Poppy back down the hill and takes the strain off so she can rest half way up and does not have to do the hill all in one. Going downhill can be dodgy on too steep an incline without good brakes, it does not bear thinking about. The original drum brakes that are still on the cart are not enough for some of the hills that we have come across. They slow the cart down but won’t stop it, and stopping the cart is what is needed, whatever the incline, so before we left, a very clever man called Bob Brown, designed and fitted a hydraulic disk brake system to the front axles and now, with all four wheels having good brakes, we can stop safely.
We were ready to go, so we pulled out onto the now busy A39, heading west for Nether Stowey, a lovely little village about eight miles up the road from where we were. It took about three and a half hours to get there and then about ten minutes to find a park up. I unpacked the cart, put Poppy on her tether chain then took the trolley, which we carry the water barrel on, off to find some water. We eventually found a house that would give us some and then went back to camp. The camp, I must add, was situated with an amazing view of the surrounding countryside - truly breathtaking rolling hills, lush greenery all around and the sun shining, which made this spot a great place to be. 
We ambled around for the rest of the day, not being able to do much because of Poppy’s shoes. My last thought is one of hoping that the farrier does come tomorrow, as I don’t want to waste a day, I have been trying to ring him as he said I should after eight but cant reach him…….

Friday, May 16, 2003
Day sixteen

Today we had quite a long haul ahead of us, so I wanted to move early. I got straight up and fed Pops and Pru and then myself. We were about twenty miles from Minehead and if possible I wanted to reach there today. The weather had taken a turn for the worst but in a way that was not a bad thing as Poppy would not get too hot.
At this point I want to mention that the emails which people have been sending me are great. The support which has been given to us is wonderful and we thank you all. It’s really nice to hear from people.
Where was I? We had quite a long haul ahead of us, so I packed up a bit sharpish and got under way. Coming out of the village of Kilve there is a steep steady climb of a couple of miles and this took us forty minutes. When we had reached the top and slowly dropped down towards the village of Williton a car stopped in front and a man got out carrying a cardboard box. “This is for you” he said and passed it to me. “Just a few bits and pieces I thought you might like”. The box contained apples, tomatoes, bread, cheese, kiwi fruit, pineapple juice etc. Once again I was gob smacked by yet again the generosity of people. I said “we are alright for food” and explained what we were up to. He said “I know” and pushed the box towards me. 
To my great shame I have forgotten this kind man’s name but his picture is on the site if any one knows him please email me his name and I can thank him properly. 

As the man left he gave us a wave and then was gone. We had to move as the traffic was now queuing behind us. Still stunned by this man’s kindness we went on our way.
Passing through several small villages en route, the rain was getting heavier as time went on. We should have seen stunning scenery but low clouds and torrential rain didn’t allow that.

As it was getting close to lunch time I thought that we would stop for a break and let Pops take a rest. The spot we chose was just big enough for us to pull in and turn around. Although it was raining it was very pretty there. 
As Poppy was resting I thought that I should start collecting a few bits and pieces together for making herbal teas etc. I drink quite a lot of different types depending on mood or needs. For example if I need to relax before bed time then I would drink camomile flower tea. Super markets now days do a good range and should be tried. I make my own and buy them as well, however, and this is very very important; unless you know what you’re doing or have a good field guide, don’t attempt any wild foods. You must identify the plants or roots or whatever you are after 100% or you could at best get ill at worst die of some of the poisons that are contained in some plants, mushrooms etc. Today I chose the common stinging nettle, which has been used medicinally for hundreds of  years. It is very versatile and has many uses, anything from making rope, paper, dye, a yucky green porridge type stuff, and tea. The tea can be left to cool and then used as a face wash to help with cleansing the pores, or as an excellent detoxifying agent to the body’s system. Now I will add that I am no Bob Flowerdew or Ray Mears. I can only draw on my own experience and that which I have been shown, which is what this journey is all about. If I think it is relevant and I can share something with you, or you with me, then that is the way it should be. Its about learning. I am not going around saying I know all about country life and its lore. I am here to learn as much as I can from whatever source and then pass it on. I mean this knowledge was once common to all but some is rapidly disappearing and I would like to see some of it for myself and then tell you. Which is why a horse and cart gives me as I see it a good jumping off point to start from. 
Anyway, after all that waffle, I have picked some young nettle leaves and will attempt to dry them out. When they are we will cover this subject again.
We had rested long enough and now we had to go the final push of the day towards Minehead. I will add that we did stop for a few short water stops for Pops along the route as well. Within two hours we were in Minehead but not wanting to stay in a town for the night went on a little further and found a verge close to the village of Porlock and set camp up there. We did meet some good people on the verge as I was setting up camp, one of who was a thatcher and said that he would take me out the next day to show me some of what’s involved in the art of thatching. This is something I am looking forward to.
The rest of the evening we spent resting. Poppy has been fed so has Pru and I am just about to have mine then hit the sack.  

Saturday, May 17, 2003
Day 17

I don’t think that I have to tell you over again our morning routine, I think you get it by now. Let’s start the evening before when I met Keith, the local thatcher, and his wife. We got on really well and Keith asked if the next day I would like to see how the basic process works. We would meet the next day and he would take me to a nearby house that him and his lads were working on. Sure enough bright and early Keith turned up and after a quick cuppa we set off to the site. I can’t do justice to the craft of thatching in this short piece so I will tell you a little of what was told to me. The history and the craft its self is very in depth. Keith grows his own wheat that provides the material for thatching and also to make flour for bread. One of the many ancient types of wheat that is grown by him  is  descended from the wheat that was grown by the Romans in Britain over two thousand years ago and was used as the thatch material by the peoples of long ago. He is putting together a web site explaining all that he does concerning this venture, including the archaeology that is undertaken on old roofs that he is called in to re do.  When his site is up and running there will be a link from this site to his, and he will explain all that he is doing  and the  history and superstitions that are involved. As I said before, I can’t do  the subject the justice that it  deserves. Keith works closely with the English Heritage, restoring and up keeping the traditional ways of the thatcher. Even when his lads and him are working they still abide and respect the old thatchers’ superstitions and ways of doing things. When I asked him why, he told me that some of the ways that things are done are steeped in tradition and these go back hundreds of years so we choose to respect them.
After I had left the site and got our things together we headed to Luccombe where I was told there was a feed merchant, as Poppy’s feed was getting low and I did not want to run out. The place was open, to my relief, so we pulled in and went to by some oats. We didn’t really need a whole bag, as the drum that I keep her feed in was about a quarter full - that’s three day’s worth of food. The lady at E.L.F., which is the name of the company, said she could fill the drum so we didn’t need to have a whole bag. This would have added a lot of extra weight to the cart and I try to keep it down where possible. I went to pay and the lady said there would be no need. This was a really kind thing to have done and I thanked her and we were on our way. 

Now I wasn’t sure about this next hill. I was told it was steep and horses go up it all the time, and in fact there was a point to point event happening about half way up on the moor. I carry a road atlas which does show hazardous hills that should be avoided if driving a slow moving or large vehicle. It does not however show contour lines such as an ordnance survey map does. This is not too much of a problem as the hills which are to be avoided are marked on my map. When in Wales and thereafter I shall be using ordnance survey, my atlas, and my trusty sat nav device. 
We got to the bottom of this hill - the hill, by the way, happens to be one of the highest points in Somerset and leads up to Dunkery Beacon. Its spot height is 519 metres above sea level which is quite a climb. That’s taking into account this hill twists and turns for about two miles straight up. 
As I stood at the bottom of this hill, nah! we will go another way, its not worth the risk, it’s too steep for Pops and she could seriously injure herself, especially if she was to lose grip and go to her knees whilst still in the shafts. Pops can keep going up hills all day, but it depends on how steep they are. Too much and we will avoid it, up or down. 
If there is one wish that I could make on this journey it would be that Pops and Pru are kept safe. They didn’t ask to come, they just follow loyally and because of that fact I will do all I can to ensure their safety. 
As we started back a kind gent and his wife pulled up from behind us in their 4x4 and offered to tow the cart the two miles up the hill to the top. That would then make it possible to get up there, and the road leading off the hill the other side was not steep at all and it meant we could see a stunning part of Exmoor. I sat on the cart and steered while the gent’s wife held Poppy down the bottom of the hill. Then we were off, much to the amusement of passers by seeing this bloke being towed uphill on his cart. “Alright”  I said as we passed people going up the hill. We reached the top and then came back down in the car,  we reached Poppy and Mrs Salmon. 
It turned out that Mr and Mrs Salmon were both vets and were very nice people to boot. “She looks very healthy” they both said, which was a boost to my confidence. “Thank you”, I said “in fact thanks for everything, you have saved us a big detour.” “You’re welcome”, they said, and after a quick picture taken by both sides, we said goodbye and the three of us walked up the two mile hill. The views were stunning even though the wind and rain were coming down hard. 
At the top we took a break. Water for Pops and Pru and Horlicks for me. After about forty minutes I hitched Pops up and we set of over Exmoor. Wow! What a place. Our journey had taken us through lots of scenery but this was magnificent. The moor each side of us for miles. We headed across some of the most wonderful country that we had seen, although it was bleak and unforgiving it was nice to be in one of nature’s strongholds. 
We came off the moor about three hours later, wet and tired, and headed for shelter. We found a farm that we were allowed to stay at, just on the edge of the moor. The farmer does not wish to be named so I shall respect that, but send thanks and appreciation anyway to him and his family.

Sunday, May 18, 2003
DAY EIGHTEEN

Today as I got out of the cart I was greeted by torrential rain. No matter, this would help keep Pops cool and as it was nearly twenty miles to where I think we should get to, this made it easier. Also, a large part of our journey would take us through the Exe Valley which in the direction we were going ran mostly downhill, again making things easier on Poppy. 
We set out at quite a steady pace. The incline was not too steep so I did not have to ride the brake, instead we all walked together as normal. The rain kept coming down heavier, making the visibility quite low, so I switched the flashing light on which is on the top at the rear of the cart, thus letting other road users know we are about. We moved sedately through the Exe Valley taking in the stunning view which lay all around us. The only thing that spoilt it was the fact that in nearly twelve miles there was not one apparent bit of the river Exe that had public access, ie somewhere that you could pull over and go and have a look, which was a shame because the water looked crystal clear and I would have liked to have had a look .
We carried on to Dulverton on the edge of Exmoor for a break and a quick bite to eat. It wouldn’t be long before we would be out of Somerset and into Devon, another beautiful place. Lets not forget though, it is only man who decides the county boundary, nature does not abide by that rule and she changes and blends where she sees fit. 
As we moved off, well rested, we came across a family that we had met briefly a couple of hours earlier. This was Ben and Lyn and their lovely little daughter Cassie. “We have brought poppy a carrot”. “That’s very kind”, I said, “thank you”. As Cassie fed Poppy the carrot, Ben, Lyn and myself chatted, while Pru on the other hand was trying to pull her coat off by rubbing herself against the underneath of the cart. She did this one time successfully and ran around shaking it like something she had caught, so I chased her and eventually got it off her and back on. 
We said goodbye to Cassie and her mum and dad and went on our way. We carried on until we reached Tiverton which was a long journey. There was a grass verge that suited our needs so we pulled up and made camp. I will say that it did not seem that we were very welcome. There was an example of this; a couple and their small child walked by while the child rode a lovely Shetland pony. “Hello”, I said as they passed. The woman just looked forward and totally blanked me, then she told her daughter’s pony to trot on and was gone. The husband gave a nervous smile, and as he walked by I said we are only staying the night and there would be no mess. He nodded and walked on - I think he was relieved that I was civil to him. As he caught up with his wife I could hear her hiss at him her disapproval that he had acknowledged me. The last thing I heard as they disappeared was her asking him WHAT DID HE SAY TO YOU? Never mind, it is to be expected. I try to stay clean and approachable so people are not put off, but if people do not want to know that’s their right. When we come back this way, and if we see them again, I shall be as courteous and polite so as not to set a bad example to the child or pony.

Monday, May 19, 2003
Day 19

As the weather has been quite bad where we have been, the battery is not getting enough sun to fully charge it, and therefore I am saving its power mainly for the phone to send back pictures and in case there is a need to call for help. 
We were camped on the side of the A396 - not the best camp site we have had but it was good enough for our needs with water and grass. 
During the previous night’s heavy rain the inside of the roof started getting damp which was not good news. It had had an undercoat but not a topcoat. This was down to my stupidity and now, because we had been having so much rain, it was beginning to seep into the wood, not good. There was nothing I could really do at that time of night. All our kit was outside under a tarp so if it did start coming through at least that would stay dry. This had gone on over the three weeks that we had been away so I did not think one more night would matter. I knew that whatever the weather tomorrow, or where ever we ended up, apart from the day to day running of our trip, ie Poppy’s and Pru’s needs, I was going to have to paint the roof. But first I had to find some place to do it, and I had to find paint. 
We set off towards Exeter, as the way to Crediton which is where we were going was too steep, so a ten mile detour was added to our already hectic day. No matter, these things are sent to try us I suppose. As luck would have it the sun was coming out, that would dry the roof out I thought. 
We walked for six miles to a place called Rewe, four miles before Exeter. As we rounded the bend there was a garage, I wonder if they would have any paint I thought. The likelihood was zero, as a country garage wouldn’t stock exterior gloss paint so why bother asking. And sure enough they didn’t. As we were about to go out of the garage’s small workshop, up came one of the mechanics who had seen us pull in and asked, did Poppy run on unleaded? He was a nice bloke by the name of Rob and asked what we were doing, so I told him of our journey thus far and my dilemma. On hearing this he said “wait there I might be able to help”. He went back to the small workshop which was on the side of the garage, and when he came back out, in one hand a paint brush and in the other some blue gloss paint. You are a life saver I said to Rob, so I pulled the cart onto the grass besides the garage and got to work. It was very kind of rob to do this as when I had finished he was busy working on one car and one was next for an MOT but he had taken the time to help us, which meant a lot. Cheers rob and all at Speedway garage Rewe.
We left the garage and headed to Exeter, with quite a few hills on route but nothing too bad. We didn’t have to go right in to Exeter just approach the top most part then turn on to the A377 and continue for about six miles. We got half way to Crediton when the rain came down and the wind started to pick up I was relieved to say the least that we had the good fortune to meet Rob a few hours   earlier and hopefully now the paint would be dry.  
As we walked on for another few miles the rain still coming down I started to look for a place to stay and fortunately came across a nice couple who ran a farm and said that we were welcome to stay. This is always a relief  finding a place with water and grass with the added safety of being off the road and the security of being on private land. I untacked Pops and put her out to graze then unpacked the cart. As things were unpacked now Pru dived in the cart and snuggled down to sleep. I fed Pops her dinner and then put mine on. As I did so, Pru woke up and came out for hers.  As we settled down for the night I decide I would ask the farmer if we could have our rest day here tomorrow

Day 20
20th May 2003

As we were at a good place where we had plenty of water and grass, I asked and we were allowed to stay on for another day. I enquired about the nearest laundrette and the farmers wife offered to do it, but the state of it and the fact that had been in the bag since last week would have made me ashamed to have handed it over. Even though the closest laundry was over two miles away. I made my excuses and said I needed to go to the shop anyway (which I didn't. We left pops tethered at the farm happily munching grass, Pru and I set off to the village happy that I had brought all my clothes, bed cover etc. No matter what grade of nearly clean they were, (the worst being grade 7)  ,they were coming with me. We walked the two miles into the town and thoughts of a warm laundrette and reading the paper sounded more and more appealing ,plus everything would be clean! I wouldn't have to use the feed barrel to wash everything!! As I walked up the high street I said good morning to a group of people waiting outside the post office in a happy smiley way, One of them said that she had seen us walking along the carriageway a mile or so from the village and wondered why I had a big sack on a trolley wandering up the carriage way. So smiling, I told her about my pilgrimage to the laundrette, As I finished talking, the lady informed me the launderette had closed three weeks earlier. Noooooooo!  I couldn't believe it. I started to laugh and giggle at first and then hysterically, I thought I had better go as I was embarrassed enough. Still in sight of the group of people who had witnessed my gob smack we trudged off back the way we had come. To make things worse the trolley wheels had developed a mocking squeak. After the two mile walk of shame back to camp, it was out with the blue feed barrel and in with the washing, About and hour later and the rain moving in, my washing is on the line. The rest of the day shall be spent in prayer hoping the rain will bugger off and God sees fit to dry my socks.   

Wednesday, May 21, 2003
Day 21

At Samford Courtney near Okehampton I have met some good people that have travelled with horses for ten years and now have land and a cottage. I am going to stay for a bit and do a piece on them. We pulled up at a small group of houses at the top of a steep hill to give pops a rest and out of their cottage came Vince and Mavis Edwards both very nice people. Mavis put the kettle on as we chatted by the side of the road. Next came Manni and Keith. Manni, a former horse traveller offered us a field to stay in and an opportunity to learn from someone who has lived on the road most of his life. Keith is a former engineer now retired and a classic motor bike enthusiast. This kind gent took Pru and I in his car to view the best and worst ways in and out of Okehampton using quite a bit of fuel and his time. I offered to pay for his fuel but he refused telling me it’s his pleasure and that his dad was a horseman and he would have helped out too.
Samford Courtney is a beautiful little hamlet amongst farms in rural Devon. I am going to stay here until I can get the farrier to re-shoe Poppy. This may take a few days as the farrier is a very busy man. This area of the country has a lot of horses.
I have spent my time here meeting really interesting people and trying my hand at a number of handicrafts. I went horse riding with Manni (he breeds horses) and I had a visit from Andy who runs my website and his girlfriend Gill. Andy brought the website down with him on disc and showed me how it is going (I have no internet connection with me).
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Andy Hibberd (Dr Andy) who runs my site for me and makes sure that my spelling mistakes don’t go unchecked. Andy works full time but still receives my weekly disks I send him and puts them on the internet for me. Thanks Andy.
I would also like to thank another friend of mine for all his support and help that his web site has given us. Mike Colton of the Allied Special Forces Association who’s site can also be accessed through this one.
To both of these guys and all that have sent their best wishes to Poppy, Pru and myself, thank you all very much.

Friday 30^th May
Day 30

Well that was a nice break and now we can get going and continue on our journey, which is a relief as I was starting to get itchy feet. I must say though, things happen for a reason, and the more times we meet people that help us out when its needed (whether it’s a shower for me or somewhere safe for Pops to rest up for a few days) the more I start looking at the bigger picture of the situation we are in. If we had not stopped and met Mavis and Vince at the top of the hill in Exebourne, we would not have met Manny and Amy and had somewhere to stop for the week to repair the breaks and wait for the farrier. We could have been stuck on the side of the road without much grass, forced to stay there until we found someone to shod Pops and having to sort the brakes out some other way. But thanks to Keith who we also met at the crossroads on the hill they were fixed. I am not saying we will always be this lucky, but for the good fortune that we’ve had so far, I am truly grateful. 
We left Manny’s place early, about six o’clock as I knew it was going to be hot, and be tough going for Pops. I wanted to finish the day early but still get the miles in. We headed back towards the village about a mile or so up the road. The sun was up over the horizon now and was sending orange rays of light over the countryside as we headed towards a new day.
After the first  few miles we started to come across flatter ground, the terrain was getting a little easier. I think Pops was happy to be moving as well , as a team we moved quickly and covered quite a lot of ground in quite a short time.
As we were taking our first break a yellow BMW trials bike pulled up. It was Keith, he had decided to ride out and see us. “Alright”? He said with a beaming smile as he switched his bike off.I said “its good to see you, what are you doing, going out for a ride”?
“No mate” he said "I am your out rider” patting the horse as he walked by her.
“My what”?
 “Your out rider! I ride ahead and find grassing for the horse”. (Now that is a good idea)
 “But it might be miles before we stop today, Besides, you have already been really kind to us”.
“B----cks mate, it will be no trouble and its my pleasure”!
So with the team now rested and Keith roaring down the road we moved off. It was now 11.30am and getting hot and that’s the time (whenever possible) to stop for the day. Right on cue the sound of Keith on his metallic steed drifted within earshot. It turned out that there was a good verge three miles up the road with the added bonus of a farm close by. I knew that we would be able to get our water from there as every farmer so far had been only to pleased to oblige and all have been really good and decent to us. We travelled those last miles in extremely hot sun. If at that point Pops had any problems with the heat or pulling the cart I would have called it a day sooner.
It was a good park-up and just as Tonto had described it. Good grass and water was close by.
“Told you I would find somewhere” Keith said. “And just in the nick of time” I said “It’s getting bloody hot”.
“A beer would be good right now, just go down a treat” I said.
And together in harmony we both said in a day-dreamy way “yeah”!!
With Keith now gone and the day getting hotter, I gently put a few buckets of water over Pops to cool her down  and then wiped the excess off with a towel. As afternoon drifted into evening, we settled down. I wanted another early start so going to bed sounded a good idea. We did get a brief visit from Alec and Clair, the people we had met earlier in the week while we stayed at Manny’s, but other than that we managed to get an early night and ready for another hot day.

Saturday 31^st May
Day 31

My alarm went off at half past three, boy did I feel tired, but we had to get going and if I put the kettle on and packed away without any haste and then sorted Pops out, we could move out quite early. As it turned out, by the time we were ready and it was starting to get light, it was also quite misty. With that came the problem of visibility and the chances of being hit up the arse had greatly increased.
Then I had a dilemma! Stay and wait it out and maybe waste several hours. Remember, it was still very early and was going to be hot, and I did not want to walk in the temperatures that were predicted for that day.
On the roof is a flashing strobe light, which I fitted for this very event, so I made the decision to go in one hour with the light switched on. To be honest, coming from behind you could not miss the flashing light or the array of reflectors that adorn the rear of the cart.
We waited the hour but the mist was still around, so we moved off. You’re probably thinking that I made the wrong call,  but the way I see it is, as long as care and thought are put in to weighing up a problem the right decision will usually be felt through the gut, and as long as I am honest with myself then I am happy enough to follow my own logic (which is all one can hope for).
The morning didn’t stay misty for long but the added bonus was it stayed overcast and cool. We made good progress, heading for bude and the A39.
About nine o’clock it was time for our break. We found a nice verge to rest up on for an hour. While we rested at the verge, a car stopped and a couple got out to chat. They seemed nice. Their names were Peter and Jenny Hambleton. We talked about this and that and life in general, and of course our journey and adventures to date. After a good chat we said goodbye and parted company. It was time for us to get going again.
Two hours down the road and we had got in to Bude and on to the A39 now heading south and towards lands end. It was still overcast and we were going strong and we had now entered North Cornwall.The terrain was getting a lot hillier now so I decided we would start looking for a site to stop for the rest of the day. This we found at a place called Wainhouse corner. We parked up on a nice wide verge with lots of good grass and herbage for the horse. I unhitched poppy and tethered her out on the verge, as for Pru and me, once I had unpacked the cart we got in the back and took a nap. 
I woke up to the sound of some one calling my name, it turned out to be a guy called Simon who I had met earlier on the journey but was now heading for home in Tintagel. It was good to talk to Simon again as he is a good bloke. He asked where we were heading tomorrow. 
“Well hopefully I would like to find a field somewhere so Pops and my cart will be safe. And as Jet is coming down tomorrow I could then spend some time with her.
“I know of just the place” he said “leave it to me” and then he made a phone call. The outcome of which had us a place to put Pops in that was secure and safe. All I would then have to do would be to book myself Pru and Jet into a B&B for a couple of days.
I have missed Jet and the last time that we saw each other was Glastonbury and even then the family was there too and it didn’t seem right to go off and leave them on their own. But this time she was coming down by her self.
I thanked Simon for what he had arranged for us and a sense of relief then came over me. It wasn’t going to be fair to Jet to expect her to sleep in the way Pru and I did, not that it is uncomfortable or anything. It just would not be right, I mean Jet is driving all the way down here so its comfort she should have and a chance to be together, unlike the last time when Jet stayed at a B&B and I stayed with my girls back at camp.
I talked to Simon for a couple of hours we just sat around the fire drinking tea and chatting, until Simon said he had to go but before he did he gave me the directions to the smallholding where poppy could stay. With Simon now gone It was getting late and I decided to climb into bed and hit the hay. It had been quite a hard day, so sleep was what was called for. Tomorrow would be a good day, as Jet was driving down to see us. So one more nights sleep and we would be there.

Sunday 1st June to Tuesday 3rd June
Day 32 - Day 35

Woke up this morning to lovely sunshine coming through the window. This was the day I had been looking forward to. Jet was coming down to see us and as Pops had somewhere to stay safely I could spend some time with her. I packed the camp up and got Pops ready to go. We didn’t have far to go till we got to Tintagel, about ten miles, which was half a day away.
The sun was shining as we set off towards a place called Davidstow, which is where we would turn off the A39, and take the coast road towards Tintagel.
There is a lot of history associated with Tintagel. King Arthur, Merlin the magician and all those folk were supposed to have lived here in Castle Camelot. Far too much for me to go in to, although worth coming down to and checking it out for yourself.
The people here are nice, the scenery is just stunning, and as far as Cornish culture goes this place just brims with it. It is a favourite with tourists from all over the world, which is in no way a bad thing. In fact it does the local economy good and provides jobs for the local people who live in the village. 
As we got in to Davidstow I could see that it was going to be a very steep decent into Tintagel but as we have four brakes on the cart this was not too much of a problem. I must add though, I am not getting complacent about hills up or down. It is a case of knowing where the line is drawn as to what is possible and what is not.
Anyway, we turned off the A39 and started off towards Tintagel. We did a couple of uphill climbs but the nearer we got to the coast the steeper the decent was getting. No matter, Pops was doing fine, her shoes were griping the road nicely and she steadily walked down the hills with no weight of the cart pushing her. A horse will hold back a certain amount of the load going down hill. It is able to do this with the help of the breaching straps, which are part of the harness. The weight of our cart with the combination of gravity pushing it downhill makes the above sometimes impossible, and there are stories of terribly injured horses that have literally been run over by the wagon they had been trying to hold back. This is why having these extra breaks fitted to the cart was so important.  We have come up and down some serious hills, so caution is what is called for and realistic judgment. As it turned out the hills that we descended into the village were really no worse than what we had come across before, they were steep but we coped.
I can hear you saying, what about Wales, Scotland, the Lake District etc? Again, until we get there and plot our route it’s not worth thinking about. I know we will get up and through safely with the help from those in the know.
Ordinance survey maps are also a must but you can’t beat local knowledge and know-how, which is why an exact route has not been planned for this trip. There are so many different reasons why we could not take a certain route; to plan it would be way to complicate. 
We arrived at Tintagel safely and found our hosts small holding which turned out to be a lovely piece of land which has its own stone circle erected by the owner. Sonia Tremain the kind lady who had let us stay there was as nice a person as you could hope to meet. Very friendly and welcoming. At this site they allow small groups of people to come and stay either in teepees, which are erected, or they can stay in a Romany caravan whilst being in one of the most beautiful parts of the country. Some people go there to hold or take part in different work shops, others go there for the peace and quiet that it offers, either way a couple of nights by an open fire in a teepee or wagon does wonders for stress relief. 
I sorted Pops out first unhitching her then giving her a good brush down and once this was done she was put in the field to have a day or so to relax.
Sonia is also a very talented sculptor and sells her work at her shop in Tintagel, the work is really good and unique and of good quality.
After a shower that was offered to me (that I gratefully accepted) it was time for Pru and me to go and find a dog friendly hotel thereabouts, which in Tintagel is not a hard thing to do.
Before I left Sonia I met Naomi, Sonia’s daughter and Graham, Naomi’s husband. Good and decent people both. Graham helped me push my cart into a corner so it would be out of the prevailing wind that was picking up. He told me that himself and Naomi both work for themselves supplying and erecting teepees and stages at festivals and other events. It would be quite a long page of writing for me to explain all that Graham Naomi, and Sonia do, so I will put a link to their web site and a page on this one with their flyer so all can read it and get the full picture of what they do and I can recommend at least reading the flyer or going to their site better still come down and take a short break here, you would love it.
Lets move time on a bit. At about four o’clock Jet rings me and says she was about an hour away and had I booked us in anywhere. I had! At the Trewarmett Inn, a very nice place with a nice couple that ran it and as a plus they don’t mind dogs coming to stay with their owners. This was a good thing as the last thing Pru needed was to be left in the car and before you worry, Pops had the company of other horses too.
The inn where we were staying has local musicians who are welcome to call in twice a week and play folk music whilst supping the local brew and swapping tunes but we were not there on one of those nights. W were told by the locals that we met that the place really gets lively, I would like to have heard some of them play as I am a big fan of most types of traditional folk music. At the Trewarmett inn they hold medieval banquets and sword combat demonstrations. Landlords Jamie and Edwina have decided to hold a weekend of folk music to follow on from the Cornish folk festival held on the bank holiday weekend in Wadebridge. The festival at Jamie and Edwina’s will be held in the pub and in the garden, and in their words they won’t be booking any big names. Instead they will be drawing on local musicians and encouraging visitors to play and sing as well. There will be Morris dancing, shanty singing, as well as an acoustic session in the bar, the date for this event is well worth taking note of, as I also know of a good place that you could camp if you wanted.
                               FRIDAY 29 AUGUST /SUNDAY 31 AUGUST.
            THE TREWARMETT INN 01840770460 there is also camping available and parking.
Or you could ring graham and Naomi and stay in a tepee with an open fire in the middle of it, or an authentic old wagon. They are just down the road from the Trewarmett Inn.
                            tel 01840770093 WIND RUSH FARM TINTAGEL 
just tell them Simon told you about them and they will sort you out.
As I was saying I had booked us in to the inn and was looking forward to spending a couple of days with Jet. It took Jet about four and a half hours to get from Crawley to Tintagel; it had taken the girls and me five weeks, which still isn’t bad considering that we have had time off in between traveling. It was good to see my wife and enjoy some simple comforts again. Dinner by candlelight, lying in the room on the bed drinking tea and watching a film on the one eyed monster. I had missed these sorts of things because me and Jet love snuggling up on the sofa at home with Pru and our two cats keekee and sebb, and watching a video.  I guess you could say that we very much enjoy each other’s company. And after ten years of cuddles on the sofa it’s really hard to suddenly be apart night after night. That’s some thing which we did not have to worry about for the next two days, spending every minute together, and not talking of the inevitable departure that was coming round.
Jet and I went for long walks along the Cornish coast line cliffs and just held hands just like starting dating all over again, all very romantic, we really enjoyed it. I had taken Jet to meet every one that I had met that day and showed her where Pops was staying, she went over and said hello to Pops as she always does. Then she inspected my washing to make sure I was doing it, which was lucky as Graham had lent me the use of a washing machine so I could show her my socks with pride.
This entry is covering the two days that Jet spent with me. Or more accurately the one and a half that it actually was. We just spent time together that next day or so because it was going to be six weeks before we could see each other again and that thought was gutting. I have probably said this before but I do feel a rat some times when poor old Jet has to leave to go home, or she is a bit upset on the phone at night when we talk together. I can only apologise to her and say that we will be home soon and I love you.
The morning of the third of June and time for Jet to leave for home, we had said good-bye to Jamie and Edwina and packed up our stuff from the room that had been our little haven far from home for that short time.Jet dropped me off at Sonia’s place and gave me a big hug and kiss before getting back in the car to drive off but before she did drive away she looked me strait in the eye with tears in her own starting to show, and said I am proud of you, which meant a hell of a lot to me and nearly made me fill up but as I am a bloke we don’t do that sort of thing do we chaps?
Jet had gone and I made the decision to leave the next day as we were offered a tow out of the valley by Graham, which would save Pops a lot of work. I spent the rest of the day making ready for the next morning and planning our next move.

Wednesday, June 04, 2003
DAY 35

I was eager to get going today, Graham had offered to tow the cart over the worst of the hills that we had come down on the way in. This was a good thing as it would conserve Poppy’s energy, and her shoes. After a quick cup of coffee I said my goodbyes to those at Windrush Farm and then took Pops out of Tintagel without the cart. Graham was going to follow on with the cart once we had taken the hills.
It didn’t take us long to reach the top of the valley. Did I mention it was raining, and quite hard too, no matter, Pops ain’t going to overheat and that is definitely a good thing. I rang Graham and within ten minutes here was our cart coming down the road, or should I say up the road. Hitching up didn’t take long as Graham happens to know how a harness fits on and together, which was handy as we didn’t need to be standing still in the rain. I said cheerio to Graham and we headed down towards Camelford and the A39.
We set off again as the rain and wind seemed to be dying off for a bit. I don’t mean it got sunny, just less wet and blowy. Anyway we got on to the A39 and started to head towards Wadebridge. It’s at Wadebridge that the royal show is held, and unless we passed it by close of play today we would find it very difficult to pass through as the traffic is nuts. Just about one mile from the show ground the traffic was heavy; this was the stall holders, horses boxes, and anybody related to the show arriving, and there seemed to be hundreds of cars, lorries and vans queuing in the show ground lane that leads up to it and at least a mile before it. We carefully made our way through this huge amount of stationary metal that lay before us. Once again Pops was a star, she dealt with this obstacle with her usual graceful and perfect action.
Two more miles and we had found a park-up on a nice un-cut verge, so Pops had lots of good grazing. I was relieved that we’d travelled that road today. It was bad today - tomorrow it will be nuts.
We are now camped two miles south of Wadebridge. We’ve still got to start early tomorrow  avoiding the inevitable larger volume of traffic that will be around. Poppy is grazing quite happily and Pru has a full tum so is now curled up asleep on the bed as the wood burner keeps us warm.

Thursday, June 05, 2003
Day 36

It was just as I had thought, even getting up at four thirty the traffic for the Cornwall show was starting to build up. It was quite funny to have an audience of a few hundred cars passing by as I was having a wash and shave.
At this point in the day I was thinking that we might get to a small place called Blackwater, as I had been told of a good park-up on a roundabout there earlier last week when I was at Mani’s. We set off, thankful that it was in the opposite direction to the main body of traffic that was heading our way, but within an hour or so we came across the first of the many hills that were in store for us that day, and it was a big-un - steep,  and about a mile climb to the top. There is no other way in to Cornwall if you happen to be horse drawn, you cannot avoid the hills. The way that I am taking is the easiest way for a horse, I know that this is the way that other travelers have taken with their horses so I know it is doable.
We took the hill at quite a good pace, and as I have said before about going up hills, I let Pops go up as quick or slow as she likes, which is usually run up as fast and as much of it as we can then walk the rest, and that is every hill, no matter when in the day or how steep the hill, Pops likes to get a run up as much as she can. Needless to say, as I only travel on the cart when we are descending a hill, this after three hundred miles is making all three of us very fit.
The queues of traffic continued until we had got on to the Newquay road, almost nine miles further on from the show ground. The going was still pretty tough, as we would descend for a mile or so and then climb for the same amount over and over again. Don’t get me wrong, I am not moaning, just telling you of our journey on this particular stretch of the country.
As we went through the day we came across our own little traffic jam, there were road works and big queues of slow moving, smoky traffic just up ahead. We had been going for three hours so rather than get in line and wait for the traffic to start moving, I opted to make a brew on the side of the road and have a biscuit or several. We watched the people in their cars getting frustrated with the situation on the road, so I thought I had better have another cup of tea and think about it. I didn’t want to be here all day, besides there was not that much grass for Pops anyway, so we had to move sooner or later. As I mulled this dilemma over in the old grey matter, I spied a field gate open and on further inspection found that it led to the farmyard, about half a mile or so away over the field. There were no crops growing, only grass that was probably going to be used for hay. I could not leave Pops on her own beside the road, to seek permission to cross, so I took the decision to just go for it, and if we were going to get chased off then this just added to the excitement.
As it turned out the farmer was nowhere to be found. We turned into his yard and shouted hello, just in case we had been seen, then I would have explained our dilemma and am sure they would have understood. I will say at one point on our field trip I thought that we were going to be followed by some of the cars that saw us crossing but I think they thought better of it.
Having bypassed the road works we carried on until we came to Newquay, or just before it to be more precise. We took the 3075 heading for Backwater a further eight miles up and down the road. The time was getting on and we had been on the road for six hours now and the going was not easy. I had to make sure that I wasn’t getting too over ambitious about getting to Lands End, even though I was looking forward to heading north, so I decided to call it a day and find a verge. We found a good verge in a place called Goonhaven, about four miles short of Blackwater.
We pulled over and unhitched and unloaded. By the time this was done Pru was fast asleep under the cart; she was pooped and come to think of it so was I. As I sat outside the cart a van pulled up and two men got out, they introduced them selves as Seth and Steve Lee; former Romany travellers that now lived on a site just down the road at Redruth. We talked for a while about this and that and how much I would sell Pru for, then after a quick cup of tea together they went to leave, but before they did they offered to put us up on their site for a couple of days so we could rest on the way back up. Apart from Seth and Steve we did not have any other visitors that day so it was a good chance to take a bucket bath. No pictures….  You might remember that I was drying some nettles that I got in Kilve; they will reappear in Lands End by way of a celebratory cup of nettle tea.
I will start going into this subject a little more, as well as others, on the way up the country. At some point soon I will be cooking a roast dinner in a ground oven, and all the trimmings roast potatoes, parsnips and stuffing.
I must thank all of you that have sent us emails throughout our journey. It’s nice to hear such kind words of encouragement. Thank you from all three of us. 

Friday, June 06, 2003
DAY 37.

Woke up to rain again which aint a bad thing as I have mentioned before, it means Pops don’t get hot.
I started to get dressed when there was a knock on the door, I swung open the door to find good cop, bad cop staring in our front door at us. One asked “you gonna be here long mate”? But before I could answer him the other policeman asked “how do you live like this then”? Snarling with contempt in his tone.
“How do I what”? I asked. 
“How do you live like this? Haven’t you got a house or something”?
I thought for a moment and decided to play his game. “No mate, this is my home for the next few months”. The other policeman asked if I had any drugs or weapons in there with me. “No” I said “just me and my dog”.  
“You sure”? He said.
“Come and look for yourselves if you want” so I started to climb out of the cart. 
“I'm not looking through that s…” said the policeman. “Does your dog bite”? He then asked. 
“Only if someone is looking through our s… uninvited”.
The look of contempt that was being given me was shocking to say the least. I had thought of telling these bozos of our journey and website so as to legitimize what we were doing there. Then I thought better of it as I was a free man in his own country doing what was our right, so why should I try to gain favour or credence.
At this point I will say that these two policemen in no way represent the local constabulary or any other policeman or woman in this country. Our experience with the law thus far has been great. Nearly all the police that we have seen have waved and just driven by if any would wish to stop and chat then they as any body would be most welcome.
To cut a long story after a few stupid questions they went on their way, I would love to show you a picture of them but that would do us no favours and on reflection would not be fair on them, after all, we all have the odd bad day from time to time.
I put the kettle on and took the last biscuit out of the packet, it wasn’t eaten the night before between Pops and myself. Pru especially had stuffed nearly two packets the night before. Quick as lightning the packet was making the unmistakable rustling sound. Pops ears pricked up and came over as I tried to side step her advance a loud yelp sounded, I had stepped on Pru's foot as she was waiting for the last bickie.
“Christ, that dogs got the edge on you Pops. Did you see her get out of the cart and sit down because I didn’t”?
After saying sorry a lot to Pru I halved the biscuit and gave it to the girls. I just got on with packing up and waiting for the pot of water to boil, mumbling to myself about the last biscuit.
We were about forty miles north of lands end and the feeling of wanting to get there spurned me on, even though we would have several hundred miles to go till our journeys conclusion, Lands End was still a big milestone in my book.
Once the tea had been drunk and pops was ready we pulled out and carried on our way heading towards Redruth, which was eight miles down the road. The terrain was still very hilly, but doable and if I’m honest we made great progress. Reaching Redruth in just over two hours, which is bloody good going considering the hills. You lot are probably thinking to yourselves; here he goes again talking about hills. Sorry…
Any way we stopped off at a garage so I could fill Pops a bucket of water, and buy her some apples as a treat. Again I waited ‘till she was cooled right down before giving her anything.
After forty minutes or so we headed back on the road towards a place called Cambourne and then to Hyle where we took our second and final break before the final part of the day. Three miles down from Hale is the village of Cannonstown, and after finding a verge that suited our needs pulled over and made camp.
I had just put the kettle on surprise, surprise, when we had visitors Simon Paramor and his ten-year-old daughter Claire. Simon said that if we needed water, he would fill our barrel up for us, as their house was about fifty yards down the road. This was handy as I didn’t have to find a house that was willing to let us fill up, not that there has ever been a problem in act everybody that we have asked for water along our route thus far has very kindly obliged. Thank you.
Well that leads us to this evening, and what we are up to know, poppy is happily munching on the verge side organic all you can eat for free. Pru, after much tail chasing (I know the way she feels) is crashed out in the cart. Me, well I have put the kettle on and am going to have a sandwich all to myself.  I am sure Pru is a sleep and wont hear me if I am really quiet. 

Saturday 7th June
Day 38

The first 30 days heading north.
Lands End to Welsh Border