Lands End to the Welsh Border.

Sunday 8th June
Day 39

Today’s entry is really about reflecting on our journey to date. To say it’s been a learning curve would be quite correct. I have met some great people and seen some stunning scenery, all of which I shall never forget. The bond between poppy, Pru and myself is very strong and I find myself very humbled to have such a relationship with two wonderful beings like Pops and Pru. This probably sounds daft putting it that way, but its the truth and the truth will always stand. I look upon the additional miles that we have had to do to get to Lands End as a blessing, if we had not done them we would not of met all the wonderful characters and had the adventures that we have. The travelling to date has been tough, and as we progress it’s going to get tougher. The lesson which I would say has been learned the most is having faith. By that I mean whatever comes our way things turn out for the best in the end. Staying calm and trying to see the positive side of a situation no matter what, is a skill that I am just starting to get my head around.  Our journey does not start from Lands End, it merely continues in another direction and takes us up the country. The ongoing adventure that we find ourselves in is made more worthwhile when we meet and make new friends. That is how it has been up to now. What the road has in store for us god only knows, but in all good faith we greet it willingly.

Monday 9th June
Day 40

I decided it was time for Poppy to have a rest day. We had got back up as far as Cannonstown and I stopped to have a rest. I had been just lounging around when Julie Cook pulled up in her transit van and asked if we needed a place to rest up for a few days and the use of a bath and a washing machine. Julie and her husband along with their three young children had within the last month returned from New Zealand where they had travelled for six months with a horse and flat cart. This impressed the hell out of me I can tell you. The more she told me of her trip the more interested I became. Julie said she realised what is needed whilst travelling day in day out and thought that she would stop and offer any help, which is what people did for her and her family along their journey. Chris and Julie have a lovely smallholding near the Cornish coast. They train horses and supply carriages for special occasions.
0736710078 Penzance area
Horses broken and schooled.

Tuesday 10th June
Day 41

Today I had some more work carried out on the cart. Repairs to the spring blocks were needed and Chris who is an expert carpenter replaced all four cracked blocks. I also had a wind generator fixed to the cart. John Carter is the man who made the generator. He makes these to order and they are very well made. You can call John on 07732474971. The main generator slots in and out of the fixed bracket that is attached to the cart thus making storage when travelling possible, I shall be reporting on its effectiveness and the power that is being generated in tandem with the solar panels. So there you have it, the utilisation of wind power, the cart repaired, my washing done and last but not least after a good hot bath a cleaner me, setting off tomorrow. 

Wednesday, June 11, 2003
Day 42 

I woke up at around seven thirty, which is quite late for me these days but I had had a late night and as we were moving off today I needed a decent nights kip. I started to pack away the bits and pieces of the camp which doesn’t take long now as I have it down to a fine art, I then got Pops groomed, and got her ready for the day ahead. The weather forecast for the day was quite good, cloudy but no rain, which was a plus as the day before it had poured down on and off.
I said our goodbyes to Julie and Chris and thanked them for their hospitality that they had shown to me and the girls. I also thanked Chris for sorting out the axle blocks.
So it was time for the off, we pulled out of Chris and Julies and down the lane we walked. After about two miles we came to the main road through Crowlass that led to Cannonstown from where we had been camped two days previous, but when we had come to the main road the traffic was just manic. It was just as heavy as any morning rush hour in any major town but this was made more hazardous as it was going through a small village and we were trying to get out of a very small side road on to a large volume of traffic that was moving fast. To be honest I don’t expect anybody on their way to work wanted to be stuck behind a horse and cart whilst trying to get to work. I had misjudged the timing totally by getting up late. Usually we would have been away and through any town or village at this time but due to my lay-in we were in the thick of it. Thankfully though a brief lull in the traffic did allow us to pull out into the road and make our way out of the village and trailing behind was a lot of angry and frustrated motorist at our slow pace. I will say that I don’t take pleasure in holding people up and causing tail backs on the road but I can’t pull over and let people past because if I did we would never get out ourselves. 
The journey went smoothly towards the town of Hale, which was four or so miles from cannons town even though there was a lot of hills to take on. After Hale we took a break and took a quick look at the map to make sure of the route which we were going to take. After this was done we moved off and headed for Redruth, which was twelve mile further on, passing through the odd small village on route. It took four hours to reach Redruth after passing through Cambourne, which was very heavy with traffic, Redruth was just as bad if not worse. This is where we encountered one of the biggest twits of the whole journey.
This bloke and he must have been around thirty or so (he should have known better) was stuck behind our cart. Not content to be patient for five minutes he revved his engine, shouted from his car window and when he did get past the language that came out of this fools mouth was a disgrace and considering we were in the town and there were women and children that could hear this guy it was just plain old out of line. Now as I said we can’t keep letting people past and in a town it just impossible. What this chap didn’t do was upset Pops or get her worried, which is a credit to her as she is a good judge of character and probably realized this guy was an idiot and therefore just ignored him.
We passed through Redruth and weaved our way clear of the traffic in the town and this then put us roughly four miles from Blackwater, which is where I had decided to stop the night. On arrival at the roundabout at Blackwater we found a good verge to pull over onto and as we did this old feller came over. This guy was a real character he introduced himself as Alec. It turned out that he was a true Romany born in a wagon in 1930 and still lived on the road with his horse and wagon as he had done all his life. To my knowledge this guy must be one of the last Romanies still living this way. After we had talked for a while Alec invited me to where he was parked up. So I unpacked the cart and put Pops on her tether chain and went to have a cup of tea and a chat. This guy was a gem, a real blast from the past. He earnt his living selling clothes pegs and traditionally made wooden flowers, he even sharpens axes and knives for people on his peddle-powered grind wheel. We talked for hours, he was a real gent and such a down to earth bloke. He told me that he had lived around this area for a few years and knew most of the people in the village. He told me that the horse that he had had for twenty years had died and that the villagers thought so much of him that they had clubbed together and bought him another one to replace it. This was one of those heart felt stories that make you warm inside. Alec has also been on the radio talking about the old and lost way of life of the Romany peoples that were once common in this country. He has been featured in some books that have been written on the subject and still has lots of visitors from far and wide who come to see him and sit around his fire and listen to the many stories that he has to tell. Alec is definitely a character and I am lucky to have met him I would like to think that I’ll come back this way one day and see him again and spend a bit more time getting to know some of the traditions and lore that he still holds dear. 
After talking for most of the evening to Alec, it was time for me to leave, I must add that I could see Poppy from where Alec is camped so she was not left unattended all that time. Anyway I got back to our camp and made some dinner for Pru and me and started to write the daily journal. 

Thursday, June 12, 2003
Day 43 

A we were was going to move off today I thought that I would call in to Alec's camp and say goodbye and maybe get a few pictures. But Before I had finished packing up, Alec came across the road to say goodbye. “Alright mate” I said “how are you”? “Alright my boy alright” Alec said “I’ll put the kettle on shall I”? “Good idea”, Alec said, and with that sat down puffing on his rolled up fag.
I loved talking to Alec because he is so genuine and since he is a simple man and when talking he gets to the point. I must have bored him stupid by asking questions about the past and the way of the Romany, but he was a real sport and told me great stories and very very funny jokes. None of which I dare print!
So as I was saying, we sat and chatted for a while just drinking tea on the side of the road in the morning sunshine watching the world go by. We had finished our tea and Alec offered to show me the way to make pegs, I dare not show him my efforts. I still had to pack up the camp, so I said to Alec that I would come over as soon as this was done.
With the camp packed away within half an hour, myself and Pru walked over to see Alec. He was already whittling away with his knife. I should add that Alec still earns his money from the clothes pegs and wooden flowers that he sells. It takes Alec three days to make a thousand pegs. He said that he likes to keep a lot in stock. Looking at Alec working away it was like stepping into another time and looking back at the way it was. And to think this man is one of the last travelling Romany gypsies in this country, kind of makes you sad to think that when the people like Alec are no longer around. Another chapter on history closes. I consider myself very luck and privileged to have met Alec and feel richer for it.
We said good-bye to Alec and went back and got pops ready to go. It was getting late though and it was also getting warmer too. We could not travel for long today because it was going to get hot and leaving late meant we would only get so far before it would get dangerous for pops and Pru and come to mention it, me as well!
But the delay was worth it and I was pleased that we had came across Alec, so we pulled off of the black water verge and headed towards Newquay which was twelve miles away. But we only got nine, it was getting to hot so we pulled over and made camp.

Saturday, June 14, 2003
Day 45
Last night must have been the worst night sleep that I have had since leaving home forty-five days ago. The cause was simply that the cart was facing up a hill. The door was facing down, which means that the blood tends to rush to the head and it was not possible for me to sleep properly. I am tired just talking about it. The other end of the cart where my feet go under is too small to allow me to sleep at that other end. The main bummer was that I could not be bothered to hitch poppy up and turn the cart around. So even before I went to bed I was kicking myself for not having thought this through and parking properly.
Anyway after a very hard previous day, having a bad nights kip wasn’t such a good idea. To make it a bit harder, we had got up at a quarter to four in the morning, so we could make an early start and beat the midday sun. Pru seemed knackered also, sitting up straight like a statue with her eyes closed as I packed away the camp. It was necessary to get up at that time, the temperatures were forecast to be high, and sleeping in any longer would have brought a higher price to pay. So we pulled off the verge at five thirty. The sun was coming up and the temperature was muggy although not hot, it was easy to build up a sweat.
We headed towards Wadebridge, which was only a couple of miles up the road. Almost immediately we started to climb a hill and I would say it must have gone on for a good mile, thank god it aint hot yet I thought to myself.
And that’s the way it went, mile after mile, hill after hill, and the morning sun getting hotter and hotter. We did stop a couple of times so Pops could cool down, well that goes for Pru and me too.
It was now getting on for midday and we were not really where I had expected us to be. The main reason for this was the previous night television news had run our story from yesterdays interview that we had had with Eleanor Parkinson. Everywhere that we were stopping we were getting lots of people coming over to us and chatting and asking about our journey. I don’t mind, in fact it’s a really good feeling to have so many people interested in your idea. Anyhow we were running a little late and should have been somewhere else, we were at the approach to Camelford and had a choice to go left or right. Both ways were hilly, one less so but through the busiest part of the village and there were lots of cars on the road by know. The other way was hillier and longer but much more quieter and shadier as well. The reason that I knew the pros and cons of the routes was that I had asked in the local garage and DIY suppliers, which was situated at the bottom of both the hills.  
              Knights Mill Trade Center, St. Teath, Bodmin. Cornwall. 01208 850492.
These people were very kind and not only gave Pops some water but supplied us with a fold down water container free of charge, which was bloody decent of them. We stayed there for about twenty minutes, enough time to get our bearings and meet some more people as well.
I decided to take the less busy route as it was Saturday and it was already starting to get packed with cars on the approach to the village. I said goodbye and thank you to the people in the garage. As soon as we turned left we faced an almighty climb, so I put the drag break down at the rear of the cart and then we ran at it and I’ll tell you in that heat it weren’t easy at all. When we had reached the top, although we had less than two miles to go, I decided to call it a day. It was far to hot for the girls let alone me, so that was that!
As it turned out, the village of Delebole, which is famous for having the largest open cast mine in Europe was just ahead. The quarry at Delebole supplies slate to places all round the world and is famous for the quality and workmanship. As we got into the village we passed a bloke walking towards us, he stopped when he got level with us and asked if we would like a coffee and some water for the girls. I explained that we really ought to find a place to stop but thanks for the offer, leave that to me the guy said I know the people here and one of them is bound to have a field that the horse could go in.
Once again the gods of fate had smiled on us, we had met this guy and we now had a place to stay more than likely.
The guys name was Gerry and as he went from house to house asking for a field that we could rest in for the night, more and more people came out of their houses to come and see us at one point we must have had ten or more lovely people come and say hello and all helping to arrange a place for us. I have to say it was an amazing thing to watch, everybody was chatting to each other, they all knew one another and the spirit that they showed as a community was inspiring.
Gerry came back from his mission and declared that he had found a field about fifty yards down the road and it also had water. This was good news because pretty soon it would be unbearably hot and Pops needed rest and water, she had done her work and needed to rest, as did Pru and myself. We said good-bye and thank you to the people that we had met in the village and walked to the field. Along with us was Martin a local artist and a friend of Gerry’s, and Danny, a fourteen-year-old lad that we had met whilst meeting some of the people of Delebole also a friend of Gerry’s.
Daniel is a keen fisherman and enjoys going down the to the lake just down the road from his gran's house and do a spot of fishing. I was told by some of the locals that Danny is quite the expert when it comes to landing the bigger fish.
So with us now in the field and poppy unhitched and out of harness, it was time to give her a good sponge down. This she enjoys on the hottest of days and providing I don’t go silly on her she stands and allows herself to be pampered.
I have decided to take a day off tomorrow we have done a lot of miles in a short time so now a rest would be called for, that and I was too tired from the night before to repeat the process tomorrow as it to was going to be hot would have been a bad call. 
We spent some of the afternoon laying in the shade talking between ourselves and having a cool beer. Gerry offered to show me the quarry that Delebole is famous for and as it was a short distance away we could take a walk and get there in no time. Delebole quarry has a viewing platform so members of the public can look over the vastness of this huge quarry, and I must admit for a hole in the ground it was dam impressive

Sunday, June 15, 2003
Day 46

What a great day off that we have spent in the village of Delebole, I got to sleep in this morning, which was definitely needed. And when I did get up it wasn’t with the thought of packing up the camp but one of relaxing and taking things easy for the day. We had been on the road for four days and covered a lot of ground so we deserved it, and thanks to Gerry who had found us a field to stay in, we were sorted right out.
After a couple of cups of tea I decided to clean the tack and potter around doing odd jobs.
About eleven o clock Martin and Gerry turned up and they had with them a metal box. “See this” Martin said. “This could be your new ground oven”. “That’s perfect” I said, it would make life a lot easier. And so after another cup of tea we headed back to geris place in order to modify the metal box in his workshop. It was not long before the ground oven box was fitted with a chimney and inside tray and all hand made by Gerry and martin. I went to the local farm shop whilst Gerry and martin put the finishing touches to the oven. Sausages I thought to myself, that’s what I should cook along with some onions. When I got back the oven was finished and that only left the hole to install the oven into.
It didn’t take long to dig the hole and pack the soil and a few stones around the oven as for wood Gerry had been busy sawing wood for the oven fire. So with that all now done the oven could be lit. The way that I work a ground oven is to get the fire blazing hot with no food in the oven at first. Then when there is a good base to the fire it is more controllable with less wood needed. And once the base is established food can be put in and the temperature allowed to fall or rise depending on the need. The fire base if too hot will burn the food and fail to cook the inside of most food put in. If it is a reasonably hot temp before the food is put in, then the oven can be left to attain the correct temperature and then maintained by the use of the flue and chimney.
Anyway an hour or so later we were enjoying sausage sandwiches with onion rings. This was a success and good news, an oven was definitely an asset.
After dinner Pru and myself went back to camp to sleep off our lunch and get out of the sun.
That’s really about all we did with our day today and as it was going to be hot again tomorrow then getting up and ready for first light was a must, and required an early night. We were getting up at four am so that’s what was called for.

Monday, June 16, 2003
Day 47
We started our day at four AM because of the heat that was forecast. We had had a great stay in Delebole and made new friends as well. I would like to think that I would see all of the many friends again, that we have met so far on our travels; it’s a nice thought.
I made a bowl of corn flakes for myself, and gave Pru some breakfast too. We all needed to have lots of energy to face the day with. Day after day traveling in all sorts of weather, if not checked, can have a big effect on your health, for the good and for the bad as well, so we need all the help we can get from our food. Breakfast is our most important meal of the day for us, in fact the better the start the easier the day tends to be for us.  Today any way, it was a good start. An early night, a good nights sleep, a cup of tea and a bowl of cornflakes.  Which is all I need to start the day.
With the girls ready to go, and the camp packed away it was time to go. The time was now ten to five, and it was light enough to safely leave.
We were heading towards the A39 as we had pulled off it to avoid busy traffic on Saturday.  We weren’t backtracking merely cutting off some dangerous road that can get a little hairy at times. We had come through two weeks earlier so we knew what it could be like, and at that time of the morning people probably think there isn’t any other traffic, let alone coming across a horse and cart. So the back roads were called for on this occasion. We started at a good strong pace, remember that all three of us walk on the road.
We got to the A39 after four miles of very pretty country lanes, the countryside in Cornwall is stunning anyway, but if you go off the beaten track then you will see some countryside that will blow you away. The typical chocolate box picture of Cornwall is alive and well believe me.
We got to the first of our stops on the side of the A39 the sun was well up now and it was getting hot. This day was only going to get hotter, so after forty minutes we were off, and heading to Wainhouse corner. 
We did get to Wainhouse corner but were offered as we pulled on to the verge a place to stay in a field just up the road. The people who kindly made this offer have asked that they stay anonymous, and this is something I will ALWAYS RESPECT.
So some thoughts on the journey so far will have to fill the gap.
The journey to date has been a life changing experience for me; nothing that I have ever done has come close to fulfilling my every dream. Meeting and hearing from people by email is a big deal for me as it makes the journey all the more special. Our feet have so far trodden over many different counties, the countryside has changed at the sort of pace that allows one to appreciate the scope of our land.
The wildlife also is very apparent. Deer and rabbits are a common sight in the early morning and evening for us and I feel very privileged to be part of this.
To say this journey is a spiritual one also would be fair, not that it was planned that way but I don’t think you could plan a spiritual trip, if you know what I mean. Its just happening that way, and I am not going new age on you I am just being honest. Getting up with the early morning chorus that nature provides and seeing the moon wax and wane throughout the month can’t help but have an effect on me. I think it would affect anybody, being this close to the land for long enough. The effect is all for the good, it makes me see more clearly and makes me listen that much more as well.
We are only one quarter the way through our journey as yet, and I look forward to learning more about myself along the way.
Now I have this theory about stress and everyday monotony that is life today. Walking on tarmac and the pavement all the time and not touching the grass or the plain old earth, I think prevents people from grounding themselves naturally. Now again this sounds new age but it makes sense if you think about it.  When you walk in the countryside for a short time you might find yourself breathing in and closing your eyes instinctively. And when its time to return to your home you tend to feel much better and lighter in some way. Well this is what I would call grounding, more intense for some people than others but nonetheless still basically the same. This would account for a lot of stressed city and town folk, so my advice would be to get to the countryside and make some time for yourself.
I really do think what I have told you is correct, looking at it with a scientific view point, if you wear rubber bottom shoes or boots electricity has less of a chance to pass through you and if you think along those lines about stress then it kind of makes a whole lot of sense. Like I said it seems new age, or wacky even but I am out here day in day out and it works for me. I am not saying that I don’t get stressed or worry because I do, all that the above will tend to do is make things a little easier to relive a little stress now and again.

Tuesday, June 17, 2003
Day 48

Today when I awoke, much to my relief it was cloudy, which meant that hopefully it wont get to hot. I put the kettle on and sat on the water barrel, Pru was still curled up in bed she looked so comfortable and warm lying there amongst the quilt.
I was looking at getting to Hollinbourne today, which is about twenty miles from where we were.   If we could make it that far, we would be out of Cornwall and back in to Devon. It all depends on the weather, we had the time to do it. It was only four fifteen.
Thinking that it was going to be hot that morning we had had an early night ready for an early start. The kettle was boiling so it was time for a cuppa, and some breakfast and then it would be time to break camp and move off again.
I had said good-bye to the family that had invited us on to their land the night before, as I knew that we would be heading off early in the morning. So all that remained for me to do was get our stuff together and go and as I was getting a system of packing up to a fine art this wouldn’t take very long.
We set off from the camp at ten past five the light was good and no mist, but to be on the safe side I put on the top light any way. After a couple of miles of twisting turning country lanes we came back out to the A39 and then it was on to Bude about eight miles further up.
We took one break in between Wainhouse corner and Bude, roughly half way, but the full forty minutes was taken as usual.
 We left Manni and Amy s place on Tuesday the twenty seventh of May and headed for Cornwall and Lands End. It is now the seventeenth of June; it has taken us twenty-one days so far to cover that distance. We have had within that time six days off in that leaves travelling time of fifteen days. The distance that we have covered within those fifteen days is roughly one hundred and ninety miles. And that is just from Mannie's place and then back again; by tonight we will be one day away from Mannie’s and four days rest.
I am hoping that time is not against us, if we are not in Scotland by at least the middle of august then the weather could catch us the further north we get the later we are. Not only that but the accounts wouldn’t balance much past this time so I am keeping my fingers crossed.
Anyway where were we, that’s right just pulling off from our break and then heading off towards Bude.
I knew that there was lots of hills coming up and was glad that it wasn’t hot, even though they were still going to be tough, the sun not bearing down on us made the going a little easier.
It didn’t take long before we were in Bude and heading towards our next goal Holsworthy another ten miles down the road. We turned on to the A3072 that would take us there; the traffic was pretty heavy by now as it was gone half past ten. But we got our way through it and continued on our way, poppy is quite good at standing still in traffic these days which makes it a whole lot easier to plan our routes. Avoiding all major traffic would be nice but hardly ever possible, even on the seemingly quietest of roads.
Four miles past Bude we stopped for a break and something to eat, grass for poppy and Cornish pasties for Pru and I and as we were just about to leave Cornwall this seemed the right thing to be eating at the end of our visit to this lovely county.   
We set off again and headed towards the village of Holsworthy. Now Holsworthy if you didn’t already know has one of those hill that just keeps going up and up there is no way of avoiding it. On the way in the other way there is a hill going down just as steep and long, so either way it’s a long ride down on the brake, then Pru and I start the run alongside poppy to the top. And I do mean run, Poppy is not the tallest horse you will ever see but by Christ is she strong.
The run from Crawley to Lands End and back up to Exbourne where Manni lives is the best part of four hundred miles. This I think has served us well, it has made us a lot fitter and able to deal with what the North Country holds in store for us.
Since I have hade the privilege of knowing poppy I have never seen her so fit and strong, and it is for this I am thankful for the extra mileage that we have had to do in order to get ourselves ready.  We now see the transport glitch that we had in the beginning as an act of fate and good fortune.
We came to Holsworthy after couple of hours and took fifteen minutes to cool down before the up and the down. If poppy had been too tired or hot to take the steep and long down then up I would have stopped for the day and taken them on in the morning. Which would not have been the first time this was employed, at the end of the day poppy and Pru come first in my book. If they are to tired to do the work then we all rest, and if god forbid poppy got sick then the towel will be thrown in and we will call it a day and go home.
Of this I can assure you, I will not let poppy or Pru suffer in any way for my ego or false sense of duty to a human cause, they come first and that is that.
On a more positive note the way the girls and I are going, as long as we stick to our routine of doing things that are doable then we should get to John o Groats.
We did the two hills first down and then a steep climb up and as usual pops ran up most of it, which is the way she likes to do these things. It wasn’t long before we were all on top of the hill sweating and panting but never the less we were on top. It was now a case of a mile at most to the verge, which would serve as our home for the night.
And after fifteen minutes or so we were there, I took poppy out of her harness and tethered her out as I had finished doing this she did her customary roll around on the grass which she always seems to enjoy and gets some happy smiling looks from the passing motorist.
Well its now seven o’clock and poppy and Pru have both been fed as have I and we have settled down for the evening. As I am typing this entry that you are reading the teapot is on the go and Pru is a sleep behind me on the cushions and quilt. It will be good to see Manni and Amy again and not forgetting the bloke with the big heart, Keith.
My wife jet phoned this evening as well to say she would be down to see us, this is great news and I am looking forward to having her stay with me and the girls.

Wednesday 18th & Thursday 19th June 2003 
Days 49 & 50

We were only one day’s travel from Amy and Mannie’s place and a few days rest. I looked forward to seeing every one that we had met three or so weeks earlier. I had rung Manni earlier in the week to tell him we were on our way.
The weather today is grey and overcast with a cool breeze blowing, this is good conditions to travel in as far as not over heating or dehydration goes.
I must have slept like a log last night as I didn’t recall waking up at all. Usually I wake up at least once through the night mostly it is Pru with her boney little legs in my side. But last night was a quiet night, there did not seem to be a lot of traffic on the road either which is another cause of being woken up.
I got the camp together, and groomed Poppy, brushing her down picking out her hoofs and also oiling them, combing her mane and tail. At the end of the day when we have stopped I usually wet brush Poppy to get the sweat off of her and then put her on the tether chain.
We set off from Hollicombe and headed for Hatherly, which was eleven miles away, we took a couple of breaks in between there.
Today we were not in too much of a rush, as we didn’t have to far to go, the going was still quite tough still. The hills coming from Hatherly to Exbourne are narrow and twisting as well as they are steep.
We arrived at Mannie’s place and made camp. Manni and Amy were not around but they had already said that should we arrive and they not be there then we were welcome to pull in anyway. I am happy that we get four days rest, and have a good and secluded spot to stay at.
This diary entry will cover until Friday morning I will write the next few days together as we will be in the same spot.
The time now is 3 pm and no sign of Amy or Manni, still poppy is looking happy Pru is curled up asleep and I have just put the kettle on.
It wasn’t until the following morning that I saw Manni and Amy, and also Keith came to see us. We sat around the fire which I had built and talked and drank tea, Manni told me that himself and Amy had just come back from Wales and had been looking at land. They were thinking of moving there and having the same sort of set up as they have now. I asked Manni had he been busy since the last time that I was there and he said that he had, training horses and breaking them in, Manni and Amy’s way of dealing with horses is with kindness and patience. And this seems to always get results, watching the both of them with their animals is a good learning experience and one which I have learned a lot.
As the day went on Keith said that he had to go and he would come and see us before we left. Manni and Amy also left and went about their day, which left me to clean the harness and have a shave and bucket bath.
It is good to have a little time to stop off somewhere and do those odd jobs that are difficult to achieve on the road. It is also a good feeling that tomorrow Ben the farrier will be out to shod Poppy with his expert hands and skill at the craft. And within a week we will hopefully start to cover ground that we haven’t already covered. I hope to be in Hereford within two weeks if possible and meet up with Mike Colton from the allied special forces association and Mick Tyler and his lovely wife Sam. Mick if you remember runs the breakaway survival school. I will be meeting up with Mick in Wales where his survival school is based but that is way off yet. Anyway, it’s been a good day off and I am looking forward to being back on the road and heading for Crediton.

Saturday 21st June
Day 52
It was three forty five when the alarm went off this morning, I was already half awake as usually happens a few minutes before it goes off most mornings. What a lovely morning it was, the sun not risen yet but the birds starting their morning song.
Up on the hill opposite Mannie’s places I could make out the shapes of several deer grassing in the early morning twilight, this truly was a perfect scene and a good start to the day.
Manni and Amy’s land is deep in amongst the countryside of Devon and at night and in the morning the sounds of nature are all that is heard.
I drank my morning cuppa and just sat and watched the countryside wake up.  We did have to get going but this was more important to me, just to sit and be still while observing the new day being born. I felt something brush past me and looked down, it was Pru she to had come to watch the sun rise which was unusual as it is a battle to get her out of our bed in the morning. I patted her on the head as she sat down beside me, and then both just watched and listened. Pru has very good hearing just like all dogs, every so often she would turn her head quickly and stare in to the distance alert and ready. All through this journey I had never done this, never taken the time to watch the morning come in.  I had watched many a sun set as we all do but not truly watched a sun rise, even though we would regularly get up before sun rise I was mostly to preoccupied to take notice. This is something that we will do again as watching the sunrise has been a really peaceful experience and kind of makes a great start to the day.
6.15
Time to set off and head out of Exbourne and head for Crediton fifteen miles up and down the road. As soon as we had got out of Exbourne we got to our fist hill, but Poppy’s new shoes had no problem finding a grip to get up and over it. I will say though that new shoes or not any hill that we climb the drag break is used, worst case scenario would be to have to stop half way up the thing and then have the cart trying to pull poppy backwards again, so this is why the drag break is used.
Anyway it didn’t take all that long to have covered eight miles, and as the sun was not yet to strong I thought that we would take a break and have a drink.
The usual 40 minutes was taken, as is the normal routine now when we stop anywhere to take a break. With all of us rested we then set off on to Crediton, which was now seven miles away, and we could reach it in one pull providing the sun didn’t get to strong.
I must say that I had forgotten a lot of the hills that we were encountering on our way, I was sure that we hadn’t come across this amount of hills on the way in. Although almost 22 days had passed since we had come through this way, the traffic hadn’t worn them away at all, wishful thinking on my part I think.
After one hill after another we came in to Crediton, this was the place of the launderette fiasco and the walk of shame. As we went plodding through the town people waved at us and hooted as they drove by, this made me feel good it is nice to think that people approve of poppy and make us welcome when passing through a village or a town.  We soon came to our stop; we had stayed here on the way through at Mr. and Mrs. browns farm. We pulled up into their yard and I walked to the farmhouse, Mr. brown had already seen us coming down the lane and was waiting at his front door.
"Hello again" I said "would it be alright for me and the girls to stay for one night"? "Of course you can" he said "you know where everything is help your self."
I thanked Mr. brown and set off up the lane to the place we had stayed before. I had unpacked the camp and then led poppy down to the hosepipe, she needed a good wash and brush and as it was still quite hot this was the time to do it. Pru was next and didn’t seem to mind in fact I think she enjoyed it.
After washing poppy and Pru I was pretty wet my self and very hot, so after a quick scout round for any body watching I stripped off and took an ice cold hosing down my self. The words that I was using to describe the temperature of the water are not repeatable but let’s just say it was very very cold. I just prayed that Mr. or Mrs. brown didn’t come round the corner to find this naked swearing bald headed guy using their hosepipe to wash himself. That would not bear thinking about.
Anyway after the fun the girls and me had with the water it was time for some dinner, and an evening of relaxation.

Sunday 22 June 2003
Day 53 – Day 58

The reason that I have put these days together is that we have been with some very interesting people and the pictures will tell the story.
After we had left Mr. and Mrs. Browns farm near Crediton, we headed for Honiton where we had arranged to meet up with Tim and Emma, the couple that we had met at Lands End. Tim Chichester runs his farm using horse and steam power. He has a sawmill and a cider making operation, and this is all done using only the traditional methods of production.
We travelled the 25 miles to Honiton on a very hot and uncomfortable Sunday. I was glad that we set off so early as the afternoon temperatures were very hot and would have been hard work for poppy. But by the time it was to hot we had pretty much finished, which was a relief I can tell you.
Tim and Emma made us all welcome giving poppy a nice place to stay and the same for Pru and me. I will also add that Emma is a very good cook providing me with an exceptional meal on the first night of our stay.
Tim showed me around his farm, and of course I felt obliged to sample a little cider as I was there and it was very nice stuff and I can understand why he has named his product “Suicider”. Tim supplies a lot of local pubs around the area with his cider and because of its quality and taste and the way in which it is made, everyone agrees that it is probably one of the best on the market.
After staying with Tim we headed off to Chard about 16 miles further up. Tim had arranged for us to stay with his good friend and fellow horseman John Simmons. John also works his horses and uses them to; run his own cider mill, making equipment as well as forestry work.
When we arrived at Johns he had made a venison stew on an open fire which was absolutely delicious. We sat and talked beside the fire while John told me of his travels with his horses and wagon. He regularly hitches his wagon up and goes traveling with Tim and other friends of his. This is a man very much of the old school, devoted to his animals and very skilled in the art of horsemanship. I consider myself very privileged to have met John and for that matter Tim as well.
The next morning it was the long haul to Glastonbury and Marcus Gullvier place. I have known Marcus for about a year and looked forward to seeing him and the locals that frequent his place, all of which are nice decent folk.
The added bonus to getting to Glastonbury was that my lovely wife Jet was going to meet me there and was able to stay for a night with me.
I miss Jet a lot and have only seen her a few times since we have been away, and any time that we do spend together is very special to me.
We got to Glastonbury late in the evening because of the heavy traffic that was heading for the festival that was about to start this weekend.
When we did pull up to Marcus’ place the usual warm welcome was waiting, and also Jet as well.
It had again been a warm day so after sponging poppy down and making sure her needs were met I was given a cool glass of Mr. Gullvier cider, which is just what was called for I can tell you.
Don’t get the wrong idea this is not a journey about cider making or tasting, it’s just one of those things. When in Rome do as the Romans do.
I have discovered that going with the flow and allowing the road to guide us has been a great way of meeting people and they in turn introduce us to others and so it goes on.
Jet had to go home the next day but we had had a great time together, it feels like we are courting again when we meet up and always hold hands and sit next to each other. I suppose being apart for so long has made us realize just how much we are in love and how close we are.
Jet and me have always been very close and distance and separation makes our bond very much stronger. Not that I enjoy the being apart from her, in fact I hate it and I feel bad that its of my own doing. But she is one in a million and I am lucky she understands that I have to do this journey, not for any fund raising reason but because it has now become part of my very being. You might say even a pilgrimage; the whole journey has taken on a form and direction of its own, not as planned. The idea at first was living off the land and just getting from one end to another, but now for the time being or at least until we get to Mick Tyler’s place in Wales we will go with the flow.

Saturday, June 28, 2003
Day 59 

It was time to leave Mr. Gullvier’s again and the start of us gaining some ground. Up until now we had been coming back over ground we had more or less covered on the way to Lands End. But today we started our journey northwards into the unknown, well unknown to us any way. The Glastonbury Rock Festival had started the day before so we had a two-day head start on the traffic heading back. This I was thankful for as the festival is the biggest of its kind anywhere in Europe. Too many people for my liking, I don’t do crowds. Don’t get me wrong I am a people person but feel very uncomfortable when in amongst lots of people all at once. So we set off and headed for Street, which was about six miles away, and then on to Bath fourteen miles further on. We had an early start and this was because of the hot weather that had been forecast. We got to just outside Bath around three o’clock. We called into an animal feed shop to get some supplies for Poppy, Pru and our newest member of the team La the ferret.  While we were there the people at the shop offered us a field for the night, which was handy. 
The feed store Corston fields farm, Corston, Bath 01225873305
We arrived at the field and set up camp, all were very tired, as the heat had taken a lot out of us, as is always does.
So it’s up early tomorrow again and get through the town before it decides to wake up.

Sunday, June 29 - 30
Days 60 & 61.

We woke early today so as to get a good start to the day, and also get through Bath nice and early. Once the camp was packed up and the girls had been fed and watered it was time to go.
Getting to Bath as far as hills is concerned is not a problem but getting out is. We were going on the A46, the hill that greeted us on that road is not steep but it goes on and flaming on. I never thought it was going to end and by the time we had got to it the day was starting to get warm and humid.
A mile and a half later we got to the top and I think we were all grateful for that, at this point I am going to share some thing with you. The journey so far you probably might have noticed has lacked the hedgerow skills and feeding ourselves off the land where possible. It has turned out this way because demonstrating this craft has been left till we get to Mick Tyler’s school in Wales. Mick runs Breakaway Survival and has had thousands of people come on his courses over the last twenty years. So to start the ball rolling on this subject our visit to Mick's will be first and then as we will be more exposed as far as the open moors and mountains go, we will explore it further. I have been collecting and drying a few herbs to use as demonstration material, and I was going to start to show some stuff but there is lots of time and opportunity to come. I don’t want to go over board on a subject too soon, and as you will see there are a lot of people who excel in this craft and I aim to show you as many of them as we can find.
That out the way, we can continue with the entry for day sixty and sixty one, after a long hot day we arrived at Chipping Sodbury. There is a lovely common there and it met our needs perfectly.
As I set up camp a local man called Toni Harris came over and introduced himself. We sat around and talked for a while drinking tea which is now the custom whenever the girls and I have company.  Toni is a skilled metalworker and engineer and asked if we needed anything fixed or made whilst we were here. It just so happened that the cart was in need of a swingle tree. What! I hear you say, it’s just a bar that the traces attach to so that when Poppy pulls the cart along her shoulders don’t rub with the movement of the collar.
I expect it’s about clear as mud me trying to explain all that, but here are some pictures that will show you what I am blathering on about.

Basically the swingle tree puts movement onto the chains that pull the cart and take it away from Poppy’s shoulders. And as we are now going to be up and down hills even more it makes life easier for her and makes sure she won’t rub and get sore. Sure enough Toni made a cracking job of the swingle tree and now its sorted thanks Toni.

What can I say about day sixty one other than we are about fourteen miles south of Gloucester we haven’t done a lot of miles today due to me over sleeping.  At the moment we are camped by the side of the A38 a very busy road indeed and one I shall be glad to get off.
I am hoping that we will get through Gloucester tomorrow however the normal early morning stealth through the town ain’t gonna happen due to where we are now. But we shall see what tomorrow brings and do what we have to. 
I was just about to finish this entry when a car pulled up and some people got out. Two ladies one small boy and two men (one of which was Mr. Jimmy Searle). Jimmy Searle is a very experienced horse trainer who has worked in circuses training horses. Leaving his wife to look after Poppy and Pru, Jimmy took me half a mile to where he has two horses that he has trained. Jimmy spent the next half an hour impressing the hell out of me and I choose my words carefully. He galloped a horse bare back which usually means no saddle but in Jimmy’s case meant no bridle either. Yes he galloped this huge horse, which as it went a round the paddock seemed to fly with its gracefulness and awesome power. He was in total control sending the horse one way then another at the gallop. This was impressive enough but when he got off he told the horse to lie down and bugger me it did to.

I haven’t drunk too much of Marcus’s cider, what I am telling you is true, Jimmy asked me to sit on the ground and then got the horse to lie with its head across my lap as I was sat there on the ground. Mind blowing that’s the only way that I can describe the control that this man had over these two horses. Jimmy has had many years learning his skill including working in Spain with the bulls and horses and mule teams. He is well known and respected in the Romany community, which is where he comes from, and its something he is very proud of, and quite rightly too. Jimmy is a very competent horseman and demonstrates this at fairs and events where he will drive a team of several horses around a course. He does this on the country roads where he comes from as well, this truly is a skill. It is something that I was very glad to have seen, and it was my good fortune to have had the opportunity to meet Jimmy.

Tuesday, July 01, 2003
Day 62

What a great nights sleep. I really felt refreshed when I woke this morning and that is a good way to start the day.
There is not much to say about today other than it was a bit of a slog, but we got through Gloucester and are now parked thirteen miles south east of Ross on Wye. We did have our picture taken by a guy called Clint Randall who is a photographer working for the western daily press. I also spoke to Mike Colton from the Allied Special Forces Association and said that we would probably be in Hereford on Saturday (hopefully). Mike is organizing a place for us to stay and someone to do a few bits of stitching to the harness. 
Another good thing that is happening on Saturday is jet is coming all the way from crawley again to see me, which is fantastic. Even though we saw each other in Glastonbury just last week it is going to be good to see my skinny wife again.
I am hoping also to catch up with Mick Tyler and his lovely wife Sam when we are in Hereford. It will have to be Sunday though, as Mick runs his survival courses over the week end and gets back late Sunday afternoon. 
Well here we are parked up for the night and taking it easy, which is what all four of us are good at. Its four now don’t forget, as La has joined our gang and will no doubt make a useful member of the team.

Wednesday July 2nd 2003
Days 63 & 64

We made our way to Gloucester after an early start, and I was thankful for this, as the main road that we were on was extremely busy. A long the route we stopped off at a local feed place to get a bag of horse feed for pops and some dog food for Pru. And then it was back on the road; it took quite a bit of time to get to Gloucester from where we had set off. About four hours, but the day was over cast and dry which is perfect weather for us. We didn't have to go through the center of the town merely the outskirts, which were busy enough.
We had had a phone call from a local newspaper and had arranged to meet them at a petrol station in Gloucester. There they took our picture and asked why we were doing the drive through the country. The reasons that I give as to why I am doing this are always the same and that is to meet people and experience the culture and traditions of their way of life. Every day there are more and more reasons for me to continue this journey, it is not the picture I had in mind when we started off.
Anyway with the pictures done we headed out of Gloucester and on to the Hereford road and looked for somewhere to park up for the night.
We found a lovely common to park on in the village of peters stow on the A40, so that is where we stayed and made camp. During the rest of the day we had a few visitors.
Mary Horner of the Romany and travellers family history society, who find descendents and lost family members from all over the world of the Romany folk tradition. Mary is a lovely lady we sat and chatted for hours, she had been told that we were there by the lady who’s tap I had used to fill our water barrel, she and Mary are both friends. Mary does a lot of good by reuniting families that have lost touch or are trying to find their lineage, she hold talks an annual conferences she can be contacted by e mail            
mary.mph@tiscali.co.uk.

We also had two members of the Smith family drop by and wished us well on our journey; the Smiths are also from the Romany tradition and have been since time in memorial. They told me that a lot of their families are travelling in Wales and that we would probably meet them on route.
After our visitors left I made some dinner and settled down for the rest of the day, I was extremely tired and needed to just chill out and relax for the time being.

The morning of day sixty-four, and what a lovely morning. The sun was shining and the air was heavy with the smell of honeysuckle. Every morning that I get up makes me thankful to be here and to have had the chance to under take this journey. No day is the same and no place the same and that is the wonderful thing about what we are doing. Diversity and the unknown are part of our lives every day and it’s something that I am becoming very fond of.
As we were only fourteen miles from Hereford today I had arranged to meet up with Mike Colton of the Allied Special Forces Association a long our route. I had emailed Mike the night before as I always do and put him in the picture on our progress.
Former SAS trooper Mike is the founder of the Allied Special Forces Association and does mammoth amounts of fund raising and charitable work for former comrades from around the world.
If you are reading this entry please take the time to look at his site which can be accessed through this one and see all the great things which the association does in Hereford and worldwide.
We met up with mike at tea bar on the side of the road on the A40 he bought Pru breakfast as well as me, so now Mike's her best friend.
From there we went to up the road to the Violette Szabo museum, which is run my Miss Rigby.
Now violet szabo was secret agent who was brought up by her English father and French mother, she was recruited by the SOE during the Second World War she became skilled and competent in the training that she was given. On her second mission into France parachuted into the Limoges area, barely twenty-four hours after the d-day landings. She was entrusted with the dangerous and responsible task of passing messages to units of the maquis, whom once coordinated and instructed, were to effective in holding back a German tank division. Violette szabo saved a key agent by holding back the Germans on her own with her gun whilst he got away, but was captured herself. After imprisonment and torture, forced labour and great hard ship she was shot at ravensbruck prison in 1945. She was posthumously awarded the George cross for a magnificent example of courage and steadfastness. The museum can be contacted for times of opening on the following number 01981 540477.
We left the museum and said good-bye to Mike who we would see again later. We walked the last few miles to the traveller's rest, a pub in Credon Hill that Mike had arranged for us to stay in their paddock. When we arrived we were greeted by Yvonne the landlady of the pub. Yvonne showed me to the paddock and said that there was a roast dinner and a pint of Guinness waiting for me when I was ready, I thanked her and got the girls sorted with food and water and then casually sprinted over to the pub for tea.
Later that evening Mick and Sam Tyler and family kindly paid me a visit so I spent the evening with these lovely people. It was good to see Mick and Sam they are so nice and friendly and always pleased to see me. Whenever I find myself on one of Mick’s courses either helping out or just popping in to see every one we always have a laugh. And this particular evening was no exception; Mick was leaving for the mountains the next morning as he had a course running so he would be passing where we were staying about four o’clock. Ill give you a toot as I go by he said smiling knowing that I would be worst for wear. All right Mick I will be up any way, which was a fib as I intended to have a lay in. Sure enough the land of nod was shattered at four am by Mick driving by sounding his horn and shouting get up yer lazy bugger.
Cheers Mick.

Go onto next section. Wales.