DAY 36: Rudheath to Bollington: Evening Report

Today: 20.2 miles
Total so far: 554.8 miles
Percentage Completed: 33.2 %

(Click map to enlarge)

What a difference after lunch: I came out of the pub to struggling sunshine and the afternoon turned into a wonderful warm Spring day. I struggled up the hill to Alderley Edge - the whole area beautifully manicured and loved - so unlike the Northwich area of this morning. People seemed to be smiley and out in their gardens.

Granted, the disposable income in an area like this is massively different, but the people I met were the older, grandparent generation, in very normal little semis; they just seemed to be happier.

I had my first iced lolly of the year in the picnic area at the top and then strolled through rolling countryside, down through Prestbury (very Posh, big houses, all having the builders in to make them bigger and posher) and finally to Bollington - a shaggy little village with two huge aqueducts that tower above you as you walk in.

By the time I got here my feet were aching like hell again - the result of two days of over twenty miles on roads. I am looking forward to the Pennine Way, just to get off roads and back on to good black soft earth, of which, I seem to recall, there is an abundance, especially when it rains...

I am staying at a pub owned by the villagers and it is absolutely buzzing - a nice pint of Black Sheep a carnivore's lasagne on its way; for the protein. With chips; for the carbohydrate. No salad; I did that healthy stuff at lunchtime.

So: About One third of the walk done and still on schedule and in reasonably good order.

I heard tonight from Lynnie that a neighbour of mine back home has bust his leg quite badly (he reads the blog from time to time too) - so chin up Jonny - get yourself a bell and ring it so that Erica can bring you whiskies and chocolate cake on demand. What on earth were you doing in a skip anyway?