DAY85: Rest Day @ Montrose

DAY 85: Rest Day, Montrose
Thursday 24th May 2007
(Posted from Kingussie!)

I have been on the phone to O2 for getting on for an hour today. The error message I am getting when I try to send my day's events as an email to the blog is entirely down to O2's servers having gone bonkers. For some reason they are not letting anyone send emails - I can receive them but cannot send.

The nice girls on Customer Service at O2 are apologetic, but they have no idea when the Engineers will have it fixed.

So once more I am typing away, wondering if it will ever get sent...

'Rest Days' are always hectic affairs - I write a list of things to do. I won't bore you to death with the entire list but today I have had a big help with my replacement Exped mattress - as Peter Lumley has contacted Lyon Equipment, the importers and they very kindly have organised a new one to reach me when I get to Kingussie - That's excellent, so my thanks go to Peter and Lyon.

I have changed my schedule slightly; instead of having my next day off at Ft Augustus, I shall take it a little sooner at Kingussie where I am staying with Derek & Marian.

New toiletries purchased and the Thursday Evening Challenge Dinner - and excellent affair where 170 Challengers all sit down together to toast each other's successful crossings.

There was a very sad moment at the start of the meal, when we all remembered Mike Illingworth, who died on his journey up to his start point. Mike was a splendid, kind hearted chap, and I last walked with him in the Cheviots on this Lejog walk. He will be missed.

The evening went on well into the small hours and it was almost dawn when some finally made it to their beds (some not making it at all!) A wonderful end to an excellent Challenge.

On the Challenge itself, I have collected in cheques and cash donations a total of £240, which, when I get to a proper computer I will log onto my Sue Ryder Care page. (I cannot do it from this PDA)