Just having breakfast before setting off for the airport

4 days to go!
Have been to see Phil this afternoon, he is walking Offa's Dyke with me and is an experienced walker and so was able to give me some good advice and has lent me some equipment.
Thanks are due to Sainsburys on Ashton Moss, they have generously supplied me with some breakfast bars, snacks, bottled water and some first aid supplies. Thanks to Agnus for organising this.

Just 6 days before we start walking and I am avidly watching the weather forecast for Northern Scotland. I have had two T shirts printed with information about the walk and I picked them up today and put one on. I walked through Ashton and straight away people were asking me what I was doing and one person gave me a very generous donation. Thanks Bradley you,ve just purchased 1/10 of a pipe well.

Have spent the day trying to tie up loose ends and have also been to Joseph Jennings Court and put a display up of my intended route and then had a question and answer type chat with some of the people that live there. An enjoyable couple of hours, thanks to Ann for organising it.

Tomorrow morning I am being interviewed on Tameside radio at 9.00 so if you're free why not listen in.
Only 12 days to go now!

On Thursday I enjoyed a lovely walk along the Lancaster canal, it was peaceful, very beautiful and well kept. I can recommend the walk to anyone.

 The walk was a lot longer than we anticipated and at times we appeared to be walking backwards as some signposts indicated distances that went up instead of down! The final distance was about 22 miles and took 7 hours. None the less Lee and Brian my walking companions and myself all made it from just below Natland to South Lancaster. It was a little overcast at the beginning of the day but soon cleared up and the sun shone on us.

Just one word of warning to future walkers, the canal criss crosses the motorway on a number of occasions and once is a dead end if you miss a small sign indicating to turn right over a foot bridge.

Our next walk is Wednesday of this week.

Arrived back from America safely 5 days ago but still trying to get back into the right time zone!
Have done a little more fund raising in my local shopping centre had some good conversations with people who were passing by. Thanks to all of you who took the trouble to stop and talk or donate.
I am re-phoning people to confirm accommodation especially for the early weeks of the walk and tying up loose ends.
I will be doing some more walking this week particularly on Thursday when I hope to walk along the Lancaster canal which is part of my route later in the walk. My main focus is now turning to fund raising if any of my readers know of anyone who might be interested in sponsoring me it can now also be done electronically through this blog. I appreciate any support for the charities that I am supporting.
Since arriving back we have had rain, rain and more rain so perhaps by the time I set off we'll be due for some dry weather!
I'll post some more photos later on this week