Training 2 (10m) - Do I need any preparation?

The short answer is yes, especially if the expedition involves long days. There is the physical preparation to start with. From experience you need over 10 miles in your legs - the more the better. A range of quality clothing. Reliable blister management (melolin patches. Backup footwear - my choice is the best trainers I can afford. An easy hydration system in a day backpack. At my age there is no way I'm carrying 30 lbs plus all day on my back, though I understand wearing a backpack is great for posture. What do we do with our pjs?

suffering 3   White Peak - serious blister problem and a really long walk

suffering 4   Yorkshire 3 peaks - great support team

Upperthong CC - under 9s cricket festival. 8 teams all play each other

Nice house

Nice garden

Nice outlook

Nice people

The Smiths (Greg and Pauline), Helme

Blackmoorfoot (got lost around here, just how I'm not sure. I think it was the private road that put me off)

Magdale from Hill Top, Netherton. Can't quite see Chez Talboys, but it's there. More nice people who have a boulodrome in their back garden.

St Mary's, Honley

1. Victoria Springs  2. Blackmoorfoot  3. Netherton  4. Honley

The detour at Blackmoorfoot (went through Helme twice) meant I didn't make Castle Hill and then possibly on up the Holme Valley. Out 4 hours so must be around 10 miles and cream-crackered.

sole soreness
so-so tired
soul search

The Walker boys go to Dublin

        Tuna and anchovy sandwich

Sunday. Over 4 hours door-to-door, flydrive. Good enough apartment though lacked a cleaner. Then a bar to watch the game.

France 2 - Ireland 1

The whole of Ireland is in tears.

Ha'penny bridge to meet Cisco, a pilot, then Croke Park, on The Hill. Dublin and Meath, GAA.

This was rough - lots of loud drunks, swearing and lurching about. 6.00 pm ko and they'd been at it all day with the soccer. Lots of wives and young women, however, who didn't seem to mind. Two security checks on the way in and a large police presence in the ground. At least the swearing was in Irish, a rare language in Dublin these days.

Into town and met Cashin and his brother, pilot and personal trainer respectively. They were well away and virtually incomprehensible. Tapas for evening meal.

  Monday. Great lunch apart from the T-shirt. Chris made me change it. Sheila and I had lunch here in 2005, off the boat - our first taste of Ireland and, incidentally the year of Flintoff's Ashes. We now try and come to Ireland most years.

Tuna and anchovy sandwich

Then the Jameson's tour. Somebody must teach me how to take photographs.

Apparently this is one of the original millstones (grist to the mill). All the distilling is now in Midleton, Cork.

Plenty of sampling. I got a shirt with a barrelman on it.

The Bridewell

The erection at the intersection

We got a few taxis, all driven by who I took to be yardies. But they are all from Nigeria.

Home at 8.00 pm. England were disgraceful. Ireland would have murdered them.

Cameron's gone, Corbyn should go, Hodgson's gone. Just who is left running the country? Same people who were running it before they all went. How about Boris for goalie, and Farage for lone striker?

Training 1 (5m) - Why am I doing this?

'There comes a time when normally sane middle aged men take up some cause, and on its behalf,
run, swim, walk or bike a silly distance, preferably up and over equally silly obstacles, and,
inexplicably, compete against each other by trying to do it in the fastest time. Now what is that all
about?' (clic link suffering 1: A New Mill Choir biking experience 2001).
  We have a different attitude to ageing than our parents. Retirement, early or at the expected age, is now simply an opportunity to do something different or continue an interest with more depth and relaxation. And this applies to exercise. And there's no pay. And no pressure if you don't want.

  Why choose the exercise route? Physical health is probably the most written and talked about, given there is a ceiling to what we can achieve. Psychological health as well. Sadly our baggage comes with us, however old we are. It's hard to brood over stuff when you are struggling to breathe; a great way to empty the mind.

  Supporting and raising money for charity.
  Sharing in a social event.

  Visiting and enjoying new places or seeing old places from a new perspective. We took a day boat once down the Huddersfield Broad Canal: Leeds Road toward Cooper Bridge. We knew the main road and the dye works were there, but we actually experienced a floating leisurely afternoon out in the country.

  Just the challenge of doing something difficult and the pleasure of achievement.

  Some or all of these things were involved in an expedition to mark my first retirement (clic link suffering 2: The National 3 Peaks 1996).

  So four training walks planned for a project that will be revealed in due course. And I'm not doing it for any of the reasons listed. A pal asked me if I would join him.

Cartworth Moor AFC. A meeting on the centre spot of the Roy Hodgson fan club.

Homestyes

Circus in the woods: ballerina, acrobats, audiences, lions, tents

                                                    and a book tree for good measure

Yew Tree Lane, Hichliffe Mill, on route to The Stumble Inn

1. Victoria Springs  2. Cartworth Moor CC & AFC  3. Choppards  4. Circus  6. Stumble Inn

A man went for a walk,

     finding a circus was never his intent.

          A solo he sought, or so he thought,

                but without accompaniment?

                  

Confused or what2

Guys please be patient. I'm trying to change my profile into a page. Don't ask me why, I wish I'd never started. Facebook is confusing enough without me making it far worse. The Facebook police are also on to me, though I think they are trying to help. Their message sadly is in Russian. This is all in the cause of improving my outlet for my blogspot and so far has worked well. But, I thought I'd try and make it better. It's this tiresome thing about self-development, at any age. I should really drink a scotch, read a book and take a nap.

Remember this confused old boy when the ferry got stuck in Durham. Well he is still alive and kicking and making a complete horlicks of his Facebook account.

Confused or what

Twice a year I have a blitz on Facebook. I get thoroughly confused and irritated and move on to something else to calm me down.

I am having just such a moment.

Because people who know us quite like the blog, I thought I'd make it easier and put us all into a group (DaWShallilo. combining my initials with Sheila's middle name).

I then realised I had only a profile and not a page, so I began the conversion (not mine). For the next two weeks I will have two sites called David Walker.

I was in marketing for a short while - publishing books, so Shallileybooks has a page and a group. It also has a website. I think some form of rationalisation is needed.

Then we have New Mill Choir's page and group. The website has nothing to do with me.

And my actual blog is on Google blogger (Shallilo) which I share with some of the above sites. Another blog (Swinglo) is shared with the choir.

So the sequence is as follows: Shallilo to David Walker's page  (people who have liked the page will 

                                                                                                                                     see the blogs)                      

                                                 Shallilo to DaWShallilo's group (members automatically see them)

Goodness knows where the blogs go after that but Shallilo is running over 5000 hits.

Don't get involved with Shallileybooks - I'm eventually only having one site.

I don't know choir policy on social media, so my contribution is limited.

IS THAT CLEAR

To infinity

Gosh, uncle 4 stripes has transmogrified into Buzz. It won't change my life; hanging out for coffee biscuits from the grown ups, running after the ducks and catching a few rays down at Scufflers.

Uncle 4 stripes has to collect his passport personally

Having made an appointment for 10.45 we were surprised to hear it wouldn't be ready until 3.30. "They do have to stick a photo in," I said.

So, whilst waiting, we wandered around the waterfront.

The 'Echo' reports as follows - Liverpool's Albert Dock is just one of many sites around the world where couples clip their engraved padlocks.
  Since the early 2000s the romantic gesture has become a worldwide phenomenon, with thousands of locks being placed on famous bridges including the Pont de l'Archeveche in Paris, the Brooklyn Bridge in New York, and the Ponte Milvio in Rome. In Liverpool a string of love locks have been fastened to railings alongside the Albert Dock.
  Before the padlocks are clipped into place, they are typically engraved with initials or a personal message, and the key is then thrown away - usually into the river.

While some see it as a nuisance, or even vandalism, for others its the ultimate way to symbolise their unbreakable love.

The Liverpool eye

There is the Titanic, sleeps 9, perfect for a weekend break
No orchestra, lifeboat optional
The anglican cathedral is just visible on the horizon

Great places for coffee with a view of the Catholic cathedral in the distance

Lunch was nice, looking toward the Liver building.
Coley fishcakes and green salad.

BUT - is this a sink or a urinal?

Sadly (before white wine), I made the wrong call, pointed out to me by a very nice elderly lady who suddenly appeared, presumably from the female half of the loo.

As we passed, I mentioned the American influence on early British rock. Everyone wanted to be  Elvis,
including Billy. "Never heard of him." I couldn't even blame the youth of today as he has had his 30th.
We got his passport at 3.30 and were in a traffic jam all the way to Saddleworth.

Amazing what you come across walking down a side street ln Thirsk (on way back from Easington)

Or, in someone's back garden.                                                            

Thomas Lord (23 November 1755 – 13 January 1832) was an English professional cricketer who played first-class cricket from 1787 to 1802. He made a brief comeback, playing in one further match in 1815. Overall, Lord made 90 known appearances in first-class cricket. He was mostly associated with Middlesex and with Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) as a ground staff bowler.  

Lord is best remembered as the founder of Lord's Cricket Ground.

Touring Lord's - In 2011 we risked a weekend in London, taking in Lord's, handing in Peter Davies' and my anthology of West Yorkshire cricket, entitled 'It's not Lord's', to the librarian. Click touring if you are interested.


It's not Lord's click on here to read more about the book.

Goodness me - what has happened to the wisteria this year?

This group makes it easier for me to share the blogs.

If you don't wish to be in the group, please let me know and will gladly oblige.

It's taken about 5 years for the wisteria to get to this. Old Father Time is impressed. The farmer has just ploughed up two meadows where sheep gently grazed. We wonder what he will plant. Such are our preoccupations.

Just when you are getting smug about your IT skills; in this case pics on the mobile phone, something happens. I swear lettuce is not a preoccupation; it just appeared on my phone, honest. I'm a click away from a reality check.

Welcome to Antarctica, East Yorkshire coast style

Sewerby Hall

Sewerby CC

Cliff edge, 2 pitches, could be perfect, apart from temperatures that chap fingers, winds that whistle round your willy and a sea fret. I don't fancy it, even if we played a team of slow girls.

You can just see Bridlington in the distance should you wish.