On May 1st this year I began a long-held ambition to walk from John O’Groats to Lands End. This was not my first long distance walk since being retired from the film and TV industry as a cameraman. I have completed 10 walks since 1997. With a combination of footpaths, bridle ways and roads, I completed this 1000 mile walk on 8th July – in 60 days!

The task would have been impossible without my support team – my cousin Derek and his wife Jane – who provided their large motor home to stay on 32 campsites along the way. They also provided their car for pick-up’s and drop-off’s on every section of the route. I walked from the bleak landscapes of parts of Scotland to the beautiful scenery of the Great Glen, covering Loch Ness and the Caledonian Canal to Fort William, onwards along the West Highland Way, passing the beautiful Loch Lomand for many of its 23 miles. Then turning eastwards to Falkirk and the Forth Clyde Canal Path, onto Peebles, Jedburgh and across the Cheviots by way of an old Roman Road – Dere Street. Soon found the Pennine Way path from Kirk Yetholm to Byrness and despite wind, rain and heavy cloud cover over the hills; I walked 22 miles that day to the pick up point where Derek and Jane waited for me.

After two sections of the Pennine Way to Bellingham, I decided to stick to the “as the crow flies” principle, keeping to ‘B’ and minor roads where possible to cut down mileage for the walk and for the pickup mileage to and from the campsites. The first half of the walk – 580 miles to the end of the Pennine Way in Derbyshire – was achieved by walking for 33 days with one rest day. Then I stopped for 5 day ‘holiday’ at Derek and Jane’s home in Lincolnshire before starting to walk the last 420 miles on 9th June.

It’s so much more attractive – and certainly less arduous – walking through the countryside of Shropshire, Staffordshire and Gloucestershire and then Bath into Somerset. The rolling hills, meadows, quaint villages and small towns are quite lovely. I walked through Glastonbury not only through the annual festival but also during the only blisteringly hot period of the walk. I shall never forget the heat and humidity; it proved nigh on impossible to walk in. Luckily for me, the temperature dropped back down and with sun, showers and light winds, I was able to have a reasonably comfortable final stretch through Devon and Cornwall to Lands End and finished it all on 8th July.

As this was a sponsored walk for Hope House Children’s Hospice – in fact all my walks have been for them – it was uplifting to find even in this credit crunch time the generosity and friendliness of the people I met. Cars stopped and donated money each time they saw the walk logo that my youngest daughter, Hayley, had made for the back of my rucksack.

The 1000 mile trek was an amazing experience. I met so many lovely people, with distinctive accents and lots of stories to tell as I walked along rattling my collection tin. I shall never forget those long distance paths which held fellow walkers and Romany gypsies pulling their wonderful old traditional caravans. It was a fascinating journey – a great adventure!

But that’s it now. I have decided at 70 years old to retire from Long Distance Walking. I’m going to use my bus pass more – and maybe take the train a bit as well. They say that the Trans Siberian Railway is a fascinating journey to undertake – and variety is the spice of life!