Category: July 2013

Shawford to Winchester, not so simple – first published 16 July 2013

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My first attempt at walking the whole Itchen Navigation could easily have ended in Shawford. It was a hot July day and, even after a rest and a cool drink in the pub, I was feeling tired and overheated. Dithering as usual I’d left the pub and, after a little look at Victor’s famous bridge and a long look at the station that could so easily take me home I turned, quite reluctantly to the Navigation. The path ran through a cutway beside the pub. The sign said Winchester three miles, that didn’t sound so bad, not much more than the walk to work. Continue reading Shawford to Winchester, not so simple – first published 16 July 2013

Here there be dragons, crossing the breach – first published 16 July 2013

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So there I was at the bottom of Allbrook Hill on Higbridge Road, facing an array of confusing signs about ford keys and bank breaches not knowing whether to carry on or bail out. It looked like my Winchester or bust plan might be doomed to failure. In the end I  decided to risk carrying on along the Itchen Navigation and see what happened. Was this to be a decision I would regret? Only time would tell and all I could hope was, if it was totally impassable, I wasn’t too far along the path. Continue reading Here there be dragons, crossing the breach – first published 16 July 2013

Winchester or bust – first published 16 July 2013

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It was Satirday,  it was mid July 2013 and the plan for the day was to walk the Itchen Navigation to Winchester, find the Winchester rhino and get the train home. Obviously that meant an early start and the hope it wouldn’t get too hot before I got there. Not feeling too sure about that I packed my water bottle with ice and water and took my sunglasses as well as my glasses. Seeing properly is relatively important I always find. All in all I felt it was a good plan and I was fairly confident of success. Continue reading Winchester or bust – first published 16 July 2013

walking as part of a team first published 14 July 2013

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My original blog was just over a year old in mid July 2013. The first ever post was about a Race For Life 10k. Back then I’d done precisely zero training, I was gaining weight at an alarming rate and making every excuse under the sun not to do any exercise. The plot had been well and truly lost and I’d wandered so far off the path it was a wonder I ever found my way back. What a difference a year makes! A year later I was at the start line of another Race For Life 10k, this time it wasn’t raining, it was hot and sunny, some would say a little too hot or at least too humid. This time I’d rather over trained for a mere 10k and, apart from the weather aspect, it was hardly a challenge. Now I was walking as part of a team.

Continue reading walking as part of a team first published 14 July 2013

my first rhino safari – first published 11 July 2013

Photo from the Zany Zebras Facebook page
Photo from the Zany Zebras Facebook page

It seems fitting that the first of the resurrected posts from my old blog in 2016 should be about the rhinos that decorated my city back in 2013. When I spotted the first ones in early July I wondered what on earth they were but when I found out there were a trail of them to be discovered I was quite excited. There’s nothing quite like a treasure hunt to whet the appetite for walking. The rhino posts are topical right now because there is a whole new trail coming this year. This time it will be painted zebras gracing our streets, there’s already a Facebook page all about them and I can’t wait to start searching.
Continue reading my first rhino safari – first published 11 July 2013

worlds dumbest PA and rhinos in the park – first published 10 July 2013

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In early July 2013 the weather was beautiful so I went for a lunchtime walk in the parks and discovered a mystery. Brightly decorated rhinos were appearing all over the place and I had no idea what they were all about although I quite liked them. There was also a rather unfortunate incident in the downstairs office that made me wonder if I was the world’s dumbest PA and Gigi was the world’s dumbest marketing manager. Continue reading worlds dumbest PA and rhinos in the park – first published 10 July 2013

an addition to the woodland route – first published 7 July 2013

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At the beginning of July 2013 I was on a mission to explore a route that would take me from the shore to Millers Pond without road walking. At least that was the theory. For once I’d planned it all with precision on WalkJogRun so I knew exactly where I was going. When I say exactly, I mean, more or less because there were woods involved and they’re quite difficult to plot as you can’t see the paths on the satellite map. Still, how lost could I get? Continue reading an addition to the woodland route – first published 7 July 2013