A crisp bright and sunny morning that was going to get up to about 10 degrees today, perfect walking weather. Tania was walking with me for the first bit before taking Georgie back to the car, so that made it a nice start to the day.

As usual it started with green juice, all the tablets and a cup of EG (not PG), followed by coffee and cigarettes before Andy arrived for a lift to Wolvercote.

I’d tended my blisters and taped on my toe nails and was now ready to go, but somewhat in fear of the speed and fitness of my company for the day – these two would want to march!

Today I was being joined by Liam & Andy. I’ve know Liam and his husband Phil for more than 10 years Phil was our local councillor in Eversley, where we had the Frog & Wicket Pub, so he and Liam would pop in from time to time or we’d see them at The White Hart their local haunt. In recent years Liam has been riding his static bike for charity on several occasions at the Dog & Partridge. But like many people you meet across a bar or over a pint you never really know them until you spend quality time talking, laughing & joking and we did a good bit of that today.

L-R Liam, Tania & Andy

Andy Money is from Bampton, where we live now, just a mile or so off the Thames at Tadpole Bridge, he’s a Bamptonian, born and bred – now only people born in Bampton can be Bamptonians, to be a Bamptonite you need to live there for about 25 years, “more than that” reckoned Andy. It’s not easy to settle in a new village as we did 5 and a bit years ago, but meeting Andy and good number of others – mainly revolving around the Morris Clown, but not all, we feel welcomed in to the fold and “the original home of Morris Dancing”!

For me this is stretch of the River is the gateway to our recent life – since we moved to the area in August 2013, but it’s not only that, since Dad & Shirley first moved here in 1983 and so we’d visited for years. It’s a lovely bit of the river, it narrows considerably here, and Captain Colin might have thought it more akin to the width of a canal, but the tight winds might have severely added to the blisters on his hands, as you’d be forever turning the boat left & right (sorry captain, port and Starboard). The Locks here are narrower too and some of them are still manual mechanisms- he’d not have liked that, but the narrow locks are very similar to the canals he’s used too.

I like this stretch particularly for the open fields and that Henny could run like a lunatic with Andy’s springer spaniel Mable. We made good progress and were regrettably too early for a pint at the Talbot near Eynsham, so we stopped for coffee at Eynsham lock before heading on to Oxford Cruisers a bit of a blot on the river if you ask me and the path detours here talking you up the road for 1/4 of a mile, still soon back to the green fields and on towards Pinkhill Lock. After Pinkhill we leave the river again, and this time we stay on green fields until we reach Bablock Hythe …. now this is a strange place!

On our way to Bablock Liam was telling me all about his challenges – this guy just gets up for a challenge normally on a bike and an occasional walk, he’s been up every mountain in the country, done 3-peaks, coast-to-coast (or is that one still to come …. on horseback), he’s cycled the killing fields of France & Cambodia, he’s off to Peru (didn’t Paddington come from there?), and he’s clocked up hundreds of miles in Burma and Thailand! Now I may not have all the details correct, but you get the gist. The big thing is that Liam has been raising money for Help for Heroes for the last 5 years and has raised more than £60,000! That’s some serious going.

We approached The Ferry Inn at Bablock Hythe, you walk through the static home park, it looks quite pleasant, though I think they are stacked a little too close together for my liking, and you arrive at a beautiful spot on the river with a Meadow to one side and the ugliest of modern (mid 80’s) pub buildings on the left – it’s more akin to a community centre. I’d been here once before on a previous walk, so knew what I was expecting – Liam and I ventured in to what looked like a closed building, while Andy took the dogs. Firstly, the heads turn to stare at you – obviously we were not from the community, no one says anything and eventually a little old lady appears asking what we’d like. No “hello”, or banter or “how are you”, which is odd for a pub in such a beautiful setting on the river. And a “NO DOGS” sign on the wall – my dog wouldn’t have liked it here any way, she’d found far better pubs on this trip.

Liam, Andy & Mable

Henny found the first geese that she could not simply chase and put back into the river – these were fierce and protective and came at her, getting so close that I was certain she’d be bitten – thankfully not, but I don’t think she’ll be going too near them in future!

We had a pleasant afternoon and marched on across the fields to Northmoor Lock and eventually Newbridge and the Rose Revived – such a shame it’s a Greene King pub , and Liam reminded me it was Palm Sunday tomorrow – the last day of my walk!

Rose Revived Newbridge

Another pint at Newbridge, since we were met by Tania and Angela, and my gorgeous daughter Jess her partner Rob and GC’s Annabelle & Myles for the second time this week. They had planned to walk with us but we’d made too good a pace, Andy and Liam being marchers, who very kindly kept it back a bit today still pulled me along at what Liam’s app said had been 3.2 mph and with a faster pace in the afternoon! I was impressed.

I was as always delighted to have family support on this trip and to finish the day with loved ones.

Morris Clown Bampton

We all headed of to The Morris Clown for a couple more – and now you’ll understand why the blog didn’t show up until now – I’d have struggled last night and my blisters were almost as bad as Captain Colin’s!

One more day to go to complete 100 miles!