There have been a lot of kind and friendly people crammed into this last week.
Just this minute, as I'm typing this sentence, the people at the table across from me in this cafe in Amlwch Port have offered me a place to stay when I reach Llanfachraeth, two days ahead.
The cafe owner has dropped a couple of pounds into my tin and probably won't charge me for the tea.
This morning the bus driver taking me from Penraeth back to my starting place at the Pilot Boat paid for my ticket and gave me twenty pounds, with the strict stipulation that ten pounds was for me and ten for charity. "People matter" he said. "You're doing a great thing and you need to take care of yourself".
Last night I was hosted by Kate, Simon and their two bright, interested children. They provided a bath, good food, drawings, chat about potatoes and other things and got me nicely drunk.
When I arrived at the Pilot Boat, my place to stop walking for the day and meet Kate I had a couple of pints. The women behind the bar wouldn't let me pay for the drinks, one of them telling me about her epic feats - Anglesey in four days! Great Wall of China! Kickboxing! Dryathalon! She was doing a lot of fundraising for her charity but still, when I gave her my card, handed me fifty pounds for my tin.
The ladies in the bar knew I was coming because Steph Scott had taken my bag ahead for me. She'd contacted me at half seven that morning "Can I come and walk with you today?" "Sure, Ship Inn at tenish" "Great, do you need anything?" Steph lives in Shrewsbury and when I passed through there on the river Severn, all the way back in March she came out and walked with me for a few hours, carrying her 9 month old daughter on her back. This time she brought the rest of her family, they'd come to Caernarfon for a New Year break and to walk with me again. Five year old Ben and husband Pete all accompanied me for a lovely few hours tramping up and down the headlands of Moelfre, catching up on all that had passed for us both, it felt like minutes had passed when we arrived at their car. They took my rucksack ahead for the days remaining miles and promised to come out and meet me again in the Spring.
I'd received Steph's text while I was still in bed at Sharman and Gareth's house. Sharman is the manager of the Ship Inn at Red Wharf Bay where I'd blown in on New Year's Day, windshocked and dripping wet. It was stormy outside and I'd asked if I could camp in the pub garden, it looked to be curled round against the wind. It wasn't really, and when I'd gone out there later to look for a place to camp I'd decided against the garden in favour of a dry doorway behind the yacht club further down the promenade, the only truly sheltered place I'd found that day. When I got back inside the pub the manager came over, slipping a fiver into the tin and offered me a bed at her place. One of the most needed and most unexpected beds I've had in this journey.
People have been friendly on Anglesey, recognising me, saying hello. It's a nice place and, when the rain isn't coming sheeting like silver fish scales, it's a very beautiful place.
I expected a quite isolated and tough journey around the island, with only one bed offer in advance I thought I'd be camping lots, hardly seeing or speaking to anyone. I've received a lot in just these four days, it's kind of wonderful really.
I can't plan for any of these things to happen to me; I can only walk and because I am walking these things will come.
Tonight I'll camp. I'm already in the tent, in a quiet field under a glowing moon and tomorrow I'm going to arrive at a cousin of Steph's who owns the most northerly point in Wales. Will I be able to set foot on it? I do hope so.....
Just this minute, as I'm typing this sentence, the people at the table across from me in this cafe in Amlwch Port have offered me a place to stay when I reach Llanfachraeth, two days ahead.
The cafe owner has dropped a couple of pounds into my tin and probably won't charge me for the tea.
This morning the bus driver taking me from Penraeth back to my starting place at the Pilot Boat paid for my ticket and gave me twenty pounds, with the strict stipulation that ten pounds was for me and ten for charity. "People matter" he said. "You're doing a great thing and you need to take care of yourself".
Last night I was hosted by Kate, Simon and their two bright, interested children. They provided a bath, good food, drawings, chat about potatoes and other things and got me nicely drunk.
When I arrived at the Pilot Boat, my place to stop walking for the day and meet Kate I had a couple of pints. The women behind the bar wouldn't let me pay for the drinks, one of them telling me about her epic feats - Anglesey in four days! Great Wall of China! Kickboxing! Dryathalon! She was doing a lot of fundraising for her charity but still, when I gave her my card, handed me fifty pounds for my tin.
The ladies in the bar knew I was coming because Steph Scott had taken my bag ahead for me. She'd contacted me at half seven that morning "Can I come and walk with you today?" "Sure, Ship Inn at tenish" "Great, do you need anything?" Steph lives in Shrewsbury and when I passed through there on the river Severn, all the way back in March she came out and walked with me for a few hours, carrying her 9 month old daughter on her back. This time she brought the rest of her family, they'd come to Caernarfon for a New Year break and to walk with me again. Five year old Ben and husband Pete all accompanied me for a lovely few hours tramping up and down the headlands of Moelfre, catching up on all that had passed for us both, it felt like minutes had passed when we arrived at their car. They took my rucksack ahead for the days remaining miles and promised to come out and meet me again in the Spring.
I'd received Steph's text while I was still in bed at Sharman and Gareth's house. Sharman is the manager of the Ship Inn at Red Wharf Bay where I'd blown in on New Year's Day, windshocked and dripping wet. It was stormy outside and I'd asked if I could camp in the pub garden, it looked to be curled round against the wind. It wasn't really, and when I'd gone out there later to look for a place to camp I'd decided against the garden in favour of a dry doorway behind the yacht club further down the promenade, the only truly sheltered place I'd found that day. When I got back inside the pub the manager came over, slipping a fiver into the tin and offered me a bed at her place. One of the most needed and most unexpected beds I've had in this journey.
People have been friendly on Anglesey, recognising me, saying hello. It's a nice place and, when the rain isn't coming sheeting like silver fish scales, it's a very beautiful place.
I expected a quite isolated and tough journey around the island, with only one bed offer in advance I thought I'd be camping lots, hardly seeing or speaking to anyone. I've received a lot in just these four days, it's kind of wonderful really.
I can't plan for any of these things to happen to me; I can only walk and because I am walking these things will come.
Tonight I'll camp. I'm already in the tent, in a quiet field under a glowing moon and tomorrow I'm going to arrive at a cousin of Steph's who owns the most northerly point in Wales. Will I be able to set foot on it? I do hope so.....
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