#11 TOWERING IN KERNOW; WEARY SOLES IN DEVON

Shortly after you cross the border between Cornwall and Devon, there are – literally – some steps coming up from a bridge. More than three, as it happens. A stairway, in fact. The temptation to use the most obvious pun for the title of this blog is admittedly hard to resist. Indeed, Devon/heaven puns have proved […]

#9 RICHARD OF CORNWALL

Welcome to LEJoG Day 9 Day 9 pre-amble This is a shorter day dominated by two serious cliff ascents, being Beeny Cliff and High Cliff. The latter is Cornwall’s biggest (highest) cliff, and so I christened it Richard. Well, can you think of a bigger Cliff? Of course you can’t. In fact, I struggle to think of a Cliff […]

#8 APRES LE DELUGE, MOI… SUR MON CUL

Welcome to LEJoG Day 8 (and Year 2!) Day 8 pre-amble Some years ago I was best man at a wedding. The groom and I have a number of long-standing in-jokes. One of them relates to my superhuman ability to find a puddle and slip in it. I think it goes back to me falling […]

#6 MAKING LIKE HENRY VIII

Welcome to LEJoG Day 6 Day 6 pre-amble Making Like Henry VIII… Cutting off two heads – bloodlessly, in order to shorten the walk from Newquay to Padstow – that is. None of the marrying, divorcing, splitting from Rome, dissolution of monasteries, ruling the kingdom or indeed ordering the actual execution of two of your […]

#5 NOT EXACTLY A RUSH

Welcome to LEJoG Day 5 Day 5 pre-amble Newquay. Like Proust’s madeleine, the very word brings to mind a cascade of childhood memories: 1978 – a caravan holiday in St Columb Major. My grandad made a navigation error in Devon on the way there and we ended up crossing Dartmoor instead of using A roads. […]

#4 WALKING ON (IN) SUNSHINE

Welcome to LEJoG Day 4 Day 4 pre-amble Quick music test: did this title immediately bring to mind Katrina and the Waves? If so, how about trying this instead? A magnificent disco cover of an original by Eddy Grant. It’s better. It’s not a cliché. Your life will be better for knowing it. Well, perhaps […]

#3 THE SEA, THE SEA LIONS

First of all, another disclaimer for literary readers: I have invoked the title of Iris Murdoch’s Booker-winning 1978 novel purely because it’s quite catchy, the sea was a near-constant companion for 18 miles, and this stretch was also highlighted by the South West Coast Path guidebook as an ideal location for spotting sea lions. I really […]

#2 “AS I WAS GOING TO…”

…St. Ives on Day 2, I met no polygamous felinophiles. Or at least they did not announce themselves. I carried two “sacks” – a backpack and a shoulder bag – each of which contained a “kit”, being my clothes and food/water respectively. Ah… actually the shoulder bag also contained a first aid kit. Regardless of […]

#1 ZENNOR AND THE START OF MY AMBULATORY ADVANCE

Welcome to LEJoG Day 1 Day 1 pre-amble OK then, literary types and sub-editors: I know that title doesn’t quite scan, but it’s the best I could do given the irresistible combination of a place that includes ‘Zen’ and an obvious word that rhymes with ‘art’… A quick word on the blog post titles before […]