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Winter has arrived!

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I have spent the last couple of days on, or near, the wall.  There is not a lot to tell - there have been spectacular views, very heavy frosts, and of course, bits of the wall to see. The Twice Brewed Inn, my stop for the night, cars covered in frost. Sycamore Gap.  The 250 year old Sycamore tree was cut down just over a year ago by 2 people who will face court in Dec this year. At the top of Sewing Shields A common fungi in the Sewing Shields area Stiff ascents (and descents) Observers, while I chatted to a passerby After a strenuous day negotiating the path and being very careful walking on the frosty grass I left the path for what I thought was the last time, heading to Haydon Bridge for the night.  A hard slog along the road eventually found me reaching the Anchor Hotel, my destination.  The Anchor Hotel  Looking back at Haydon Bridge  The next day I headed along the road to the delightful market town of Hexham.  It was a short day, and I reached it in time to sit and have a coffee

Hadrian's Wall path

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I have been walking for the last three days on a section of Hadrian's Wall path, sort of.  I am using this path as a means to get me from the west side of the UK to the east so that I can pick up the Way of Light, one of the Northern Saint's trail to or from Durham.  Because I walked this path 10 yeas ago, that time from east to west, I don't feel the need to walk every step along the path, and thus if a short cut presents itself, I will take it! It was quite a surprise leaving Carlisle.  I spoke to someone days ago who complained about how industrial the city is.  However, my path took me across the River Eden and through Rickaby park, before passing the village of Rickaby.  The weather was damp, cold, and foggy, but it was pleasant walking nonetheless.  Poppies at the tourist information office Carlisle Crossing the River Eden  The path was through quiet countryside, and small villages.  I bumped into Kath on the outskirts of Newtown who advised me against walking down th

St Ninians Way completed to Carlisle

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As I said in the last post,  I was in Dumfries for three nights in order to attend the AFotC AGM, the third night being so that I could recover from rising at 3 am the night before!  Even though I had a few hours sleep after the meeting, I wasn't bouncing around.  This was Remembrance Sunday in the UK, and so I attended a church that was having a Remembrance service.  This meant it was starting at 10.50 instead of 11 so that the 2 minute silence was in the right place.  I whispered to the lass next door asking what denomination the church was, but she was a visitor too and didn't know, or perhaps couldn't understand me - I had trouble understanding her. St Georges Church.  I wasn't even sure I was at a church building. The centre of Dumfries.  Over coffee, after the service,  I was regaled with stories of the area, amid much hilarity.   I tell people that I'd rather sit in a nursing home dreaming of what I DID do, than what I should have done.  I also tell people, l