06/06/2007 by the walkers.

Following the walk - we can finally say, “been there; done that; got the T-shirt”. However that would not be the end, as we have learned so much from the experience, not only of the walk, but about how the charity can be helped by those of us who live inland, and who cannot get involved in ship visiting and hands-on supporting seafarers. The recent celebration of World Communication Sunday brought this home to us. We can be proactive in other ways, like the non parishioner in Haltwhistle, who knits a supply of woolly hats for the Apostleship of the Sea (AOS) following an appeal within the parish

The AOS leaflets are now part of my personal effects; I have a supply in the car, in my handbag, ready to hand out to those interested in hearing about the walk. The current supply of leaflets are very relevant as, thanks to Tony, each contains a label with the website address, so when people ask about the walk, they don’t have to remember to write it down, the leaflet is handed to them and it’s there, together with the bullet points about the charity – spreading the news.

As an aside - on the second day of the walk, we came across eight Evangelist clergymen who were promoting the Christian faith around the Lakes by various walks. When they approached us, we checkmated them before they were able to pass their literature to us, by handing them the AOS leaflet and telling them about our mission. We met up with them later at one of the hotels as we were having an evening meal, when they invited us to listen to the Bishop of Carlisle.

The gem of the AOS pocket-size leaflets, was also instrumental in prompting one of our neighbours to inform us that she would be posting it to her son in the South of England to urge him to consider becoming a Ship Visitor.

Unable to attend a recent reunion in London, I used my letter of apology to highlight the charity and enclosing the leaflet, and was delighted to subsequently receive a donation.

The Polo Shirts which Tony supplied with the Coast to Coast message on them, and the T-shirts with the additional message(‘taking steps for seafarers’) are also providing opportunities to talk about seafarers and the charity.

So as we reluctantly and sadly sign off the blog now that the walk is well and truly over, we are looking forward to meeting members of the AOS on Saturday during the annual pilgrimage to Holy Island. Eddie and I wish to say how much we have enjoyed being part of this charity and sharing the fellowship. You do a great job and we are sorry we are not living near a port to partake in your mission, but we hope we have tried in our own way, to ‘Cast the Nets out into the Deep”, and as St. Basil writes, “Bloom where you are planted”, it only remains for us to wish you well and ask the Lord to bless each and every one of you.

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05/06/2007 by the walkers.

An essential part of our equipment was our walking sticks; and you can imagine after trekking all those miles they were getting ‘the worse for wear’. On our return Eddie took them to a stick dresser for what he described as “Their 200 miles service!” They were returned restored to their original condition much to our delight. However instead of accepting payment, Eric, the stick dresser suggested the money should go towards the charity, as he pointed out, his wife had already pledged a donation.
Which reminds me, the ancient form of bartering is alive and kicking around our area. Eddie mows the lawn for a neighbour and the neighbour cleans our car.
Well, ‘a fair exchange.’… as they say.

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02/06/2007 by the walkers.

We dedicated the walk to St. Joseph protector of the Holy Family and to our Guardian Angels, with the result that we had thankfully, a trouble free walk. However, as the Parish Priest announced at our wedding ceremony many years ago, (referring to Eddie’s half marathons); “Marriage is like a marathon, whereby every few miles helpers hold out their hands with cups of water and sponges for the runners, who can choose to accept the offer or not.” Our walk had many features of this metaphor which we associated with Guardian Angels; let us explain.

The previous blog contained references to the many Guesthouses that helped us along the journey by their hospitality. Our fellow walkers also helped us, for instance on the second day without any signpost to direct us we nearly took a wrong turning when, out of nowhere, appeared a group of five walkers, calling “This way mate!”. Our journey next day into Borrowdale was dangerous as we crossed waterfalls picking our way over Lakeland blue slate stones. At times we scrambled on hands and knees. A young lady from London insisted Veronica should use her walking pole, which greatly helped the ascent. In these remote areas the only eating places are the pubs and meeting up with other walkers allowed us the opportunity to compare notes and pay attention to
any potential hazards on next day’s walk

On our day of rest, Sunday, at Kirby Stephen, we could not help smile at the choice of hymn in the 13th century St. Stephen’s Church “O Sacrament of Rest, Ark of the ocean roar, beneath thy sacred breast soon may we reach the shore”.

We even met Guardian Angels in the most unexpected places, in the form of those strangers who stopped to talk and express interest in our chosen charity, volunteering donations. The A.O.S. poster designed by Tony was prominent on Veronica’s rucksack and aroused attention. 1,600ft above sea level at Nine Standards was a prime example. And so we could go on…..

However, we had special Guardian Angels supplied by the charity itself. Tony had assured us from the beginning that he would give us support all the way. He did not fail us; first he sent John & Carole Hodge to greet us and take us for a wonderful meal in Kirkby Stephen. It was so nice to be in touch with the charity’s Ship Visitors. We learned a lot from them as they gave more examples of what their individual work involved. John & Carole were invaluable when they insisted we take their mobile number and assured us they would be there for us if we needed them. We surely did need them; Veronica required medication and miles from any chemist, this couple turned up at a remote Guest House within hours of the call, with the requested items and more goodies.

Next, Jim & Anne Christison found us at the guesthouse in Richmond and also took us for a lovely evening meal. It was so reassuring to know that the charity was embracing us in such a way.

Of course at the end of the walk they were all there to greet us in Robin Hood’s Bay, while our Angel-in-Chief, Tony kept daily contact and updated the blog on our behalf. So not only did our sun tan lotion contain protection from the sun’s glare, these Guardian Angels protected us in a very special way.

Our return home, led to so many others telling us that they had followed our progress on the blog, (unaware that we were out of range of contact) and some had tried unsuccessfully to phone us to get updates. So we truly felt enveloped, and enfolded in human arms but with Heavenly protection. All ‘guided’ us in achieving our goal.

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31/05/2007 by the walkers.

A Tribute to some of the Wonderful Guest House Hosts

“I was a stranger and you made me welcome ”. Matt. 25 v35

Tomlin Guest House at St. Bees is painted a bright pink and overlooks the Irish Sea. Irene Whitehead was the ideal hostess who kindly invited our chauffeurs Margaret & John Docherty, indoors when their car broke down just after they had deposited us! As soon as she had provided tea for the four of us the R.A.C. mechanic had arrived and sorted out the fault. Her hospitality set the tone for the next eighteen guest houses.

Nook Farm in Borrowdale; after a horrendous day in the blazing sun and heat of the Lake District we arrived at Rosthwaite later than we expected. A warm welcome greeted us at Nook Farm where next door is the Yew Tree Farm Tea Room which is visited by Prince Charles and Camilla when they stay in the area. Nook Farm is a National Trust traditional working hill farm set in the heart of the valley of Borrowdale surrounded by spectacular lakeland fells. Later that night we dined at the Scarfell Hotel only to be invited to hear the Bishop of Carlisle giving a presentation there. Well, we only come from that area, don’t we? It’s like taking coals to Newcastle!

Glebe House, Patterdale; we were aware before arriving in Patterdale that, in her absence, Mrs. Pool’s husband would greet us when we arrived; however there was no one to be found when we rang the bell. “There’s a man in that big boat in the builder’s yard, ask him”. To which Eddie, like an obedient husband, approached the boat. From where we were standing the boat appeared like the Biblical Noah’s ark it looked so tall. Straining his eyes he shouted to the boatman. Five minutes later we were shaking the oily hand of Mr. Pool who had a tea tray ready for us and provided clothes pegs to hang out our washing. It’s the little things that make such a difference!

Crown & Mitre Hotel, Burns Bank; at Burns Bank after another sweltering day’s walking, a phone call to the new owners of the Crown & Mitre hotel afforded us the luxury of a car ride to the hotel some miles away, as, being ‘out in the sticks’ there was a dearth of accommodation. The 19th century Inn coincidently was featured in our local newspaper ‘Cumberland News’ showing the new head chef outside the hotel, so we were aware of the lovely setting just 10 miles from Penrith on the Lake District National Park.
However Keith Fazey gave us first class treatment and together with his partner was very personable. Taking us to a newly furnished bedroom, later on we enjoyed a beautiful meal downstairs, it was good to dine indoors for a change. After a peaceful night’s sleep, next day he drove us to the spot where he had collected us the previous day.

A certain guest house; at a certain guesthouse we were not welcomed before 5.00p.m. despite the fact that as walkers we need to refresh ourselves and present ourselves at the local pubs for the evening meal, before preparing for the next day’s travel. So we had to wait around for some time before the door opened and we were shown to our room. However the proprietors did waive the price of two packed lunches generously telling us to put the money towards the charity – another special touch.

The Manor House, Kirkby Stephen; this 17th century elegant Georgian style mansion featured a large guest lounge and oak panel doors with latches. Jean Leeson greeted us warmly and volunteered to wash our clothes. She also insisted her husband run us to a favourite eating place out of town despite a good variety nearby. We dined with other walkers in her large kitchen next to her aga cooker and watched breakfast being made. Happily we were able to spend an extra day at this place as we had a rest day to attend Sunday Mass.

East View, Keld; this was an unusual guest house with wonderful pine furnishings and flooring. Our room looked straight out on to the Dale which we had traversed. Evening meal was provided in the kitchen/dining/sitting room. Mr. & Mrs. Brier were excellent hosts. Again we had reminders of home; the only other guest was walking the Pennine Way and planned staying at the Greenhead hotel the next week – a stone’s throw from our house.

Scarr House, Grinton; was chosen as we had stayed there some years ago on The Herriot’s Way walk and received first class treatment from Mrs. Kathleen Brown. Her beautiful farmhouse overlooks the picturesque village of Reeth where she drove us for our evening meal. We sought out the same pub and encountered other fellow walkers whom we bumped into during the next few days.

The Old School House, Danby Wiske; what an exceptional guesthouse. Mr. & Mrs. Philips ‘rolled out the red carpet’ to ensure our fellow walkers of that day received a special greeting. One had a Birthday and her husband had arranged a celebration, thoughtfully ensuring a pile of brthday cards were redirected to the guesthouse. The proprietors put aside their personal dismay that day on receiving some serious news and Eddie & I were included in the celebrations. The window was decked with ‘Happy Birthday’ wishes and the cake and drinks were beautifully presented in the guest’s lounge. We felt part of the family and the Phillips were perfect hosts. In the course of conversation, it transpired that Mrs. Philips was once a pupil at the school, in what is now the kitchen/ dining room. The ‘changing room’ transformation of the schoolhouse is very tastefully achieved. And so we raise our glasses to this wonderful couple who made us so welcome – they certainly could teach us all a lesson in true hospitality.

McAvoy Guest House, Nunthorpe; On day 13 of our walk, Tony and his wife Lynne having kindly offered us accommodation collected us from Clay Bank and returned us next day. The welcome we received from them and their son Stephen is already covered in the blog diary, however suffice to say we felt ‘home from home’ and we treated ‘right royally’.

Sycamore House, Danby Dale near Whitby; on the day we arrived at this guest house, we had tramped the North Yorkshire Moors for what seemed hours on end. The light rain turned heavy and unrelenting and we were very exposed. When we arrived at The Lion Inn, the highest point that day, we were relieved to know that the proprietor of Sycamore House was on his way to collected us. Despite the misted-up car windows, we could tell this was the heart of the Dales. We received a warm welcome and made to feel ‘at home’. We discovered that this 16th century guest house was visited by George Fox where he conducted marriages and funerals. Indeed the Quakers were very dominant in this valley as evident by the cemetery nearby.

Mingo Cottage, Fylingthorpe; Margaret Nobel’s 16th century white stone cottage, which takes four guests, is our favourite guest house, as we have stayed there every year since our honeymoon. We have always promised Margaret that one year we will ‘do the walk’ and we finally managed it. Her own personal style and presence is a treat. She insists her guests use her own lounge and she makes wonderful cakes and biscuits. What a great way to end our tour of guest houses.

Conclusion
For many of the B&B’s, welcoming walkers is a vocation as well as a service. They truly encapsulated the Gospel message, to welcome the stranger. Each one provided service with a difference and in doing so ensured our stay was more than a bed for the night. It was also a lesson in hospitality for us.
We raise our hats, or should it be, we take off our boots, to all these wonderful people who provide a great service to all their guests. They are the real ambassadors for the country, these unsung heroes and heroines, quietly going about their business with little recognition but doing a superb job. Long may you continue to serve us all.

(Met our ‘Guardian Angels’ in the next blog.)

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28/05/2007 by the walkers.

We returned home after a wonderful adventure to find that the painter was in the middle of a major job in our house which we hoped would have been finished earlier; and the plumber had not attended to a long standing job. However our wonderful neighbours gave us a warm welcome and Aileen & Raymond Swann who were house-sitting did a great job.

Since then we have received congratulatory messages, and cards and more pledges of donations. Veronica has also attended the local cottage hospital where her leg injury has been examined. No major damage, just swollen and bruised and advice was given about treatment by friendly staff with a cup of tea thrown in as part of the first class service. She will live to tell more tales!

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23/05/2007 by the walkers.

The name Robin Hood’s Bay has always held a romantic charm for me, despite the fact that the folk lore and tales of his adventures with Little John never mentioned the sea.

From the beginning of the walk at Ennerdale Bridge there is mention of ‘Robin Hood’s Chair’ this is a small headland jutting out into the lake at Angler’s Crag.

On day 6 of the walk from Shap to Orton we came across the map reference to ‘Robin Hood’s Grave’. At Crosby Ravensworth Fell near a dried-up stream-bed is a large pile of stones with the fanciful name of our hero. The great Forest of Sherwood did extend much further north than it does today. While Robin’s trusty lieutenant, Little John, is said to lie buried in a churchyard in Hathersage in the Peak district, Maid Marion, apparently originally came from Wakefield, and dear Robin travelled around quite a bit. If the legendary hero’s dying wish that he should be buried at the spot where his final arrow came to rest is to be believed, it would call for monumental quantities of credulity to believe he had the strength to flight it this far! His generally accepted resting place is at Kirkless, near Leeds.

The last day of the walk officially takes in the village of Hawsker near Whitby. The story goes that both Robin and Little John, were accommodated at Whitby Abbey, where they were invited to demonstrate their archery skills. From the top of an abbey tower they each fired an arrow to the southeast and both landed on Whitby Laithes, now a farm near Hawsker. So impressed was the abbot with these shots that he ordered standing stones to be fixed where the arrows had landed, and to this day those places, Robin Hood Field and Little John Field, are still shown on maps (GR9109).

And so the final stage of the walk is Robin Hood’s Bay.
Legend has it that Robin Hood found a quiet bay on the edge of the northern moors and decided on this as an ideal retreat from danger. Here, under the name of Simon Wise, he returned many times, keeping a small fleet of fishing boats, which he used to put to sea whenever danger threatened.

And so the romantic sounding name of Robin Hood’s Bay was the chosen setting for our honeymoon all those years ago.

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21/05/2007 by the walkers.

What a reception we received at Robin Hood’s Bay on Tuesday! It was overwhelming. Thanks to Tony and his wonderful team and their supporters, we were so elated in spite of the inclement weather which did little to dampen our spirits. The beautiful flowers and plant presented to both of us together with the friendship we developed with John, Jim and their wives Carol and Ann,; the welcome we received at Tony’s house from his wife Lynne and son Stephen, during the walk, will live forever in our memory. Tony’s Biblical catch phrase “I was a stranger and you welcomed me” became a reality.

Later on when our neighbours and friends Margaret & John Docherty transported us to our B.& B. for the night, we returned to Robin Hood’s Bay to collect our badge for the Coast to Coast together with our Certificate; we are No. 9169 this year. Apparently over 100,000 walk the route each year.

We were very chuffed to receive an official acknowledgement on the website from Commodore Chris York the National Director of the charity, and to know that the website has received over 6,000 unique visits. Our thanks also to Tony for his continual support and affirmation, for his ability to develop the photos as quickly as he did, despite his week-end football tournament.

Together with the valiant band of supporters mentioned above, and the parishes and other individuals who have pledged donations, surely this is what the term ‘Communion of Saints’ is all about. We are working as a team, each with our individual contribution to make to seafarers whom we may never met but whose own role in providing our daily ‘bread’ in whatever form, deserves to be highlighted. Hopefully the walk is another way of continuing to raise the flag.

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21/05/2007 by the walkers.

Resting on our Laurels and not on our Feet

The day after the day after the end of the walk! Today we were accompanied by our friends Margaret & John Docherty and spent the day sight-seeing in Whitby. This pretty historic port was voted in the top ten most popular seaside resorts in 2006.
Famous for inspiring Bram Stoker’s Dracula and the place from where Captain James Cook set said to explore eastern Australia. Which magazine says, “It has everything you could possibly want such as a postcard-perfect harbour and a quayside with chip shops, candyfloss and games arcades.”

At the Whitby Museum situated in a beautiful park overlooking the harbour, there is amazing collection of local fossils, and relics of the Scoresbys, famous whalers as well as relics of Whitby jet workers.

The Captain Cook Museum in the resort is where James Cook came to serve his seaman’s apprenticeship before taking off in his epic voyages of discovery. The Quaker ship owner, John Walker lodged his apprentices in the attic when not at sea serving the London coal trade. Our coast-to-coast walk took us near where Captain Cook was born in Great Ayton, in the Guisborough moor area.

Also in the Whitby Museum is Sir Joseph Banks legacy. As a young botanist, he sailed with Cook on the Endeavour. Later in life, Banks advised King George III and directed activities at Kew Gardens, making it a world centre for plant development.

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21/05/2007 by the walkers.

Resting on our Laurels and not on our Feet

The day after the day after the end of the walk! Today we were accompanied by our friends Margaret & John Docherty and spent the day sight-seeing in Whitby. This pretty historic port was voted in the top ten most popular seaside resorts in 2006.
Famous for inspiring Bram Stoker’s Dracula and the place from where Captain James Cook set said to explore eastern Australia. Which magazine says, “It has everything you could possibly want such as a postcard-perfect harbour and a quayside with chip shops, candyfloss and games arcades.”

At the Whitby Museum situated in a beautiful park overlooking the harbour, there is amazing collection of local fossils, and relics of the Scoresbys, famous whalers as well as relics of Whitby jet workers.

The Captain Cook Museum in the resort is where James Cook came to serve his seaman’s apprenticeship before taking off in his epic voyages of discovery. The Quaker ship owner, John Walker lodged his apprentices in the attic when not at sea serving the London coal trade. Our coast-to-coast walk took us near where Captain Cook was born in Great Ayton, in the Guisborough moor area.

Also in the Whitby Museum is Sir Joseph Banks legacy. As a young botanist, he sailed with Cook on the Endeavour. Later in life, Banks advised King George III and directed activities at Kew Gardens, making it a world centre for plant development.

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15/05/2007 by the walkers.

Grosmont to Robin Hood’s Bay or ‘One more mountain to cross’
by Veronica Yarwood.

We climbed the steep hill out of Grosmont and caught our first sight of the famous Whitby Abbey, and, as if pre-ordained, could see two ships out at sea, one a tanker and one a container ship, there to remind us perhaps of why we had chosen the AOS as our charity to benefit from our now almost competed walk. On the open Sleights Moor, we encountered two sets of standing stones known as Low Bride Stones and High Bride Stones. To the south is the Fylingdales Early Warning Station. We descended to Blue Bank, built in 1759 as the first surfaced road in the Whitby area.

The hamlet of Littlebeck is very charming and is the destination tonight for our fellow walkers from Cheshire who will complete their walk tomorrow. Littlebeck is home to Ventress, (formerly Sgt Ventress the character in the TV series Heartbeat which is filmed in Goathland only a few miles away).

We made our way to a huge boulder known as the Hermitage before coming across the waterfall of Falling Foss. From here we crossed Smeaton Low Moor to gain access to Ruswarp Road. Eventually we reached the A171 Scarborough - Whitby road and forged onwards to our destination Robin Hood’s Bay.

This pituresque resort was once a fishing village used as a smuggler’s cove. It’s houses and shops are perched precariously at the waters edge. Many of it’s red bricked houses are so small and narrow that they have a ‘coffin window’ above the door to enable coffins to be removed. This is a truly magical place.

We were greeted upon arrival at Robin Hood’s Bay by our friends and neighbours John and Margaret who had dropped us off in St Bee’s at the start of the walk and now met us to take us home after a days rest here. We were also delighted to see John and Carole Hodge (AOS volunteers from Darlington) with whom we had dined in Kirkby Stephen, and Jimmy and Ann Christison (AOS volunteers from North Tees & Hartlepool) who had greeted and dined with us at Richmond) together with Tony McAvoy, AOS NE Regional Co-ordinator with whom we have kept in constant touch throughout the walk and who has been so supportive of our efforts.

We walked the mile or so down to the waters edge and at approximately 3.25pm, in the pouring rain, we dipped the toes of our boots in the north sea to symbolically complete the walk and in so doing fulfil an ambition, a dream, and may I say that we were both thoroughly elated with the sense of achievement.

We have so much to savour and enjoy, and while we are so delighted we have achieved our goal, we are sad that it is all coming to an end. We have had a wonderful experience, met some fascinating people, been in some great B&B’s and viewed some awe inspiring scenery.

“These boots were made for walking and they have plodded from sea to sea”. “Mountains and hills praise the Lord”.

I hope that as a result of our efforts, the sponsorship for our most worthy cause, the Aposleship of the Sea, which does so much to assist and serve the seafarers of all nationalities and creeds who visit our shores, and who provide so much of our daily needs, will increase tenfold to enable the work of this most wonderful ministry to continue well into the future.

The blog will continue with highlights of the walk; what have Robin Hood and Captain Cook to do with it…? Don’t miss it!

God Bless and many thanks for all your prayers and support

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