Saturday 18th September

Accommodation gets 9/10, getting points for a very good dinner but losing points for a bedroom badly in need of redecoration.

Feeling rather stiff after our previous days walk, but we cannot moan as we are not yet half way, 51 miles down, another 54 to go. We leave Slapewath via a steep path and look back to see that there are dark clouds circling around, after a short while the rain starts and we stop at Green Plantation to put on our waterproofs, again doing the one legged hopping rain dance, at this point I notice my laces on my right boot are loose so I retie them, not knowing the consequences the loose boot would give me later.

We now approach Skelton, and walk thro new housing estates before reaching the high street. But as we walk down a narrow path with hedges both sides, we see a body ahead lying on the path, he is unconscious and will not respond to being moved or spoken too, he is in the recovery position and breathing but quite red in the face. As it is so cold we feel that we should do something so we go to the newsagent just 50 yards away and tell them, they ring for an ambulance, I later find that the guy was drunk and had been lying their all night.  The ambulance attended and did what they could but he was evidently in the same drunken condition again the next day. There are many agencies that take care of people like them but that person must have the will to get out of that situation and it is very difficult to pass judgement on a situation that is totally foreign to you.

Our journey takes us through Saltburn Woods; it is evident that we are walking into civilization when we see dog dirt, graffiti, vandalism, rubbish and people who pass you without speaking. The passports get stamped at the Smugglers Museum where we "meet some of the locals", we then continue our walk, which takes us down the coast to Filey.

The consequence of walking with a loose boot becomes evident when I get a sore heel, it becomes quite painful but I do not want to look at it until we have finished our days walking.

  We will now have the dramatic scenery of views from precipitous cliffs until the end of our walk, but what concerns us are the high winds, gusts up to 55 mph, from the west with the North Sea on our left. Tremendous views as we pass Skinningrove, Hummersea, Boulby Cliff the highest sheer face cliff in the British Isles, Staithes Harbour where we sit in the old part looking out to see and contemplate what we have done and what we have to do. Onwards to Runswick Bay where we are glad that our accommodation, the Runswick Bay Hotel is right on the Way.

After a cool reception when we arrive, we later find that the Hotel has just been taken over that day and the new owners are finding their feet. After a bath, our preference to a shower, the first on our travels and very welcome, I see the damage to my feet, a blister the size of a golf ball on my heel. Brian has some blister packs so I cover it and pad it with cushioned tape. Must be careful how I put my boot on tomorrow.

We return downstairs for our evening meal in the bar but are unaware that their is a dining room which we would have preferred as the bar is getting a little crowded. The TV in our bedroom draws us back to watch the second day of the Ryder Cup golf, it seems we are trouncing them but their is still a final days play tomorrow.

                                                 HOME               PREVIOUS  DAY             NEXT DAY