Most commented posts
- Day 2 – Gone with the Wind — 7 comments
- Day 15 – Blenheim — 6 comments
- Day 6 – Rollright Stones — 5 comments
- Day 23 – Walking with the End in Sight — 5 comments
- The Day After — 4 comments
Author's posts
Sep 10
Day 3: Burghill to Ullingswick
Disaster fell! I awoke with the impression that my left knee cap had been kicked by a horse and when I arose I was hobbling and unable to bend it and I was no use to anyone. Suddenly it occurred to me that I was suffering an acute attack of gout. If any of my …
Sep 09
Day 2: Staunton to Burghill
Another lovely day’s walking, on our own this time. We passed a vast fruit farm and a small army of Bulgarian fruit pickers, all scurrying along and gesturing that they don’t speak English. Marcus, our Zimbabwean driver was surprised that whenever he stops in a village and parks by a verge, a spry pensioner often …
Sep 08
Day 1: Hay to Staunton
We can’t complain about the start of the walk. We were welcomed in Hay on Wye by the newly elected Chris Davies, MP for Brecon and Radnorshire and a leading Conservative luminary, Roger White. The loon who devised out first day walking is clearly out on day release and the sooner he is incarcerated again …
Sep 07
The Day Before: A Letter from Cathy
Cathy is a long-standing friend of ZANE Dear Tom and Jane, As you set out on your latest walk for ZANE I thought this story might be of interest to you and the people you meet along the way who may want to know what life’s like in Zimbabwe in 2016. On a recent weekend …
Jul 16
Day 21 – The Last Word – Richmond Park to Westminster
Gate Expectations I notice that the closer we get to London the larger (and dare I say it, the more vulgar) the houses and of course the higher the “sod you” gates: you know, the ones with push button entry bells designed to keep scruffy folk like us out. I always imagine that behind …
Jul 15
Day 20 – Small Stones – Hersham to Richmond Park
Rug, Rats! We stay in a beautiful house and I baptise it by casting a glass of claret on a cream rug! They were very kind about it (what else could they do?) and produced a marvellous machine which managed to obliterate most of it. Lost for Words When we are asked to sign visitors …
Jul 14
Day 19 – The History of Man – Send to Hersham
Friends and Relation This has been an especially great day because our eldest daughter Clare walked with us all morning. Made up for the incessant rain. We lunched with Colonel Paul Davis who used to be the Secretary General of the services charity Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League and a great friend of ZANE and …
Jul 13
Day 18 – Talking the Walk – Puttenham to Send
Welcome to Our Church? While waiting for Markus I visited St Nikolas’ church in Guildford. Although it was 11.30am on a Sunday and there were people inside, the doors were locked. I wandered round to find that the somewhat elderly congregation was having coffee in a smart hall at the back. Interesting, this. What sort …
Jul 12
Day 17 – A Day as a Lion – Bentley to Puttenham
Last night we stayed with a dear friend Nigel Pollock outside Godalming. A lovely and relaxed time, much needed after one of our perennial encounters with dis-courteous drivers. Something Fishy Going on Here… I recall that a policeman friend of mine arrested a woman driver whom he saw swearing viciously at an inoffensive elderly …
Jul 11
Day 16 – Shadowlands – Day Off for ZANE Conference
A Stellar Cast We crawled through thick traffic to the ZANE conference on the second hottest day of the year and, considering Wimbledon is on, it was surprisingly well attended. My friend Paul Boateng – past High Commissioner to South Africa made an excellent chairman. The ambassador Catriona Laing was a star- it’s clear …