To a Long Steep Hill

 'Octogenarian completes 600 mile hike, climbs four times the height of Everest '. Good story, no? Well not for ITN maybe,  but OK for regions on a quiet day. One ex-ITN News editor thought so. I'm looking at you Derek Taylor. Derek tipped off Spotlight in Plymouth. However, as a former news editor  myself,  I know when a story falls off the list. It just happens we are beginning our walk as the Raynor Winn story is breaking.   So no TV crew from ITV Spotlight is coming to interview me. Old age is a bugger (OAIAB-1). One aspect is losing things, or not remembering where they are. So our day is held up because neither of us can remember where the car keys are. After a frantic few minutes they turn up. We drive to Osmington Mills and park in the car park of the Smugglers Inn. The plan was to walk up TO Osmington and get the bus to Weymouth.  But we make a snap decision to do it backwards. It will be nicer to wait for the bus in Weymouth,  and the wa...

 We have chosen to stay at Lulworth Cove. It's halfway between our start point at Weymouth and the end point at Poole. It's only a two and a half hour drive.  A far cry from those day-long journeys to Cornwall.  We book into the Durdle Door Hotel. We have a great see view from our room. The hotel has apparently been closed for a while.  Under new ownership it is not completely up and running.  The kitchen is not yet functioning, so breakfast is 'continental'.  They say they will be opening their bar and doing evening meals by next month.  There is a very nice new dining room where we eat our breakfast. There is a plan to double the number of rooms. Lulworth Cove is a day tripper place. Busy when we arrive at four. There's a coach in the car park from Germany. But it's quiet by six. We explore,  then go to th Lulworth Lodge hotel for a drink, followed by dinner at the Lulworth Cove Inn. Both pubs are not busy, We find the bus stop and check where t...

 We are all set for the final leg of the Southwest Coast Path.  We head to Dorset on Monday 7th July and plan to be in Poole by 13th.  We're staying at The Durdle Door Hotel at Lulworth Cove.  It's only a 2 1/2 hour drive - a far cry from those day-long journeys to Cornwall. Weather forecast is good. No rain and not too hot.  Nothing can go wrong, can it?

  As we check out, sewage is appearing in our toilet.   We do feel we are leaving a sinking ship. We are encouraged by the thought that we are now liberated from the A303 and its bottlenecks.   Instead we take A35/A31 to the M27, expecting to do it in a much shorter time.   This proves not to be.   The traffic is very slow and it ends up taking just as long as driving from West Hill.   We are home for a late lunch.  We have lots going on in May and June, so our next SWCP session will be July or August.  Poole? Possibly.                                                         SWCP sign at Weymouth beckoning us on to Poole

                                                    Massive cliff fall on Jacobs Ladder Beach, Sidmouth   This trip has been very notable for cliff falls and tedious diversions.   It has become known as the Jurassic coast which sounds solid, but actually the cliffs are quite soft.   Some of the falls are dramatic and make the national news.   Of course, it is this crumbliness which keeps exposing the fossils for which the coast here is famous. Apparently, there are some biggies ahead of us as well.   We are led to wonder how long the SWCP will remain viable in East Devon and Dorset.   By the way ‘Jurassic Coast’ was unheard of when I lived in Sidmouth in the fifties.   Just a modern marketing term.

  Rest day   We decide to skip the two miles from Ferrybridge into Weymouth.   Instead, we decide to visit the Northe Fort.   But not before going into Boots Opticians where I get new glasses and sunglasses.   As creatures of habit, we get coffee at The Custom House. Then take the rowing boat ferry across the harbour.   I ask the ferryman if it gets to be hard work when the tide is running.   He says the wind is more of a problem.   He looks to be not much younger than me. I find the fort very interesting.   It was started by Henry the Eighth and has seen service and updating right up to the Second World War and beyond.   There are well presented displays about D Day and other matters military.   Weymouth was a major embarkation point for the Americans who went to Omaha beach.   How many of the young men in the photos were killed on the beach. We walked back to the Custom House and had crab sandwiches.   Spent th...

                                                                     Blackthorn near Ferrybridge   Abbotsbury to Weymouth (Ferrybridge).   10.9 miles We get an early bus to Abbotsbury and have a coffee in a little deli and butcher which I spotted yesterday.   We get bacon rolls for lunch.   Surprisingly, it’s run by a South African couple. The walking is mostly easy, but the distance is at the outer limit of our ability.   We definitely would be struggling if there were cliffs to climb. Much of the walk follows the shore of the Fleet lagoon.   There are interesting birds, but of course I don’t have my binoculars.   Whilst taking a break overlooking the lagoon I manage to stand on my glasses.   Fortunately, I never do SWCP without a spare pair...