Day 9. Kington to hay-on-wye. 14.5 miles.

We saw lots of horses today. These were on top of hergest ridge, one of the most beautiful places on the whole trail so far. They were able to go where they pleased, and helped to bring my stunning hilltop rendition of 'on horseback' by mike oldfield (see yesterday) to life. I've been thinking about the role played by music on the walk, which is immense seeing as i've hardly heard any. I constantly find myself humming things because something i've seen or heard has triggered it. For example i keep humming 'sweet leaf' by black sabbath, 'top of the world' by the carpenters and 'green, green grass of home' by tom jones. So It's not necessarily a good thing! More strangely i find myself humming songs related to my physical condition, such as 'feeling good' by muse, 'pressure point' by the zutons and, er, 'Vaseline' by elastica. A great pastime for spells of dull scenery is singing favourite albums in their entirety, including all instrumental breaks. Must be an interesting walk because so far i've only done two: the first stone roses album and 'are we not men?' by devo. No idea why i chose them or indeed why i bother! I also like those moments when you pass a house window, for example, and you can hear a song on the radio. When i was with jon i had to stop to listen to a song i could hear coming from inside a barn until i recognised it. It was 'islands in the stream' if you're interested. The only depressing moment was having breakfast at the pub in welshpool. 'like a rolling stone' by bob dylan came on the radio. "Wow, that's me", i thought. Then i listened to the words ("...to be a complete unknown...")! So, what happened today? Well, hergest ridge was a great start, so we dawdled over that. Then we dropped down into gladestry and the pub had just opened so we felt obliged to support the local economy. The bitters didn't grab me so we both had a pint of alcoholic ginger beer. As i always think that non-alcoholic ginger beer tastes like it's got alcohol in it, i wasn't surprised to find that this tasted the same as the non-alcoholic variety. Lovely though. Next we walked over disgwylfa hill which is apparently a gift from God and had a poem nailed on a nearby fence to prove it. We then dropped into newchurch to eat our packed lunches, which left a pleasant 7 mile afternoon walk to hay-on-wye, with tomorrow's task, the black mountain ridge, looming ahead. It was one of those days where we were never sure which country we were in! We certainly started in england and finished in wales, but who knows where we were in between? The dyke seems to have disappeared, which is a shame because i've done a complete u-turn on that one. Over the previous two days it had been awesome. I suppose i've finally understood the sheer scale of the thing, and failed to understand how the hell they managed to build it on some of the ridiculously steep slopes i've walked up or down. There are parts where the 1970s Pontypool front row couldn't have scaled it, and i bet you can't say that about the great wall of china. Possibly. In fact i'm certain it would have been longer than the great wall if king offa had fallen out with more people than just the welsh. Only one concern about the dyke, and that is the english flags i've seen flying from a few houses next to the dyke on the english side. Pretty puerile if you ask me. So, we are staying at 'rest for the tired', a bed and breakfast above, of course, a book shop (there is 1 book shop for every 30 people who live in hay!). It's very cosy, but do i really need to listen to the drunk hippies murdering 'who knows where the time goes?' by fairport convention outside the pub opposite? Maybe i should go out and serenade them with my mike oldfield repertoire. We went to the town's most respected food pub tonight. Meal rating: 9/10. Beef wellington and liqueur coffee. Docked a point because the woman on the next table was loud and irritating. High level walk tomorrow, up to 2200ft, then i stay up there for a 10 mile ridge walk. Can't wait! Aside: happy birthday Al. Don't forget your card is in the shed.

Day 8. Knighton to kington. 13.5 miles.

Jennie said that this was the most beautiful bull she'd ever seen, so that surely merits inclusion. Coupled with the fact that once again It's the only photo i took today. This photo was taken an hour from the end of today's walk. At the time the weather was sunny, so we were in high spirits. Within 10 minutes it was pouring down and blowing a gale, and we were stuck on top of a hill. I'm lucky that jennie likes this sort of weather, so i didn't feel i had to apologise for it. It was raining when we set off this morning, and it stayed wet for a couple of hours, after which it was dull but dry, until the grand finale downpour. On the whole it was much better than the forecast, but then it almost always is. It's simple really, if the forecast is good and the weather turns out not to be, the met office get loads of complaints (the hurricane in 1988 springs to mind!). However if the forecast is rubbish and it turns out nice we see it as a bonus. So surprise, surprise today was nowhere near as bad as predicted. A bonus! I didn't find today's walk any easier than yesterday's really. Three big hills with lots of little ones in between. The scenery, once we could see it, was similar but slightly more dramatic than yesterday, with the black mountain beginning to loom large to the south. We had an indian meal tonight. Meal rating 8/10. Great value (£20 for a three course meal for two!), but the spices needed a bit of variation. Had a couple of good pints beforehand in quite strange pubs (wye valley and arrow breweries). Our bed and breakfast, southbourne, is once again lovely but a bit out of town, so we did a few extra miles this evening finding food. Up onto hergest ridge tomorrow so i can sing that old mike oldfield song: 'hey and away we go.......'

Day 7. Cwm to knighton. 14 miles.

Yes i know It's a rubbish photo. It was a brilliant walk today but i completely forgot to take any pics till i'd nearly finished, so i took this one of knighton, mainly because i liked the viewing seat. It looks a bit gloomy in the photo because a shower came over right at the end of the day, but other than that it was a fantastic day's walking in superb walking weather - cloudy half of the time, sunny half of the time, fresh south westerlies. The walk was a bit easier than i'd been led to believe, but then i have been walking for 7 days now so i should be able to cope with lots of ups and downs. Basically i got to the top of a steep hill and there was a steep drop down the other side, followed by a steep climb, followed by a steep drop down.....etc, etc. This went on all day but the views were great, and as opposed to the last two days the challenge was there. Beautiful countryside, i could live here. But It's a long way from work. Early yesterday when i was with jon, tom and hannah we passed a bloke carrying full camping gear, the first person I'd seen going north to south. He seemed to be struggling, but when we were in the pub at lunch time he appeared again. I was convinced at the time he wouldn't make it, but after 15 minutes walking this morning i passed him again. He'd already been on the go for a while, and seemed a bit happier. Maybe I shouldn't jump to conclusions. The problem with overtaking him this morning was that i was now the first person to have walked the path today. So what's the problem? Cobwebs. If you're the first person on the path and it passes through woods you can guarantee your face will be covered. I collected enough silk to make myself an offa's dyke tie. Jennie is here now. It's great to have her with me for a couple of days. Hope tomorrow's weather doesn't make her want to go straight back home. Our room at the horse and jockey is fantastic. More of a pub penthouse really. We had a wander around town but decided to eat here. Meal rating: 8/10. Very tasty chicken and bacon enchilada. Just needed some guacamole and a few tortilla chips. Back to good old hobson's for the beer, which was just as good here as it was wherever it was i had it last. I must admit though It's quite hard to eat when the people on the next table are discussing how to skin a fox without removing the eyelashes. And finally.....i've had a few texts today from people beginning to worry about my mental condition. I suspect this has something to do with my sheep comment yesterday. I must therefore point out that this was A JOKE, or at the very least a piece of gross artistic hyperbole. My statement did not by any means apply to all sheep, but just one which looked at me in a particular way in a moment of weakness. Oh and jon phoned to say that yesterday't 'good pub' was in fact called the cock, not the rock. Good night.

Day 6. Buttington bridge to cwm. 13.7 miles.

As the photo shows we got some rain today. This morning was the poorest spell of weather so far, raining on and off till lunch time. It was good to have some company though, even if it was jon. Still, tom and hannah were very entertaining. The reason i used this photo is because jon insisted on featuring in this blog. I'd have preferred to have used a great shot i took of another unusual gate latch, but i'm a man of my word. I've also been informed by my brother barry, an occasionally reliable source of information, that the blog sequencing has gone wrong, so i hope it still makes sense. We set off at 10 for the long pull up to beacon ring hill fort. Part way up the aforementioned rain began, though we did get some good views between showers. A gradual descent brought us to the village of forden, where we found a pub with the door locked. A sign said 'offa's dyke walkers ring bell', so we did. And we were let in. I considered having the other three thrown out as frauds, but relented. Jon also insisted that he contribute a quote, so his quote is: "the rock hotel is a good pub". And he's right. Not only was the beer excellent (monty's desert rat, a local brew), but they also let us eat our packed lunches in the bar! Jon has always been a terrible influence on me, and he made me drink far more than i should with 8 miles still to go. Actually on this occasion i felt spurred on rather than ready for a sleep. This was possibly helped by the massive improvement in the weather by the time we came out, and it stayed nice for the rest of the day. With 5 miles to go we parted company as they headed for montgomery and i continued south. It was another afternoon of level walking but without the A483 hanging around it was much more peaceful than yesterday and the surroundings seemed prettier. The dyke was very prominent during the later stages, and more imposing. It looked like it might actually keep out a welshman of greater stature than previously. Someone like, say, Rob Brydon. As i get to know the dyke better i am recognising its versatility. Obviously you can walk on it and throw things at welsh people from it (though this is not recommended for english people nowadays because the national border does not always by any means follow offa's dyke, so you could well hit a fellow english person. This also applies to welsh people throwing in the opposite direction, but then you're not supposed to be standing on it in the first place). You can also plant trees in it, run up one side of it and down the other, sit on it, roll down it or, if you are a four legged mammal, live in it. Shortly before finishing today i reached a pub which was on my map but didn't exist. This was disappointing because i was staying in tonight, meaning that i was having a meal at the B&B instead of going to the pub, so no more booze. Drewin farm is a beauty though. The best room i've had so far. Ceinwen, my landlady, welcomed me with coffee and cakes, then made a great meal which i ate with another couple. Meal rating: 9/10. Homemade lasagne followed by bread and butter pudding. Docked a point because there's no such thing as perfection. Well i'm half way now, in time if not in distance. 6 days done, 6 days to go. 83 miles done, 94 miles to go, so some longer days ahead. I've been thinking today about a couple of the stranger aspects of long distance walking. One is that I often find myself thinking "if i finish early i could eat then go for a walk". Can i really not think of anything to do except what i've been doing all day? Another is that if you are walking alone the sheep seem more attractive as the days go by. Maybe i'd better leave it there! Thank goodness jennie's joining me tomorrow night. Actually the posts will need to be shorter from now on, as i can't imagine jennie is going to want to sit watching me spend ages doing this, is she? (Fliss, you'll know, is she?) Time for an early night, as i've got what is often claimed to be the toughest day tomorrow (and no booze now).

Day 5. Porth y waen to buttington bridge. 12.8 miles (+1.5 to hotel).

This picture looks really tidgy now i've rotated it. Hope it looks ok on screen. It's a man made landscape. A limestone quarry that's become a nature reserve. After a breakfast of cereal and susan's delicious homemade scotch pancakes i set off at 9, my earliest start yet. I'd seen the forecast last night and knew that i was on the border between the dry south east and the wet north west today. It was cloudy but dry as i made my way up llanymynech hill, the only climb of the day. On the other side of the hill was the nature reserve, and at the bottom a fascinating heritage area where the lime kiln was. Well worth a visit for any 19th century industry fanatics out there. I pottered about for an hour or so, then headed off south. I'd been told by some of the walkers i'd met so far that this was the least interesting day of the path. It was pleasant enough though, following a canal bank, then the dyke, then the river and finally the canal again. All on the flat. I tried walking slowly but couldn't seem to, so i made myself stop at regular intervals so i didn't finish too early. The stretch along the dyke was rubbish. It was only about 3 feet high. It couldn't have kept jimmy crankie out, never mind owain glyndwr. At 1.30 i reached the river severn so i stopped to eat my packed lunch. I realised then that i was sitting next to the same river i would be looking at right at the end of the walk. Except i was walking south and the river at this point was flowing north. I was also surprised that it was only 200ft above sea level with so far still to travel to the sea. Across the river i was looking at the imposing breidden hills, where caradoc held out against the romans for 9 years. I tried to imagine how it must have looked then, before the huge, ugly quarry existed. Then the hills disappeared. I spent ages before the walk trying to decide whether to head south to north, as most people do, or north to south. I chose north to south because firstly prestatyn is a better place to leave than it is to arrive at, and i wanted to walk from more familiar territory to less familiar territory. The main reason for doing it the other way round is so that the wind and rain are behind you as you walk. Heading south though you can see what weather is coming your way, and that was my BIG MISTAKE. As i sat eating my lunch facing north east, the rain was creeping up behind me, and before i could say "oh bugger the map's getting soaked. Where's that waterproof coat gone? Why's that zip stuck again?" the landscape was a sea of grey. I got togged up and set off again, head down. The fields by the river were full of cows and sometimes bulls. They looked at my bright red jacket with interest but couldn't muster up the energy to run after me. I followed a cow with 771 branded on its bum for almost a mile before it ran out of field. I wondered whether there was a number 666 and if so did it know its true identity? The rain stopped after about 40 minutes, the sun came out, and that was all the rain i had. Then a bonus. A pub that my guide book said was closed was open. Had another good pint (hobson's). A mid-walk pint is fine as long as it's not actually mid-walk at all but near the end, because things really slow down afterwards. During the last few miles i was pondering how exciting long distance walking is. Then i decided the reality is that mundane things just seem far more exciting ("wow! I've never seen a gate latch like that before!"). After yesterday's episode i keep wincing every time i pass a dog now. I form a closed body shape and make a sort of "Eew" noise. Like john inman used to (though i suppose that was more mincing than wincing). At one point a dog appeared on the opposite side of the canal. It stared at me. I heard a whistle. It's owner was calling it. It didn't move. It didn't want to go back to its owner. It wanted to bite me. I walked away and didn't look round for at least 2 minutes. It had gone. Maybe it couldn't swim. After reaching buttington i had another mile and a half detour into welshpool to the westbrook park hotel, my first night in a pub. The room is a pokey little hole. Thankfully jon, tom and hannah arrived ready to walk with me tomorrow so we went off to find food. They are camping at a pub a couple of miles away so we ate there. Meal rating: 8/10. A much better steak and ale pie today. Just needed a good shortcrust pastry, not puff. Fine beer yet again (tanner's). Only problem, It's been chucking it down all evening.

Day 4. Chirk mill to porth y waen. 11.5 miles.

The significance of this photo is immense, and far outweighs its quality. I'm sure you're as excited about it as i was when i came upon this scene a mere 10 minutes into today's walk. But first, breakfast. The place i was staying was lovely and used to be a school. The bell pull was in my room and i couldn't resist a quick ring. It was quite loud but i only got a brief withering look from sheila, my landlady. She cooked me a lovely bacon and eggs and we talked about teaching. She used to be a pe teacher, as did her husband. My landlord the night before was a music teacher. They're everywhere! The first ascent today was really steep but short. Then after a few minutes level walking the view in the photo appeared. Now i know the intelligence levels of the people (or person - hi mum) reading this blog, so you'll have got it by now. Why it's offa's dyke of course! Not offa's dyke path but THE offa's dyke. Note the ridge on the left and the ditch on the right, built by the mercian king offa to keep out the welsh (they were probably thinking the same thing. He saved them a job) in the 8th century. That's the whole point of the walk you see, it follows offa's dyke, even if they did divert the path well into wales at the northern end to keep it attractive, when the real dyke probably passed through wrexham and finished in saltney or somewhere. Anyway it was my first meeting with the dyke herself and i spent a good chunk of the day in her company. The walking today was much more interesting than i'd expected, the route staying up in the hills for most of the day. I had a great view from the top of selattyn hill, and an even better one from moelydd at the end of the day, even though it's quite tiddly. I could see the route for the next few days, as well as the long mynd, wenlock edge and the sandstone trail to the north. But it was quite exciting to recognise very little of what i was looking at. Midway through the day, about an hour before i found the offa's dyke brewery and had a spot on pint of something dark and strong, i stopped at a riding school because the sign said 'refreshments'. There was nobody about so i had a coffee from the machine then went to the loo. When i came out a large, brown dog was standing in the doorway. When it saw me it started snarling in a not nice way. After 5 minutes of nice doggie and good boy i decided it wasn't going to go away. Then i remembered that i'd asked sheila for ham butties for lunch. I edged over to my bag, reached for a piece of ham and hey presto, doggie is my best friend! Not the first dog related problem i've ever had on a walk. And not the first time i've had to surrender my lunch to one. No other surprises today except for my new landlord and landlady finding me on top of a hill. They were out for a walk themselves and asked where i was heading for. They moved from liverpool 2 years ago (she was a duke of ed instructor, which is a sort of teacher). We sat on their patio in the sun, oh yes i haven't mentioned that it was glorious all day (not due to last though), and drank coffee and ate biscuits. It was lovely. The room is nice too, but now to business. The evening meal. Rating: 9/10. Hooray! A gorgeous whitebait followed by lamb shank affair. Only docked a point for lumpy mash. I know, i'm harsh! Great beer too (wychwood beewyched). Only one problem - i'm sitting at one end of a long table. A bloke is sitting on the table at the other end, talking to the barman. Every time he moves, his fat arse wobbles the table and i miss my food with the fork. It's like eating on a boat! Oh well, back to the ranch to ask susan, my landlady, if i can watch match of the day. I haven't heard any scores, but then after wednesday maybe i'd better just go to bed.