Alan and I arrived back in Wantage on Friday and it seems very strange to be back home. Almost immediately the phone started to ring and I was quickly dragged back to the realities of everyday life after being away for so long.

Before I write anything else about the trip I must begin by thanking everyone who has helped me in completing this journey.

One of the first people I spoke to about the plan was Roger Wiltshire, an old friend and an expreienced kayaker and canoeist, whose reaction was one of encouragement and then practical help in lending me a canoe. Thanks also to Liz Alistair Wilson, the other owner of the canoe,and his wife Liz who kindly offered cakes.

Without the support and help of Wyn and Win Roberts the journey would not have taken place. Their offer to look after Thai when I needed to go off for weeks at a time training was invaluable. It was marvellous that Wyn was able to join me for a few days on  the Pennine Way. Thanks also for the cakes which kept us going.

My biggest challenge in completing the journey was always going to be the sea kayaking. Although I was happy to do the rest on my own I did not want to sea kayak alone. Simon Osbourne of Seakayakingcornwall was always the first to encourage me to keep the sea kayaking in the trip and then took 3 days out of his holiday to paddle with me around Cornwall. Thanks also to Simon’s partner Jeff Allen who had to work so could not join us. Kayaking with such experienced and capable instructors made the last few days very special. Simon and Jeff also kindly raised funds for the charities.

It was through Simon that I got in touch with Barbara and Ian. Although we were in the end unable to paddle for more than a day together it was great to make some new friends and we are hoping to get out together later in the year. It was very good of Barbara and Ian to walk with me in the inclement devon weather and I enjoyed their company.

Carl , my climbing buddy, helped by inviting me to Scotland last year. This trip convinced me that the walking would be within my abilities. It also reignited my love of the mountains at a time when everythig was quite dark. The medicinal scotch which Carl gave me on the night before we left survived most of the trip but I am sure that we will be able to polish it off together.

Katy my sister has been keeping the blog up to date and has done a marvellous job in designing the blog and acting as “mission control”.

Susan, my sister in law, did a great job with the publicity and we were featured in several local papers during the trip. Susan also provided delicious cakes.

Finally I have to pay tribute to my brother Alan, definitely the unsung hero of the whole trip. Whilst I was out enjoying myself every day, well at least on most days, Alan was ensuring that all the logistics ran smoothly. Towing a caravan for the first time, often on his own, was not easy. Caravan sites often seem to be situated down little narrow roads with tiny entrances. Once on the pitch the caravan has to be connected up and then there is the washing, the shopping and the cooking to do. In between all of that he also had to pick me up. We never had a day when we did not meet up and normally he was there waiting for me with a word of encouragement. It would have been impossible to do the trip without him and I am very grateful to have a brother who was prepared to take 3 months to follow me around the country.

In my excitement I have lost the notes I made from Neil’s report yesterday, so this is from memory (help!). 

In what was to prove the most enjoyable day of the entire trip, Neil, Simon and friend paddled from Lamorna around Lands End to Sennen Cove.  The weather conditions were pretty much perfect, bright sunshine and light winds, with just enough swell to make the journey interesting.  The views of Lands End from the sea were breathtaking, as were the short trips into caves and out again - tunnels under the cliffs!

They put into Sennen Cove in good time and then celebrated with champagne on the beach.  High on adrenalin and champers they then got back into their kayaks and did some surfing for half-an-hour or so, before meeting up with Simon’s girlfriend and Alan, and decamping to the pub for a celebratory dinner.

So, is it all over?  Well, not quite.  There’s still the mile or so from Sennen Cove to Lands End to complete.  This will be a group affair, with quite a few of us meeting at Sennen Cove at 2.30 on Saturday 26th July to walk with Neil to Lands End and a triumphant finish.

In the meantime, CONGRATULATIONS NEIL!  It’s an amazing achievement.  And well done all of us supporters - we know who we are - and thanks to all who have followed the blog and sent messages of support.  Keep them coming - Neil will be able to do some blogging himself over the coming week and I know will want to respond.

We managed to capture Neil’s latest radio interview, for Jo Thoenes of BBC Radio Oxford on the wettest day on record (9th July).  It’s on the ‘In the Media’ page, of course, but you can also listen to it by clicking on this link BBC Radio Oxford interview 3

Neil and Simon set off from Mullion Cove around 8.20 and paddled towards Lamorna across Mounts Bay,  There was a heavy sea-mist and they were effectively paddling blind, following a compass bearing across the bay.  The mist eventually lifted around 10.30 when they were able to enjoy the views and wildlife which included many gannets and another sunfish. 

They arrived at Lamorna around 12.40 having paddled around 14 miles (22 kilometres).

Today Neil and Simon made great progress, effectively doing two days’ paddle in one.  They started around 8.30 from Maenporth, in rather misty conditions.  They headed out past the Manacles, where they stopped for coffee, then paddled on around the Lizard.  From this point Neil found conditions got a little choppy.  They stopped at Old Lifeboat Bay and had a congratulatory meal of pasties, chips and baked beans at the cafe there. 

The sea mist had cleared by the time they finished lunch, so they had a pleasant paddle in sunshine for the rest of the day, arriving at Mullion Cove around 5pm.

Wildlife of the day: a pod of dophins, a seal and a sunfish.

Sunday 13th was a rest day, during which Neil met up with Simon Osborne of Sea Kayaking Cornwall.  Simon is going to be paddling the last stages of Ride-Stride-Glide with Neil who, as regular readers of this blog will know, did all his sea-kayak training with Sea Kayaking Cornwall earlier in the year.  SKC is a sponsor of Ride-Stride-Glide and it seems only fitting that Simon should be there with Neil in the last stages of his journey. 

Fair weather to both!

A fairly ordinary day, again with a couple of heavy showers to remind Neil how lucky he was to have left behind the foul weather of a few days ago.  He walked via Narehead to Pace, where he caught the ‘ferry’ to St Mawes.  The ferry was effectively three people in a rubber dinghy…

Once off this bijou ferryette he got straight into the new ferry at St Mawes, which was ready and waiting to take him across to Falmouth - great timing for once.  He bought his lunchtime pasty in Falmouth and then walked to Swanpool.  Here at long last he was able to get into his sea-kayak and he paddled the last couple of miles to Maenporth.

This turned out to be one of those days…  Neil started out along to footpath only to find it was closed because of a rockfall.  The diversion took him back past the caravan where he’d started out an hour earlier.  Such is life. 

The path rolled up and down as far as Pentewen Sands (memories of a family holiday when we were all children), then up and over the top to Mevagissey.  Next he rounded Dodman Point and headed towards Portloe, which seemed ever in the distance - it was a long mile and a half. 

Animal of the day: a surprised stoat which, like the fox on a previous day, was happily trotting along the coastal path when it met an equally surprised Neil. 

Today’s weather was mixed: Neil was soaked by a couple of showers in the morning, but the afternoon was fine for a change.

Part of today’s walk went past the house featured in the television series ‘The Camomile Lawn’.

Back walking the coastal path today.  Neil set off from Looe around 8.30 and stopped at Polperro for coffee.  Next was Polruan on the Fowey estuary.  En route here he turned a corner and met a fox trotting down the coastal path towards him.  Both stopped, and the fox quickly rethought its route and headed off.

At the Fowey estuary, Neil for once found the ferry waiting for him and was able to cross immediately to Fowey itself.  It was lunchtime so he bought and ate a Cornish pasty on the quayside.  Then on around Gribbin Head to the pretty harbour of Polkerris, and finally down into the china clay district at Par, before finishing the 22 miles section of the walk at Charlestown.

The weather has improved, thankfully, being sunshine and showers, and the new boots are not giving him any trouble.  This is just as well, for Neil comments that sections of the coastal path are as tough as anything he covered on the Pennine Way, and definitely much tougher than the West Highland Way (which he described as ‘a doddle’).

As planned, Neil took to the bicycle today and cycled from Stoke Point to Plymouth.  Here he took advantage of the shopping facilities to buy some new boots, bootlaces, and blister remedy.  Then he pressed on to the ferry where he crossed to Tor Point and cycled on to Looe. 

The going was what he had come to recognise as normal cycling conditions - hills up and down, apparently far more up than down!

July 9th saw the winds at gale force and the rain coming horizontally - a perfect day for staying in the caravan.  Neil did an interview for BBC Radio Oxford, which we have recorded and will make available on the ‘in the media’ page once we’ve converted it to mp3 format.