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<\/a><\/div>\nAlthough I’ve known this for some time, it’s only now that I
\ncan actually confess to the fact that I am a slow walker. There\u2019s nothing wrong
\nwith that of course, or indeed shameful, and it certainly doesn’t make me a
\nlesser person, but it’s not just on walks to pubs, with fellow beer enthusiasts,
\nthat I’ve noticed this effect, I\u2019ve come across it in other areas of life too. I remember back in my early teens, going hiking with the
\nyouth group I belonged to, when I always seemed to be amongst the stragglers at
\nthe end of the walk, keeping company with those who got left behind.\u00a0<\/p>\n
At the
\ntime, there seemed nothing more frustrating than seeing the lead group ahead in
\nthe distance, sitting down and enjoying a break whilst waiting for stragglers
\nlike me to catch up. You\u2019d then find that as soon as you\u2019d caught up, the
\nadvanced party would announce that it was time to get going, and off they\u2019d go
\nagain. They’d had time to rest up for a while and recuperate, when you of
\ncourse, hadn’t.<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/div>\nThis pattern of behaviour was most apparent on the The group leader, who was the local vicar Back to the walking, as well as the present day. Many of my beery They are obviously people whose natural walking pace is much The latter is a similar structure to London\u2019s Hungerford Back to hiking, or rambling, if you prefer, and the last There are exceptions to this, especially if you can find a Our walking pace must have been equal, because I don\u2019t recall ever Having recently turned 70<\/b>, I am pleased I can still enjoy
\nyouth-hostelling<\/b> trip to the Isle of Wight<\/b>, that I made, with the same group.
\nIt didn\u2019t particularly bother me at the time, because there were others walking
\nat the same pace as me and they weren\u2019t concerned either. There was also
\nsomething of a rebel about me back then, and not conforming was part and parcel
\nof the scene I was involved with, at the time. As the week drew on, we got lost on more than one occasion, which
\nwas quite easy, as none of us had a map. We knew roughly where we were supposed
\nto end up, and usually, once off the hills, there were buses we could catch. On
\nat least one occasion, we managed to get a bus that either went directly to, or
\npretty close to our final destination for the day and arrived ahead of those
\nwho had stayed the course, on foot.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\n<\/b>(it was a church youth group), never seemed bothered about people being left behind,
\nworking on the basis of self-reliance, and \u201ctoughening us up\u201d<\/i><\/b>. <\/i>Perhaps he should have done, since he was a man of the cloth,
\nalthough in those days, I don’t think any qualifications were necessary to be
\nin charge of a youth group. Fortunately, none of us came to any harm, even
\nthough there were cliffs we could have fallen from, or rivers we might have
\ndrowned in, proving perhaps, that the vicar of Wye & Brook<\/b> was right in his
\napproach, even though it would be frowned upon today.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\ntrips out, start from Tonbridge<\/b> station, which is reached by a 20-minute
\n<\/b>downhill walk from Bailey Towers.<\/b> I\u2019ve lost count of the number of times I’ve
\nset off only to be overtaken by people coming up from behind. Once they\u2019ve
\npassed me, they seem to disappear off into the distance, arriving at the
\nstation some considerable time before me. I appreciate most of them are
\nprobably seasoned commuters, who know exactly how long their journey is going
\nto take, but their speed does seem a little disheartening at times. <\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\nfaster than my own, and this includes individuals of both genders, many of whom
\nseem to stride effortlessly by. Fortunately, I normally factor in sufficient
\ntime to not only reach the station, but to purchase my ticket as well. The
\nother occasions when I\u2019ve noticed this head down, fastest foot forwards
\napproach has been during company business trips to Cologne,<\/b> where we were
\nexhibiting at the International Dental Show (IDS). \u00a0<\/span><\/b>The mornings would begin with breakfast at the
\nhotel, followed by a walk past the main station and then up across the river
\nRhine<\/b>, via the Hohenzollern Bridge. <\/b><\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\nBridge<\/b> in so much that it carries pedestrians, alongside the train tracks,
\nacross a wide river. Once across the Rhine, <\/b>we would make our way to the K\u00f6ln
\nMesse<\/b> exhibition halls, where the show was taking place. There was normally half
\na dozen of us, and I was never part of the leading group, as there were
\ncolleagues who walked so fast as to give the impression of participating in a
\nrelay race. Nevertheless, we all arrived, each morning, at the company stand in
\ntime for the show\u2019s opening. I’ve given up trying to emulate these people,
\nalthough the joke is Mrs PBT\u2019s <\/b>thinks I’m a fast walker. I probably am, compared
\nto her but certainly not when it comes to many, if not most, of my
\ncontemporaries.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\nmajor long-distance footpath I walked, was the North Downs Way,<\/b> which I completed
\nin September 2022. <\/b>After starting this LDP<\/b> as part of a group, I ended up walking
\nthe majority of the trail on my own primarily because I felt that as my pace
\nwas slower, I was holding the group back. This is why I recommend walking solo,
\nat your own pace, as it allows you to see what you want to see, take breaks for
\nmeals or drinks as needed, find a discreet place for personal needs, enjoy the
\nsolitude and experience the joy of being in nature alone.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\nwalking partner whose pace matches your own. I was fortunate to experience this
\nwith my friend Eric, 15 years<\/b> ago, when we completed the South Downs Way LDP,<\/b>
\nwalking the trail in strict linear fashion, east to west (Eastbourne to
\nWinchester).<\/b> This was different, and perhaps more satisfying, than the piecemeal approach I adopted for the North Downs Way <\/b>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\nfeeling rushed, or feeling that our progress was too fast, or too slow. Perhaps
\nit had something to do with stature, as we are both of similar height, and
\nbuild, although now I am carrying quite a bit more weight. It might also be down
\nto leg length, which must have a bearing on one\u2019s stride. I don\u2019t know my friend\u2019s
\ninside leg measurement, but at 29\u201d,<\/b> mine is on the short side, and Mrs PBT\u2019s<\/b>
\nlikes teasing me about it.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\n
\noutdoor activities and appreciate the great outdoors. I am aware though, that
\nmy stamina is not quite what it was 10 or even 5 years ago, but this is a
\nnatural part of aging, and despite this my aim is to continue walking as often
\nas possible. Walking is an excellent form of exercise, allowing one to maintain
\nfitness while enjoying the fresh air and the beauty of the English countryside.
\n<\/b><\/p>\n