Day 16 -- Richmond to Danby Wiske, 14 miles

Before discussing today’s hike, I should report on the performance at the Georgian Theater last night. The program was entitled Legend of the Hammond, so I knew it would have something to do with an organ. The Hammond organ was invented in the mid-1930s, but really came into its own in the 1950s and 1960s when music was written expressly for it. Because jazz and rock comprised most of the music of that era, that''s what was written for the Hammond. Friday's performance featured the organ, accompanied by drums, two acoustic guitars, and a vocalist. I wasn’t a contemporary music fan back then, but I recognized most of the music along with some of the artists whose works featured the Hammond organ: Frank Sinatra, Janis Joplin, Joe Cocker, and a few other names I can’t now recall after today’s 14 mile hike. Anyway, the performance was enjoyable, and I shared intermission with a nice couple in the next box, Ian and Catherine. Small though the theater was, the music sounded great, to the extent that rock music ever sounds great. Thanks to the hosts of the Old Brewery Guest House, Lisa and Bryan, for encouraging me to attend.

This morning Bryan offered me additional duct tape to mend my boots, but as I thought the external mend would not hold anyway, but that the internal mend would, I declined to mend them any further. I did take several wraps of the tape for future use. (I carry duct tape wrapped around my first add kit, because I mostly use it on my feet, like real athletes.)

Everyone I met on the trail agreed that today’s weather was the finest since the walk began – blue skies, sunshine, not a drop of rain, and temps in the upper 60s F. The footpaths were dry and the footing firm.

Richmond Castle

Sonja on Ginger

Church at Bolton-on-Swale

Shortly beyond Richmond, I met Andrew, and he and I walked together the entire day. Andrew is one of those walkers who glides along the path, never seeming to be affected by terrain, footing or obstacles. I’m a good walker, too, and I probably glide for 6 or 7 miles, but after that my stride deteriorates to something between a stumble and a controlled forward fall. As a result, he kept pulling away from me – until we met Charlotte, who you’ll remember that I first met near the Nine Standards.

Charlotte travels with a cute little Teddy Bear, like Jack Frost’s Homer Simpson and Daryl May’s Hobson. (Long distance walkers are an odd bunch. Some of them even carry Irish Sea rocks.) Anyway, Charlotte’s bear, Adventure Ted, has had quite a history – so much so that I had to get out my note pad write it all down. AT has been to Australia, Germany, France, Greece, Guatemala – and even spent a night in jail in Thailand. (He was kidnapped and recovered by the police, but wasn’t reunited with Charlotte until the next day. At least that’s his story and he’s sticking to it.) I couldn’t very well write all of this down while carrying hiking poles, so I handed my poles to Andrew, who couldn’t very well glide away from me while holding my poles. So Andrew, Charlotte, AT, and I all walked (or in my case, stumbled) the rest of the way together to Danby Wiske. 

Adventure Ted

"When you reach the fork, take it."