Pub Garden Party Trick

Day 5 and I am a quarter of the way through the walk 72 miles completed. Today's walk took me from Brooke just south of Oakham to Brampton Ash east of Market Harborough.

So far I've raised £255, for Macmillan Cancer Support, thank you to everyone for your support, if you haven't donated to this fantastic charity and would like to, you can do so here.

Oscar's Nose Causes Cyclists Near Death Experience!

Meg and Oscar

What a beautiful day for the start of the second section of my 290 mile Macmillan Way walk. I am walking in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support, you can donate by following the link to my Just Giving Page here.

I started my walk from the Railway Inn, Ketton, where I left off at the end of the last stage, (I wonder if they ever solved the murder mystery?). Meg, my youngest daughter decided to join me on this leg of the walk, as part of her training for her Everest base camp trip. I'm not sure that she will have to deal with altitude sickness today, but the walk will be similar in distance to some of the trekking she will be doing. So off we went, one man, his daughter and of course Oscar the dog - plus of course the obligatory bag full of tennis balls.

What more could you want from a pub?

Hillsborough Hotel

Continuing my theme of great pubs with a great selection of real ale to visit on match days, one of my regular stopping off points is the Hillsborough  Hotel. It's a great pub with 7 well kept real ales and a cider. You always get a warm welcome, the food is good quality and fantastic value (try one of the home made pies or Sunday lunch). It's a pity it's so far away from Baston!

The pub is just up the hill from Kelham Island, and Hillsborough is a 20 minute walk away or just get the tram. its on the Yellow and Blue tram route, stop Langsett/Primrose View.

If you are in Sheffield and Love real ale or good pub food, then you have to visit, if you have a few too many, they also do accommodation. What more could you want from a pub!

Meyt n Tater Pie Heaven (Mt)*

I always say when we go to watch Wednesday that the football spoils a good day out and so it proved once again. The Baston Owls were out in force for a grand day out in the big city, to watch the Owls v Villa.

I always think that you shouldn't tempt fate by changing your routines on match day especially when we are getting towards the serious end of the season, but that's exactly what we did and I feel I should apologise to the Wednesday community out there as we could be to blame for the quite frankly disastrous 3-1 home defeat on the day.

3 Counties and the Funfair Caravan Park

We set off from Baston in glorious sunshine, although with a cool breeze (perfect walking weather), and found our way back to the Macmillan Way. I was familiar with this initial stretch having walked it many times. We passed through the hamlet of Obthorpe, Wilsthorpe and then headed towards Stamford. If someone had  previously said to me, come on lets walk to Stamford I would have thought they were off their rocker - mmmmm how times change!

The scenery was changing again as we left the Fens and the river Glen, the countryside is more undulating (I love that word) and after 2 days of walking we came to our first hill. At the summit we were at a head spinning altitude of 150ft above sea level, you'll be pleased to know, there was no altitude sickness experienced by man or dog.