Ive finished! Ive walked 1200 miles in 7 weeks and 4 days! Ive walked along roads, through fields, along rivers, over moors and over mountains. Ive had all sorts of weather from scortching hot to bitterly cold, gale winds, fog, thunder and lightening, but on the whole I think Ive been very lucky with the weather! Its been very hard mentally and physically at times but also very enjoyable and life enhancing. The wildlife and scenery have been amazing and I was even lucky enough to see an otter and just yesterday a seal. I will continue with the blog during my recovery time in Orkney as I know some people are interested to see the amazing sights of these islands. My thanks to everyone that has followed my blog for your encouragement and your generous donations to Naomis House Childrens Hopsice. It gives me great pleasure to know my efforts will help to support such a worthy cause.


LEJOG - Lands End John O Groats

Thanks for visiting my blog... This expedition has been two months in the planning and training and will hopefully be two months in the execution. I will endeavour to entertain you with a few tales and interesting pictures of my trip as I travel the length of Great Britain in my Lejog challenge... so please call back and send me messages of support to boost my tired legs!

I am collecting sponsorship for Naomi's House childrens hospice. Naomis house provides support and respite care to people under the age of 18 who are unlikely to live in to adulthood. They have two facilities in Hampshire costing 45 million per year to run, serving sick children in seven counties. They are 93% funded by charitable donations.

You can sponsor my trek at http://www.justgiving.com/Malcolm-Woodford

Wednesday 16 June 2010

Yesterday evening I was feeling pretty cheery having made a good
distance in the day, bought chips and battered sausage for my supper
as I came in to Peebles and been given a free pitch at the campsite
when they heard about my Trek. An early night and I would be set up
for another good day. Little did I know that I would be on my hands
and knees outside my tent at midnight relieving my stomach of it's
chips and sausage contents. Now in the ordinary scheme of things this
is just plain unpleasant but add to that that I'd done 24 miles
walking and the energy contents of my muscles must have been near nil
and this was going to stop them from recharging. I had a few more
hours sleep after this but not a great amount. I managed to haul
myself out of the campsite by half past eight in the morning but was
staggering from the outset. I told myself that it doesn't matter how
slowly you go just keep on going and you will get there. It was a
lovely sunny day all day today but this was one of those days where I
really earnt the money people have kindly donated. I've been so tired
and exhausted for most of the day all I've really wanted to do is sit
down. By 2pm I'd managed to clock up about 14 miles and decided that a
nicely mown section of grassy bank looked just too inviting to pass
by; I would take a good half hours rest. As I lay there with my eyes
closed basking in the warm sun I heard "is that Malcolm?" in a german
voice I recognised. It was Andy (Andreas) whom I'd met at Melrose YHA
passing by on his cycling tour headed for Lanark. We chatted for a
while before he set off again. I was headed for Biggar, just 3 miles
down the road and made my way there. I rescued a lamb that had it's
dshead stuck through the square wire holes in the fence as it tried to
reach the long juicy grass. Both it's horns where through and
preventing it from getting it's head otut