So Corby is now 'officially' a Walkers are Welcome community. Truth is, walkers and anyone else for that matter have always been welcome in the town and the villages in the Borough :- Gretton, Cottingham, Middleton, Rockingham, Great Oakley, Stanion and Weldon. The people around here are friendly and - as you'd expect, welcoming. When my family and I moved here from the home counties in 1983, I think we knew more people within 24 hours than we had got to know over all the previous years.

Friendly and generous too. My Rotary club, the Rotary Club of Corby Phoenix, is often in and around the town collecting for all sorts of things such as McMillan Nurses, the Rotary Shelterbox Charity and others plus local charities and 'good causes'. We know how the population here react to our pleas for help and usually money be it pennies or more is forthcoming.

Now, if you are looking for a place to come to walk for a day, a weekend or more, Corby and the surrounding area is a place to seriously consider. The whole area is a mass of good public footpaths and bridleways leading to and from the modern, bustling town and the pretty surrounding villages. Walking conditions are not what could be called challenging. Okay, there are gradients. The Welland Valley, just to the north of the town has steep sides but not so steep that they are impossible, certainly if you are used to some walking.

However, should it be just a relaxing stroll or you are a serious walker, there are lots of walks to do from just a few miles up to 18 should you wish to have a go at the 'Around Corby' walking route.

What ever your reason, you are very welcome Around Corby, especially should you be a walker. Our Walking Festival in May is a good time to visit and try us and our walks.

Pennine Way Completion Certificate Will be Mine at Last

My three walking buddies, the two Johns plus Joe have kindly agreed to join me in June so I can complete the Pennine Way. We four attempted this gruelling path in mid 2009 but I had to pull out on day fourteen with just three days to go.

If you've experienced shin splints, you'll sympathise with how I was. I could hardly walk so I just hung around each day whilst they walked on and I went forward with the transport to meet them each night. Congratulations to the three of them, but I need to complete it. As many will know, you get a certificate at the Border Hotel, which is the traditional end of the 'Way' at Kirk Yetholm just over the Border into Scotland. With a mix of pleasure and disappointment, I watched them receive theirs.

Soon, all things being equal, it will be my turn. We leave on June 17th and will walk the 18th, 19th & 20th returning on the 21st. (It's a long way north don't yer know?).

My heartfelt thanks to the three of them for giving me this opportunity. I might have had a go on my own but it is pretty lonely up there and probably easy to get lost so I am glad I shan't be on my own.

My thanks also to all of those that sponsored me for Parkinson's Research. Your faith in me and patience is appreciated and will, later this year, be rewarded.

When Will This Awful Weather Change?

Pretty well every time I attempt to get out for a decent walk it rains or snows. Funnily enough enough, every second Monday since the new year has been sunny, including one morning when we walked in deep snow to the south of Corby. It was magical but a really cold -5 degrees C.

Don't get me wrong, I am not just a fair weather waker, though I do certainly prefer it when it's dry. Believe me, I've experienced it when it has been torrential and it's not comfortable. When with my three waking friends John Baldwin, John Dixon and Joe Grun we waked the Coast to Coast in 2007 it rained on six of the days three of them continuously. We were all soaked in spite of good gear.

Still, spring is around the corner so I'll be out more especially as most of the Festival organisation is completed.

Are Walkers Really a Hazard?

     Saw this sign between Exton and Fort Henry up in Rutland.

    Are we really a danger to everyone? Or maybe there is another reason?

     Certainly motorists on the tracks where we were walking kept a wide berth.

I'll Finish the Pennine Way This Time

Sadly, and painfully, I had to pull out of the Pennine Way 'adventure' last year due to shin splints contracted on day 14. So my three tough buddies, John Baldwin, John 'Dixey' Dixon and Joe Grun went to the end with me going on each day with the baggage. "Fitting", you might say.

Now, thanks to their support, I shall finish it in June and in their company.

All is organised, logistics, accommodation, the lot. Just hope the weather is as good as it was last year and not like the days of torrential rain we experienced on the Coast to Coast in 2006.

In total, we've raised approaching £5,000 for Parkinson's Research. Many thanks to all our sponsors whose generosity will go toward finding out what causes this terrible affliction and what can be done to help those who have it.

What a Simple Idea

A while ago, the Daily Telegrasph (guess whichpaper I read?) came up with a great diet and health improvement plan summede up in the four words above -

Eat Less - Move More

Young or old, portion control and watching fat, getting some exercise, any exercise I suppose but walking seems ideal espacially to start with and you should be leaner, fitter and more sprightly.

Go for it!

Of Course it Is! And Everyone Seems to be Saying So

Recently, over five days of the week commencing January 4th, the Daily Telegraph did an A-Z of Fitness. There was eveything from running to swiming, WII Fit Plus to Zumba (Zumba? Apparently its a blend of Latin dance with aerobic fitness and body weight exercise) and a great deal more, much that I'd never heard of.

Of course, in an A-Z, walking came on the last day (Jan 8th) but it was worth waiting for. So what did it say? - "Walking has so many fitness benefits and can help with everything from gentle weight loss to cardiovascular disease (brisk walking strengthens heart & lungs). Try swinging your arms for greater cardio benefits".

Says it all really. Then, last Saturday, also in the Daily Telegraph (many thanks DT) there's a promotion offering a free 'Walks in Britain' guide for every reader. They have teamed up with the AA who have published a new series of walking guides and on the front of every one it says in bold black lettering on a white background - WARNING! WALKING CAN SERIOUSLY IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH.

Wow! That's some endorsment for what walking can do. And that's just putting one foot in front of the other, many times. It's simple and perfectly natural - we all do it to a greater or lesser degree. Why isn't everyone doing it more, much more?

The 'Around Corby' Walking Festival on May 1st, 2nd and 3rd will give those who want to know more a chance to have a go and to speak with peple who can advise on a low key Walking to Health programme.

Incidentally, I saw on TV recently a man who had lost 35 stone. That's 490lbs or 222.5 kilos grammes - or put another way, just short of a quarter of a tonne.  He had actually lost nearlly a quarter of a tonne in weight and, I recall, he wanted to take off some more.

Crickey! But I bet he had to exercise and what better than walking as a low impact way of getting back into moving properly and gently improving health.

Happy New Year - 2010 is Before Us

I'm a glass half full person and look to the new year with a great deal of optimism.

Firstly, we've passed the date with the shortest amount pf day light hours and the sun is already starting to climb higher. Soon it will be spring and warmer, and though walking can be achieved 365 days of each year, even I must argue that it is much more of a pleasure when it's nice. 

And look what's ahead for our walking pleasure. The Around Corby Walking Festival on May 1st, 2nd and 3rd, the hoped for Walkers are Welcome membership for the town and Borough and I have the Pennine Way to complete in June with all those miles of lovely walks to do before hand to train up for the 45 miles and over 6,000 feet of ascent over the three days.

Smashing! But hey? not everyone wants to walk these silly distances or perhaps, cannot because of overall lack of exercise, an illness or recovering from an operation or illness.

Fear not! We all have to start somewhere and soon I'll tell you what I found it to be like when I returned from hospital in 2002. Pretty well everyone can benifit from walking short, medium or long distances and the local NHS Primary Care Trust and Corby Borough Council have schemes ready for you to have a go. And many do.

Keep looking at my blog and I'll tell you more.

I've Been Out of Action Following an Operation

When walking in wet weather in May 2007 I fell off a slippery stile and when attempting to stop myself falling into a hawthorne hedge, I grabbed the fence rail. It stopped me falling but sadly, I damaged my arm so for the rest of the 15 mile walk, I nursed a very sore apendage - and it was sore beleive me.

Many have said to me, I thought walking was a safe hobby and good for you?" It is! Unfortunately, there is nothing that can be done when the walker is clumsy and somewhat stupid. 

The up-shot of this incident was that in November I had an opeartion, fortunately 'key-hole', on my right shoulder. The excellent surgeon found with some other damage that I had torn the muscle from the bone. This has now all been rectified but it has meant that I have been unable to do a great deal including driving and use a key board.

I was allowed to start driving again just before Christmas and I was able to make a start on the enormous backlog of work to get through what with the Walking Festival and the Walkers are Welcome application. Sadly, the blog was a lower priority.

The snow and ice have been a problem too. The surgeon told me I must be careful not to put undue stress on the shoulder for up to a year. Can you imagine undoing all the hard work and pain supression by slipping over and landing on the shoulder?

Rutland is always a good place to visit, especiall by walkers. It's nearly as good as what Around Corby has to offer, but then I might be biased. Now, theyve organised what looks to be a promising Walking Week - October 17th to the 23rd.

Sadly, I am on hoilday in Northumbria, re-discovering the excellent footpaths I've found over recent years. This is a really lovely place to visit. Fabulous, nearly deserted beaches, WOW! castles and good walks on the coast, inland and certainly up on the Cheviots. Beware up there however. It can get rough as we discovered on the Pennine Way earlier this year. Be prepared with the right kit and supplies.

My son Stephen and I did the St Cuthbert's Way a couple of years ago and on the penultimate leg into Wooler we didn't carry enough water on what turned out to be a steaming hot day. It's so deserted up there so no place to 'fill up'. Okay, the weather was exceptionally good but be prepared either way - good or bad. 

I digress, back to Rutland. Visit www.discover-rutland.co.uk for more info and to download their programme. I wish them and you well for some good weather and good walking.