A beautiful walk from the ghost village of Tyneham, across M.O.D land – accessible most weekends after public pressure applied in the 70s – up to Flowers Barrow, then down into Worbarrow Bay.

Signs painted by local children on a hoarding around Durlston Castle; it used to be a restaurant, but now is undergoing restoration as part of the Durlston Project

Every Day in May takes a photographic form over the weekend, as we are away walking on the Isle of Purbeck (in Dorset, and not technically and island). This detail is from a poster in the Corfe Castle railway station (a stop on the restored Swanage Railway) were we waited to board a steam train…

We joined lotsa ladies on bikes as part of LCC's celebration of International Women's Day. The atmosphere was great – lots of decorated bikes and people – , and the LCC marshall's info about which lanes to take navigating tricky bits of traffic useful.

The ride was cut short a little as I think the route was ambitious in getting so many people through all the sets of lights (this wasn't a Critical Mass!) so afterwards we adjourned to the pub for a well earned pint and then cycled home, legs aching. (Haven't been in the saddle for a couple of months and by the end I'd done 15 miles!)

Went on a lovely long walk in the Autumn sunshine yesterday along the Timberland Trail… Starting off very suburban, we soon found ourselves having a picnic in a ’spinney’, walking through woodland and across fields with plenty of wildlife… cows, ducks, llamas (!), a weasel or stoat and a singing robin on the Alban Way at the end…

The U75 Country Walk took us to the flatlands this weekend; we took the train to Hunstanton, then got a lift to the bunkhouse in Deepdale. The walk took us along marshes, sand dunes & beaches and then through the woods ending up in Wells-next-to-the-sea. We even found a treasure map on the way! A great, if freezing cold, trip to north Norfolk.

Up at 7 on a foggy Sunday morning (made ever-so slightly worth it by seeing participants taking part in the Brighton Run), then 4 hours on a train / bus / train to Dorset for my grandma’s housewarming… after 20+ years of living in a thatched cottage worthy of a chocolate box portrait, she’s moved to the ‘big city’ (about 4 miles down to road, pop. 2,920). The new house is lovely, and of great import to me, has beautiful deep windowsills; big enough to curl up on with a book. These windowseats and their cushions are one of the outstanding memories I have of her last house, and I’m pleased to see the tradition continue… maybe it’s a Dorset thing… Anyhow, she seems very settled and happy in her new home, and I wish her many happy times in it.

Yay! I did it… 44km in 8 and a half hours… owwwee am I paying for it today though! Feel like I have ground my hip sockets into dust a bit, although am pleased to report 0 blisters… Thank you man at Runner’s need for helpful shoe advice, and thanks to everyone who sponsored me – I hit the target of £500 plus a bit more

Ok, off to lie in a hot bath and read the papers today…

Finally, I’ve put some photos up from the Swiss Heidi adventure. Loved it, loved it, loved it… Want to go back sharpish and climb some more mountains

We went cycling / walking in Dartmoor over the weekend; taking the foldy bikes on the train, cycling to Princetown from Plymouth along the Plym Valley Way. The walk on Saturday was sunny and fine, but the Sunday walk warranted outdoor survival training (it felt like!). Never have I appreciated waterproof trousers so much, nor hand driers in a friendly pub under which to dry them! M has a super researched *14* page feature on the hol; deffo worth checking out…