December Totals

Monthly Average 5,784
Best Day 12,654 - Friday 27th December.

The best day (27th) was the day after boxing day - the first full day visiting family in Wetherby.  Val was ill, so I walked by myself around the shops in the morning & around the local footpaths in the afternoon.  No photo's I'm afraid.

November Totals

Monthly Average 6,859
Best Day 23,776 - Saturday 23rd November

Saturday 23rd November was the first full day of a weekend trip to Portishead.  We explored the coast with walks around Portishead & Clevedon.

Walking Saturday

Well at least I did a little walking this Saturday - by joining the local litter pick.

October Totals

Monthly Average 5,877
Best Day 13,569 - Tue 29th October

Tue 29th was one of the few reasonable days in October half term.  We were visiting family in Wetherby & went for an explore of a nearby Bird Sanctuary - Fairburn Ings - using our RSPB membership cards.

Another walking Saturday with no walking

Another walking Saturday, another set of excuses why I didn't go walking.  Excuses include

• Helping Val set up Crafty Space
• Doing Messy Church notice board
• Playing at a Prayer Service that evening
• Preparing for the Service on the following Sunday.

September Totals

All Green ! (i.e. every day over 7,000 steps)
Monthly Average 9,347
Best Day 25,467 - 14th September

Sat 14th was Ride and Stride day.  Instead of our normal cycling, we decided to walk all the way into town.  Click here for details.

Walking Saturday

This is a placeholder for a Walking Saturday.  When I work out my excuse for not going walking, I'll pop it here !

Ride and Stride - 20 Churches from edge of Tilehurst to Reading Town Centre

20 churches, 6 ½ hours walking, nearly 24,000 steps (that’s about 12 miles). All that and Valerie still found time to go shopping in Heelas !

The plan was to photograph each church - but after forgetting the first five, we kinda gave up !

So here's a (rough) map instead...

Sadly, Google Maps can't actually handle a route with 20 destinations, but this gives you a general idea.

August Totals

All Green ! (i.e. every day over 7,000 steps)
Monthly Average 8,898
Best Day 19,573 - Thur 1st August

On 1st August we were in the Lake District & walked around Buttermere.  Click here for details and photos.

Circumnavigating Buttermere

A simple walk - 

• Park in National Trust car park to North West of Buttermere.  
• Walk into Buttermere village and then towards Sourmilk Gill.  
• Circumnavigate Lake in a anti-clockwise direction.  
• Arrive back at Buttermere for a cup of tea.

Our route in Google Earth

July Totals

Monthly Average 7,632
Best Day 17,890 - 30th July

I was really surprised to see that Tues 30th beat Wed 31st when we climbed Castle Crag.  The 30th was a day travelling to the Lake District.  On the way we called into White Scar cave, which would have accounted for some of the steps, but I guess it was the long walk around Cockermouth that evening which did it.  The walk included the whole length of the town looking for somewhere to eat.  We ended up with chips, eaten by the river.

Castle Crag

A short morning walk, following Julia Bradbury (again), who was, of course, following Wainwright.

Our route in Google Earth (Although we parked elsewhere)

Walking Saturday

This is a placeholder for a walking Saturday.  When I remember my excuse for not going, I'll pop it here !

Henley Treasure Hunt

Some friends and us like doing Treasure Hunts when we get together (http://www.treasuretrails.co.uk/).  The facts that it was a very hot day, we didn't start until late, and we only had a few hours on the car park clock are our excuse as to why we didn't complete it.

Nevertheless, here's some photos as to how far we got. (Remember, click on any photo for a better 'lightbox' view of the whole day).

June Totals

Monthly Average 9,034
Best Day 47,472 - Sat 29th June

Sat 29th was my 20 mile sponsored walk along the Kennet & Avon Canal from Newbury to Reading.  Click here for details and photos.

Newbury to Reading sponsored Walk

A sponsored walk from Newbury town centre to the end of the Kennet in Reading.

Local walks around the woods before the rain arrived

A walking Saturday, but heavy rain was predicted for the afternoon.

So about 10:30 I set off just for a local loop walk through the local woods.  Nothing particularly new, so no photos today !

Time - 1 hour 26 minutes
Steps - 10,100

... and the rain started about 10 minutes after I got home !

May Totals

All Green ! (i.e. every day over 7,000 steps)
Monthly Average 10,739
Best Day 23,281 - Sun 26th May

Sun 26th was the first full day of our Holiday in the Lizard Peninsula.  We walked along the coastal path from the Lizard Lighthouse (where we were staying) to Kynance Cove and back via the village.  Click here for details and photos.

South West Coastal Path - Lizard to Kynance Cove

On the first full day of our Holiday at the Lizard, Cornwall, we decided to walk a small section of the South West Coastal Path - from Lizard to Kynance Cove.  These few pictures don't do it justice - it was stunning !

Our Route - in Google Earth

Linear Park

At last - a walk on my walking Saturday !

This one is Ramble 21 from the book "Rambling for Pleasure around Reading - First series" - with a modified start point.

The Route

April Totals

Monthly Average 7,865
Best Day 29,143 - Monday 8th April

8th April was our first full day in Rome and we explored everywhere on foot.  Click here for details and photos.

Too busy to go anywhere

Another walking Saturday - and no walk !

Too busy doing Church stuff to have the time !-(

Rome - Day 3

Another day walking, but slightly curtailed as Val was going down with the Flu.

Rome - Day 1

A long day walking as follows ...

March Totals

Monthly Average 6,239
Best Day 9,985 - Sat 2nd March

I currently have no idea what I did on Saturday 2nd March.

Busy going nowhere

One of the plans for 2013 was to set aside a 'walking Saturday' one day a month - to be determined by Val as it would be the same as her 'Crafty Space' day.

Today is a 'walking Saturday'.  However because (a) I have a stinking cold and (b) it's snowing outside (!!!) I don't think I'll be doing much today !-(

February Totals

All Green (i.e. every day over 7,000 steps)
Monthly Average 9,636
Best Day 34,430 - Sat 2nd Feb

Saturday 2nd was on our Anniversary weekend when we went to Bournemouth and ended up walking along the sea front and then back through the town.  Click here for details and photos.

Reading

Today was a 'Walking Saturday'.  However, because (a) it was flipping cold & (b) I needed to go into town to deal with an issue with my new camera, all I did today was walk home from the center of town.

I'd always wanted to walk the length of the Oxford Road, but no pictures I'm afraid.

Steps : 12,557 - over the whole day.

Studland Bay and Old Harry Rocks

One the 2nd day of our Wedding Anniversary weekend away, we went to Studland Bay.  But after a nice bacon butty at Middle Beach café, we decided to walk to Old Harry instead !

Bournemouth

We didn't expect to walk so far, but our Wedding Anniversary trip to Bournemouth ended up with us walking over 13 miles up and down the sea front !

January Totals

All green ! (i.e. every day over 7,000 steps)
Monthly Average 9,472
Best Day 17,892 - Sat 26th Jan

Saturday 26th was my first 'official walking Saturday' when I took a very muddy route out of one of my rambling books over the M4 and back.  Click here for details and photos.

Pigeon Tower

One of my New Years resolutions was to use the Saturday I used to spend finishing the Church magazine, for some walking !

The first of my Saturday walks was Ramble 11 from "Rambling for Pleasure around Reading - First Series".  It was a nice day in the middle of a very wet winter. As you'll see, I hadn't really thought that through properly !

Today's Walk