Journal - Friday 5 June 2009

In 5 weeks time I should have completed the first day of the walk and staying somewhere in Porlock or Porlock Weir. Or, I will be sleeping on the beach. Eitherway, I will have had breakfast at least!

Everybody keeps telling me how steep the path is in some places. Someone even said the words "shin shattering". Pleasant. Very pleasant.

With regard to the 'kindness of strangers', I spoke with my first 'stranger' today who has offered me a free room in her B&B in Widemouth Bay including dinner with the family. She even said if I needed to rest there for a day I could stay two nights. That was my first offer which was not through a friend and I am very touched with her enthusiasm. I very much look forward to meeting her in July and if she gives me permission I will be publishing her B&B details too.

I have been contacting some of the big agencies and NGOs this week with some very interesting feedback. Today I spoke with DEFRA, The Environment Agency, Waterwise (Blueprint for Water) and the National Trust. I will be giving the individual feedback as we go but so far everybody seems very positive.

We are all agreed that fundamental behaviour changes have to occur if, as a society, we are going to change our 'water habits', if I can call them that. The most important thing is that we are all singing from the same hymn sheet and I now have a massive pile of documents and reports to read. Although the larger, governmental agencies cannot be seen as supporting individual movements, they all seem very keen to share their data and have the themes they are working on promoted. I just may not get a DEFRA T-shirt to wear on the walk, that's all!

More anon.