I think that we all have a predisposition to look in a certain direction. Mine is just west of north.
Not fjord north, walrus north or even iceberg north, but puffin north. You know, some rocky islet off the very north-western coast of Scotland.
So in the spring of 2022, I’m going to walk from here to there, starting with my size 10 feet in the Solent, and finishing with their rather blistered version in the Pentland Firth, forty or so days later.
Looking at it from 120 days or so out, it all looks laughably easy, perhaps excepting the last five days or so, where the roads and houses seem to run out rather sooner than the remaining miles. Waking up at three in the morning is when the little travel demons strike: carrying the weight of a heavy backpack, for example, or walking through torrential and cold rain on crocked and creaking knees. The biggest fear of all, of course, is failure, but then we all cope with that.
There’s stuff I’m going to see on the way. Mainly biodiversity restoration projects in a dozen different places, just to try to remind myself that, however fast we lost all that wildlife in this most denatured of all developed countries, we can gain it back even quicker if we just remove the harm.
But then there are the endless miles. About eight hundred of them when I last looked. Miles that my slightly OCD brain will contrive to count out one step at a time, 880 double paces per mile, whether I discourage it from doing it or not. And there will be the people, the pies and the pints; the beds, the birds and the burns. Tomorrow is never promised, and I want to do this whilst my mind thinks that I -theoretically- still can. My body may have a different view altogether.
There’s various reasons why I am doing this, one of which is to try my very best to raise the whole year’s running costs- £75,000- for our little charity, Curlew Action. With a mainly volunteer team that you can still number on the fingers of one hand, we are starting to make a real difference to the survival of Britain’s most iconic, and most threatened, wader, and we won’t give up until the graph is going upwards again. If I can help cover off our running costs, then our future fundraising efforts can be directed at specific projects, which would be really helpful. You can check out what we do at http://www.curlewaction.org
So, about two hundred and sixty beautifully free blogs in, this is where you come in, if you wish to. Not for your money, unless you really want to do something now, but for your support. If you can just spare a minute or two to draw a line on a map of the UK between Lymington and Cape Wrath, and, if you live anywhere near it, offer to put me up for a night (which probably also means collecting me from the end point of my day’s walk and taking me back there again in the morning to start again). Salisbury, Swindon, Stow-on-the-Wold, Solihull, Matlock, Buxton, Sheffield, Bradford, Skipton, Hawes, Brough, Haltwhistle, Hawick, Peebles, Edinburgh, Auchterarder, Aberfeldy, Newtonmore, Inverness, Oykel Bridge, Inchnadamph, Kinlochbervie. That kind of line. Or, failing that, if you have friends who might be willing to help.
Then, there is the delicate matter of corporate sponsorship. If you work in a company that might want to help, please message me, and let’s talk. If you might feel able to organise a small get-together for me to be able to tell others about the trip, maybe in late January or early February, that would be brilliant. If you think you know someone I can go and see, please ask them: they can always say ‘no’. Finally, if you are a trustee of a grant giving trust that might be interested in supporting, I can give you, or them, lots of information.
Obviously, I will pay all my own costs, so every penny of support, grant or sponsorship goes directly to one of our curlew projects.
I start on March 18th, so anything I can sort now helps.
And if you want to come on a particular section, I’ll have the programme ready in a few weeks, so that you will know roughly where I will be and when.
Between now and then, I am excited and hopeful, both for me and the curlews. And if I’ve learned anything, it’s the power of hope.
Coupled with a sublime sense of the ridiculous.
Old enough to know better 
I’ll put you up for the haltwhistle night dear cuz, and walk you towards your next stopover, and fill your rucksack with shivery bites for the next miles.
Bravo. Sounds absolutely brilliant. Dad and I watched a curlew at low tide on the Duntrune shore last week. They’re magic.
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Thank you, Kit. I knew that you would!
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Wow- Roger you still have the ability to surprise & impress us. An amazing undertaking. Well done you. At the moment, I can only think of Rev’d Bob & Jill Mitchell living in Skipton who would be happy to put you up , & probably walk with you, as they are great walkers. Their email is Bobandjillmitchell@gmail.com Also, an article for the Parish Mag. perhaps beforehand.
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Good luck Roger,
It’s a long way to go. Keep safe.
When you are ready please issue details of where to donate.
Kindest regards
Caroline and Gary
PS. What have you done for Caroline to want you out of the house for so long?.
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We can offer you a Jesuitical bed in Edinburgh.
Roger
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Thank you. Yes, please. Where in Edinburgh are you?!
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Hi Roger
That is a serious undertaking!!
We can offer a bed and respite near Bakewell on you Matlock / Buxton stage.
All the best
Chris
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Thanks, Chris. And very much yes, please! Chat in January.
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Dear Roger,
Nigel Warren passed on your post about your great initiative next year; huge respect, a well-deserved project.
We live about 14 miles West of Peebles (Muirburn, Biggar ML12 6HL) not quite on your route assuming you take the A703 to Edinburgh but would love to be of assistance where we can. Let me know what suits.
Best regards
Angus
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Begin forwarded message:
From: Nigel Warren <nigelwarren66@gmail.com>
Date: 17 November 2021 at 13:22:14 EET
To: Angus MacDonald <aasm58@gmail.com>
Subject: Fwd: [New post] Heading North
Hello Angus
I hope the Daylesford fair went well.
I wonder if Peebles is close enough to you to be able to answer Roger Morgan-Grenvilleâs plea for help during his charity walk – details below. Just a thought. Roger is a very old friend of Beeâs and is her youngest Davidâs God father. You would enjoy his company.
Hugs all round.
Nigel
Begin forwarded message:
From: Old enough to know better <comment-reply@wordpress.com>
Subject: [New post] Heading North
Date: 17 November 2021 at 00:53:56 GMT+3
To: nigelwarren66@gmail.com
Reply-To: Old enough to know better <comment+e3vb3cldil_gkoa976q2ekgj@comment.wordpress.com>
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That’s really kind, Angus. I’ve emailed you separately. All the best. Roger
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Dear Captain – will this be your longest walk away from the field of play? We are close to where you will cross the Ridgeway as you head down into Swindon and will happily give you bed n board and some juice for your journey. V best Richard
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Thank you., Richard. That’s great offer, and one that I gladly accept. Will let you know the date nearer the time. Can you just email me your email address (rmg@dexam.co.uk). Thanks again. Roger
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