Day 40 – Sunday 27 May 2001 - Minster, Isle of Sheppey to Swale

12 miles walked today

494.5 miles walked in total (average 12.36)

I left Portsmouth this morning at quarter to seven and started walking two hours later.  I knew today would be hard – I’ve just come back from a nine day camping trip in France where I’ve done nothing except eat, drink and sleep.  I did manage to walk one day – a paltry five miles – what a disgrace!

It’s been all road walking again with the odd track, but the footpaths are all still closed on the island.  And it’s been very hot – I’ve a most attractive, stripey effect sunburn.  (I won’t be able to wear that strappy dress now for the wedding I’m going to next week – bugger!)

At Eastchurch, I stopped to look at the memorial to flight.  “This memorial commemorates the first home of British Aviation 1909.  Near this spot, at Leysdown, Eastchurch, flights and experiments were made by members of the Aero Club (later Royal) of Great Britain.  Also the establishment of the first aircraft factory in Great Britain by the Short Brothers 1909 and the formation of the first Royal Naval Air Service Station 1911.”

The Isle of Sheppey is a caravanner’s paradise – I gave up counting after a dozen parks.  The most ridiculously named were Palm Tree Holiday Park and Coconut Grove.  Today’s been a day of summer sights, smells and sounds:  seagulls; peacocks; cuckoos; doves; wood pigeons; roses; cow parsley; rape; bonfires; newly mown lawns; children playing on the beach and bacon sizzling!

The beach at Leysdown consists entirely of crushed shells – no sand, or shingle – which gave a satisfactory crunching noise underfoot as I walked along.  I liked Leysdown a lot – it was a proper holiday place – lots of amusement arcades, bingo, fish and chips, etc.  I’m not a great fan of these kinds of entertainments, but I enjoyed seeing it.  Perhaps because it’s been so long since I’ve been at the proper seaside – Southend was a year ago, after all.  Despite being a tiny place, Leysdown was heaving – car boots and markets being the order of the day!

Swale is back on the Kent mainland so I decided to call it a day, although not even two o’clock.  Still, twelve miles in less than five hours isn’t bad, considering the amount of time I’ve spent sitting down!