Day 61 - Sunday 28 July 2002 - Selsey Bill to Bosham Hoe

11.5 miles walked today

721 miles walked in total (11.819 average)

After a mini lay in this morning, I was walking at seven fifteen.   It's much hotter than yesterday and not cloudy at all.

Within half an hour of starting, I'd found Selsey windmill which has been turned into the centrepiece of a caravan park.  After heading inland slightly to find a footpath, I crossed my first stile to be greeted by an angry looking horse, snorting and kicking his back leg.  At this point, his front end was facing the path and he definitely was not going to let me pass.  After a few minutes of cajoling and sweet talking, he turned round so I'd have to walk past his back legs.  Not being very keen on this plan, I waited a couple of minutes before walking a few paces forward, at which point he moved off and let me pass.

The path crossed grazing land out to a road which led into a huge caravan site owned by Warners.  The roads even had names and the caravans had numbered postboxes.  Because I'd lost the path now, I walked for what seemed like miles, to get through the site and out to the beach, which I walked along. It wasn't too bad to walk on as the shingle was very well compacted.

I could see the nab tower, cross channel ferries, Freshwater Bay chalk cliffs on the Isle of Wight, Bracklesham Bay and Portsmouth in the distance.  Fantastic views on a fantastic day.

Andy rang from Turkey as I was walking into Bracklesham - apparently it was "red hot" out there and he'd had to buy factor 30 suncream.

I'm less than impressed with the tea making facilities on this stretch of coast.  I'd passed three lots of tea rooms which were closed before I got to East Wittering.  We used to come here on holiday when we were kids and we camped at Scott's Farm campsite which is still there.

I've had lots of sit downs today as it's been very hot and I've been desperate to find pockets of shade.   It was a relief to get onto grass footpaths after the difficult shingle walking around East Wittering, but the grass soon stopped and I was on soft sand, again quite difficult to walk on.

I took a chance at West Wittering to go and investigate a huge car park which was heaving.  Success at last - a tea shop!  I knew there would have to be one here because of the amount of people at the beach.  Good tea too (unlike the gnat's piss at the Pagham Harbour Visitor Centre yesterday!)

From West Wittering, I followed a great footpath all the way to Itchenor, and stopped to chat to lots of people en route.  I got caught up in an affray at one stage - an elderly gentleman (very elderly!) was trying to control his young dog, but five youths (who it would seem had been camping illegally and lighting fires under some trees on the path) were calling the dog who kept pulling the old boy over.  A middle aged couple on bikes were trying to reason with the lads and, because they were blocking the path, I got caught up too.   Because I hadn't seen anything and couldn't contribute anything constructive to the discussions, I sussed out a way to get past them - only to be approached by a young woman coming the other way who obviously knew the old chap and wanted to know if he was distressed in any way.  The other couple had caught me up by now so I left them all to it.

The path was quite shaded which was a bit of a relief - it's been so hot today.   It wasn't long before I got to Itchenor and took my first ferry!  I know I started off vowing not to take ferries but Andy and I calculated that I'll be sixty-three by the time I finish my walk if I carry on at this rate.  And, quite frankly, I don't think Andy will put up with it!  I rather think he's got travelling and fishing planned for me.   So I went over to Bosham Hoe, didn't bother getting off the boat and went straight back over to Itchenor.  That way, I can start at Bosham next time around.  And, apparently, that's not the weirdest request the ferryman's ever had!

Day 60 - Saturday 27 July 2002 - Middleton on Sea to Selsey Bill

14 miles walked today

709.5 miles walked in total (11.825 average)

Seven o'clock this morning found me walking along the beach at Middleton.  It was, not surprisingly, very peaceful and I'd planned to start walking at this time, if not earlier, because the weather forecast was for a scorcher.   Within only fifteen minutes, I got my first view of Bognor Regis which appears to have built its own version of the Millennium Dome.   Butlins of course!  I spied a chap behind the barrier fencing gazing wistfully out to sea - almost as if he wanted to escape!

Walking around the coast of Britain seems to be in danger of becoming a national sport.  I read in my walking magazine this week that someone else has done it (with her dog) and written a book about it, and I met a couple this morning who are doing it, anticlockwise.  They've walked from Minehead to Bridport so far, but are going to cut up through the New Forest and then down along the coast to Dover.  I'd better get a move on before everyone else beats me to it.

The houses have been either very grand or very cottagey today.  I much prefer the smaller properties with the wild flower meadows than the more imposing ones with the very formal, minimalist gardens.

Pagham had five very good looking pubs, which was a bit unfortunate as it was only nine o'clock!

I carried on, on footpaths around Pagham Harbour Nature Reserve until the sea wall finished due to emergency repairs to the sea defences.  This meant a detour - still on footpaths - but through fields to Sidlesham where yet another pub didn't open for ninety minutes.

I sat down on a bench overlooking the harbour for a while and, as I got up to go on, an elderly couple hove into view.  They'd overtaken me at Pagham while I'd been looking around the churchyard at St Thomas a Becket's, then I'd overtaken them on the path and they'd finally caught up with me again.  They lived in Bognor, but frequently came out to this spot to look at the birds.   I've seen loads of twitchers about today and wish I'd had one with me to identify all the different varieties I'd seen!

After a cup of tea and yet another sit down at the Visitor Centre, I was back on sea wall round to Church Norton.  Unfortunately, the path ran out just a short distance from the church and I got very muddy feet as I waded through the mudflats to reach dry land.  

There was a lot of activity in the graveyard which is huge considering the church is only tiny.  Three old dears, armed with rake, wheelbarrow and thermos flask, were buzzing around trying to organise each other.  St Wilfrid, whose church it is, was a seventh century missionary who ministered to residents of Seal Island - now Selsey - when it really was an island.  It still feels a bit cut off today, with only one road in and out. 

I was struggling a bit now with heat and hunger pains, having forgotten to pack any munchies, so I stuck to the road rather than heading along the beach.

I decided to stop at Selsey Bill and gave up for the day.  I had lunch and called a taxi to get me back to my car.  My driver was very entertaining and told me lots of stories about the local area.  I saw a sign for a fete at Sidlesham to be opened at 2.00 pm today by Sir Patrick Moore.  I was informed that he lived at Selsey - I think I already knew that, but had forgotten.   Apparently he does a lot for the local community.  I was told where he lived so I'm going to have a gawp tomorrow.

I told the driver that I was going to call in and have a look around Bognor Regis on the way back to Portsmouth but was advised against it "if you value your health" - it's Carnival Day!

Day 59 - Saturday 13 July 2002 - West Worthing to Middleton on Sea

11 miles walked today

695.5 miles walked in total (11.78 average)

I started walking at eight thirty this morning in bright sunshine.   I wasn't even sure that I would be walking today until I woke up, as the weather forecast wasn't great.  This, according to the Met Office, has been the wettest July for forty years.  But I awoke to glorious sunshine so my contingency plan of the laundrette, Tescos and a garden centre or two wasn't needed!

There were lots of people about today dog walking and riding horses along the beach.  West Worthing to Ferring is very peaceful with lots of big, well spaced houses and a lot of greensward between beach and road.  There are strategically placed cafes along the beach and I stopped at the Bluebird at nine thirty for tea and toast.  It was so hot by this time that I even elected to sit inside as I knew I'd be spending a lot of time in the sun today.

Kingston Gorse wins the prize for the biggest houses I've ever seen!   You could fit at least ten homeless families in each one!   However, one house currently being built was the ugliest looking residence I've ever clapped eyes on.  It was almost as if the owners had so much money that they were going to build the most imposing castle they could and had forgotten to incorporate the "tastefulness" element - yuk.

An old boy on a motorised wheelchair stopped me and another lady to ask if we'd sign his petition.  Arun District Council intend to build a fence with gated, stepped access to stop cyclists, but which would also stop wheelchair access.  The old boy asked for our views and, to be honest, I hadn't seen one cyclist at all so far.   And, in fact, the South Coast Cycle Route runs parallel with the greensward and is very well signposted along the road.  I couldn't see the point in putting the fence up so I signed.  The other lady (who was Dutch so knew a fair bit about cycling!) said our cycle network was one of the best she'd seen.  So she signed too!

Angmering didn't compete with Kingston Gorse on the size of the houses, but it won on "Englishness" - lots of cottages with roses and honeysuckle up the doors - lovely!  I stopped to sniff the odd rose en route of course

As I walked into Rustington, I was stopped by two policemen which was a bit scary.   They informed me that they'd been watching my progress and that I was getting noticeably slower and that I should get a move on!  Cheeky sods!  They were right though - it was very hot and I was afflicted by flies - in my eyes, my mouth, up my nose and in my hair - how I love the summer!

At Littlehampton, at Rope Walk, I walked past the chalet park where Sheila, Alan, Auntie Joyce and I had stayed during June 1988.    We were going to take Nan Rowland on holiday with us, but, sadly, she died in the March and the holiday was already booked - so Auntie Joyce stepped in.  I think that was the year I learnt to put up my first deckchair!

A footpath through the golf course caused more fly trouble.  Because golfers and walkers are sworn enemies, the golfers didn't want to see anybody on their course who wasn't wielding a long metal stick, so they'd created a very narrow path which was surrounded on both sides by hedges and trees.  That way, the walkers could go through undetected by players.  However, because the path was so narrow and no sun could get through the hedging, it was very muddy and full of flies  But just to make sure they knew I was there, I sang hymns very loudly.  Hee, hee, hee!

Past the golf course, the footpath then headed out to the beach and I was on shingle for the last stretch to Middleton on Sea.  I'd planned originally to stop at Littlehampton, but when I got there at eleven o'clock, I realised I needed a further plan.   I'd decided on Bognor as I could get the train back to Worthing to collect my car.  However, by one o'clock it was just too hot and I was desperate to find some shade.  But I was still pleased with the progress made and eleven miles isn't bad by lunchtime!