How They Rated

Steven Booth 9/10

Steve was a bit of a slow burner, preferring to keep his head down, man the gadgets and pound out the miles.  We were all concerned about his pace but all became clear when someone tried to lift his pack and nearly wrenched their arm out their socket.  His camel water pack was a source of constant amusement (especially after he admitted he didn’t like the taste but had still lugged 5 litres around for a whole day!).  After his ill-fated attempt 3 years ago – 1 day of walking, near collapse from exhaustion and a lost toe nail – this was a sterling effort by Steve “Lofty from it ain’t alf hot mum” Booth.  If only we could understand what he says half the time J  Great Effort!

 

Shaun Harris 9/10

Another walk virgin, Shaun swiftly succumbed to a number of schoolboy errors including setting off at a gallop rather than the more advisable sensible trot and listening to foot-care advice from the Flash.  The inevitable blisters and chafing ensued and Shaun dropped from the front of the field to the back in lightening time.  Still, where others had fallen previously he kept going with a medically suspect but very amusing waddle.  Mind you where he gained points for bravery he had them docked for his constant bleating.  We all felt the pain of every step he took.  Shaun, raised a few smiles with his incessant ranting about the mighty Stoke City which caused much amusement as they missed out on a play off place!  Well done Shaun and give Daisy the talking dog a hug from us all.

Shaun Kearon 9/10

The old man of the group but was difficult to hold back.  Took up an early lead and also proved a dab hand with the map (until getting us lost in the van).  Shaun probably would have finished two days ahead of the rest of the team if it hadn’t been for his frequent diversions into the bushes to relieve himself.  This at least gave us a chance to close the gap.  The quiet man of the group but he has now become a fan of blogging, until rudely interrupted by the branch of a tree smacking him right in the chops as he texted away!  Never seen without his shorts and trusty water bottle stuck in his belt, he’s found his calling.  Tip Top effort!

 

Keith “I am Bernie Clifton” Flashman - 8/10

Keith quickly made his mark with more appalling walking advice to the new team, causing unnecessary pain and suffering.  He kept spirits up throughout the week and was crowned “best mum” at the awards ceremony.  Despite Keith’s inability to tell the difference between a sheep and a cow he coped admirably with all the Bernie and ostrich jokes, choosing to spend most of his free time at the bar ordering drinks for everyone else J  He also showed great skills on the map reading with a unique but effective “magic thumb” routine.  Keith’s walking skills and conversations with random (usually insane) passers by remained highlights of the walk.  Top Man!

Mark Cameron – 10/10

Mark scores the only perfect 10 for the walk.  This is based solely on the fact he finished given his questionable training regime.

Sporting fresh, new boots on day 1 we all feared the worst and so it proved as he went down with the first blister inside an hour.  Still he kept going and fashioned a foot support out of scholl insoles, blister plasters, fabric plaster and tape.  Odd but effective.  As the king of the one-liner Mark was able to keep spirits high throughout even though many were inadvertent.  His moaning was impressive for it’s length and brevity and usually coincided with any uphill climb.  As the master of the alternative route Mark was forever keen to “review” the prescribed route and offer alternatives that were shorter, flatter or simply involved the use of public transport.  This was thankfully kept in check by more trust worthy colleagues! 

Well done Mark for finishing this and I’m glad the mountain rescue helicopter that tracked us for the two most hilly days was not needed after all!

Nigel Tilley – 8/10

A solid performance, given the early shock of having his best gadget man role completely taken over by Steve.  A good score on event organisation (especially the green line on the map!) brought in to check by appalling map reading errors.  Having been attacked by both a bull and a vicious stallion during the walk Nigel did well to keep his cool and continue on.  The trusty pack came into its own again and although much, much lighter than Lofty’s it was capable of taking both Mark and Shaun Kearon’s pack lunches when needed ...  A good solid effort which would have been a higher score but for excessive faffage on day 1 that led to a “completely unnecessary” hour spent walking round a forest near Bangor.  The map was swiftly removed which was probably a very sensible move!

 

Val – 9/10

Val was a trooper by ferrying us all over the place during the week.  Val loses points for refusing to wash underwear (socks and shirts only please) but immediately recovered this with the revelation from her husband Paul that he’d been made to do them for us!  Over reliance on the Tom Tom meant a few driving challenges but a quality effort overall.  One of the more amusing aspects was Val’s blister.  Intent on walking the last 8 miles with us, Val swiftly succumbed with a blister which somehow made all this worthwhile J  Great effort Val!

 

Paul - 9/10

Paul accompanied Val on some of the days and joined us to watch the mighty Liverpool beat Cheating Chelski in the Champions League.  Some said he celebrated too much for an Everton fan and that donning the red shirt was a step too far.  Agreed he got carried away but it was a brilliant night, who could blame him!  Extra points for being forced to wash our socks.  Top Man Paul!

 

Special Mention – Daisy the Talking Dog

What better way to raise morale after a tough days walking than to talk to your dog on the phone in front of everyone.  Brilliant idea Shaun H!  Daisy joined us on the last day and after a hug and kiss from Dad, promptly legged it after a squirrel.  That’s gratitude for you!  Rewards for her safe return will be provided J