Walk Fat Boy Walk

One of my very good friends has Chronic Myeloid Leukemia. After his diagnosis he was helped by, and was very impressed by the charity Bloodwise. On Saturday I walked from Exeter to Dawlish to raise money for them. While he sponsored me, one of my colleagues said that it didn't sound like much of a challenge, and that I should at least do it barefoot, or with a hat made out of a pineapple, or something. It was a long walk, and I now have blistered feet and a bloody bruise under a toenail. My sponsor will be pleased to know that I did have to do battle with two of nature's most fearsome foes: The sea, and a wittering old lady.

The last section of the walk was along the seawall at Dawlish. It was blowing about force 6 onshore and the waves were breaking over the wall. I didn't get swept to my death, but I finished the walk drenched head to foot with seawater.

Most of the people on the walk were lovely but going too slowly for me. (They were generally walking with some combination of children, dogs, and bloodbourne cancers). I ended up at the front and absolutely unable to avoid talking to a boring old woman. She went on and on about herself, how the walk should have been advertised, standards in journalism, standards in teaching and the decline of Exeter. I found her so irritating that whatever subject she started banging on about I would take the most opposite and offensive viewpoint that I could. Sadly she was absolutely un-wind-up-able and despite an hour's concerted effort I failed to provoke an argument.

Thank you very much to everybody who sponsored me. It really is a worthy cause.

Richard "nobody said I had to be polite or magnanimous" B