Napoleonic & ECW wargaming, with a load of old Hooptedoodle on this & that


Monday 17 September 2012

Hooptedoodle #65 - Hadrian's Wall - Intro




On Wednesday I'm heading off to meet up with a couple of well-seasoned hikers, and we shall do the Hadrian's Wall Walk - the whole thing - West-to-East (i.e. in the "wrong" direction). Our starting point is Bowness-on-Solway, and we'll set off on Thursday morning. We have 6 days' walking, with overnight stops in the vicinity of Carlisle, Walton, Steel Rigg, Chollerford, Heddon-on-the-Wall and Wallsend. On paper it looks reasonable - but there again, on paper you don't have flies, mud and old legs to contend with!

The Wall ends at Wallsend (the Romans probably felt that the name made it an obvious place to stop), and then we'll head into Newcastle to get our various transports home. I am comparatively local, being based in South East Scotland, but my colleagues will be coming up from London and Dorset respectively. I have explained to them that they will not find ATM's or Starbuck's or branches of Waitrose on the Wall, and I think they understand.

The pictures here are not mine - just stuff I liked and borrowed to get myself in the mood. These are all views of the more remote part, between Greenhead and Chollerford. I intend to record some thoughts and some pictures on the way - how closely this will correspond to live reporting will depend on a few things - weather, fatigue, wi-fi availability in the overnight stops and (possibly) beer. However it works out, you should hear more of this trip. If my netbook or my brain should malfunction, I may write up the whole thing when I get back.

Or perhaps we might just spend the whole week in the Twice-Brewed Inn, and I'll make up some kind of a cover story.


11 comments:

  1. Sorry, did I misunderstand or are you suggesting that you will not after all be tweeting continuously throughout the entire walk with live pod casts via satelite from your Ipad at each mile castle? Hrmph. Well enjoy Your walk.

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    1. Apologies for letting the side down on the technology front. One of my colleagues has been telling me that he has a compass app on his iPhone, but he's a bit worried because there will be sections of the Wall with no mobile phone reception. Fortunately, I have a little round device with a pivoted magnetic needle - a sort of pointer thingy - which seems to point north even in the absence of a phone service, so I'll take that along as a back-up.

      It is quite possible that our overnight-bag couriers will reduce my netbook to shards on the first hop (which would serve me right for taking the stupid thing), so there may be no technology at all.

      Them as dies will be the lucky ones.

      Cheers - Tony

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    2. Why don't you tweet old school...using carrier pigeons! :-D
      Have an enjoyable trek.

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    3. It's a good idea. I think the eagles and buzzards would just eat them like popcorn!

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  2. Wow, that's an impressive hike you have scheduled, Tony. Think I'd rather get it done on a mountain bike myself, but I salute your spirit of enterprise.

    Regards,
    Steve

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    1. Hi Steve - interesting idea. Some of the track is badly worn now, so I'm not sure bikes are welcome in places. Doing the Wall in a day on bikes and then spending the rest of the week in the Twice Brewed could be a good plan for next year!

      Cheers - Tony

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  3. I've always wanted to see the wall, one day, fingers crossed!

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    1. Hi Ray - plan a Rejects Do the Wall expedition - you could design the tee shirts now!

      REPROBI MURUM FACIUNT or something?

      We thought about raising some sponsorship money for charities, but of course we left it too late to get it organised. Also, it might add to the stress level if we were accountable for other people's money as well as remembering everything else (boots, woolly muffler, water bottle, teeth, trousers). Also, when I come to think about it, we may have ducked it because it would have forced us to admit that we don't have enough friends left to raise any donations! You guys could raise millions...

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  4. I'd love to walk the wall one day.... but the pub wins hands down... :o)

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  5. Always wanted to do similar......visiting as many pubs along the way etc but then marriage and 4 children came along and one thing leads to another as they say.........one day.

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  6. Ah the old 'Twice Brewed', years ago I spent many a happy evening in there ! The Roman Army Museum used to do wonderful home made cakes

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