Post scriptum

Nearly a week has gone by. Time to reflect on this year's walk. The official length of the Ridgeway trail is 87 miles, but including the distance to and from our nightly stops, Mel did 92 miles in the end and I managed 80 which I'm very pleased about, considering the nature of the terrain. But if I'd had a choice I would have taken more time. The pressure to complete each day's walk was extreme and left little time to really appreciate the lovely landscapes we were passing through. 
Having said that, it would have been much harder without all the support we received. The back-up team - Ed, who very efficiently moved our luggage, and sometimes us, from place to place; Joan who collected us on day 1 and delivered us to the start of the Ridgeway path; Diana and Alan who transported us to our B&B on day 2; the landlords at the White Horse and the Cherry Tree who transported us back to the Ridgeway to start the day; Julie and Paul who met us, fed us, encouraged us up the final slog and transported us to our hotel; and all the family and friends who sent cheery messages along the way. I never thought I would say this, but it would all have been harder and a lot lonelier without  email  and internet!
And, of course Mel, who gave me the courage to give it a try (though we both knew it was way outside my comfort zone), waited patiently while I dragged myself up the steeper bits, stood  guard while I scuttled behind bushes at regular intervals, stuck  Compede plasters on my toes and picked leaves out of my underwear!
And finally my inspiration - Arts Together and all its people - members, staff, volunteers and artists whose vitality, sense of fun and zest for life never cease to inspire me! I do hope we've raised a little money for this incredible charity and done something to help raise its profile along the way.