Flourishing through Floris

Day 21 began with some concern over Paul’s shin and knee, which he injured yesterday while stepping onto a non-existent flagstone on the Pennine Way, and also over Storm Floris; we had been warned of flying trampolines amongst other objects to look out for, not to mention trees. Despite kind offers of rescue from Francesca and David, our hosts tonight, we decided to go out “and see”. Seeing was actually not that easy - both of us had our glasses obscured by raindrops - but we did manage to do a mile, and then another, and so on. Down in the Worth valley the wind was not too strong, and although the rain persisted all morning, it was light. Up on Ilkley Moor in the afternoon the sun was shining, and we saw no trampolines, but the wind was

much stronger, I would guess up to 50 mph in gusts. Soon I was indeed baht ‘at, the said headgear having blown off my head and over a wall, but I was able to retrieve it, and we made it to Menston without further mishap other than a couple of closed footpaths.

Track of the Day is Cleo Laine singing “Stormy Weather” in honour of Storm Floris, which did not stop us today. We also clocked up 300 miles as we completed our third week - it’s quite hard, even for us, to believe that we’ve come so far.