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My rescuers; Richards Buses disappearing with my wallet; Geoff and Marlene who found it; Lily and Sam who replenished my water supply; things go wrong when Bobl’s in a hurry and Nanny had been loaned to Rosie and Lauren. Not forgetting Linda and Tony At Trenewydd Holiday Farm my B and B for the night

Below- Cliff edge scenery from Newport Sands to Cwm  Trewyddel. Today’s walk was pretty strenuous with plenty of ascents and descents in the heat of the day; I was glad of the company of Geoff and Marlene. With all the chaos I still managed twelve miles bringing the total to 4,413 miles in 351 walking days.

 

 

 

Dear Rosie, Lauren, Stan, Jake, Rowan and Maisie,

Nanny took a risk and allowed me to play on the Wales Coast Path resuming at Newport Sands on my own whilst she looked after Rosie and Lauren.

With my independence, my plan was to arise st 5am and leave home with Nobby, driving to Moylgrove/Trewyddel and intercept the 9-24am Poppit Rocket Coast hopper bus alighting at Newport Sands and walk the coastal path back to Poppit Sands increasing my southern crimson worm tally by miles. Simple. What could go wrong? All in the right direction too!

It all started to unravel when I stopped for breakfast  refreshments along the way and miscalculated the time to get to  the bus at Moylgrove/Trewyddel. In the end, was relying on the car clock being 5 mins fast. I coasted into the M/T car park where the only two people around formed a small queue at a bus stop. An exchange of yells established it was the right place for the coastal bus, as I hurriedly  tried to get my gear together.

Suddenly the bus arrived

I mostly succeeded transferring my gear, except for my water bottle, my sticks, my hat, sunscreen and also left the luxury of tying my boots till on board the bus.

The gentleman boarding the bus, Geoff, watched as I made to join him and observed that I might want to close the passenger door on my car.

The bus driver generously waited till I’d got the door closed and locked and I landed in a heap on his platform with the belongings I’d had time to bring with me.

I managed to tie my boots as I chatted to new neighbours  Geoff and Marlene. It appeared they were journeying similarly to me except staying on the bus one stop longer. Shame cos they were familiar company in many ways to me and would have made good travelling companions but more importantly I could leave all the navigating to someone else.

Anyway we parted hurriedly as the driver informed me we had arrived at my stop. I was still blissfully unaware of the goods I was lacking and even more unaware that I was about to leave my wallet on the bus! About a mile into my walk I suddenly realised I was bereft of a wallet. I walked on having about 15 quids loose change on which I could survive and knowing Nobby had a full tank. But my resolve waivered, with no wallet my identity was out there at the mercy of who knows what!

So I retraced my steps searching all the way back to the bus stop .Nothing.

Except the familiar faces of Geoff and Marlene. I didn’t have to tell them my woes / the missing wallet and all the other missing equipment. They had worked out I was unfit to be out on my own and had found the wallet on the bus and decided to give chase hoping to catch me up to tell me. Which, because I’d turned back,they had soon overhauled me. They told me the wallet was in the safe custody of the bus driver.

i tried contacting the bus company Richards but to no avail. No signal.

We agreed the best course of action was to let the wallet journey round the countryside and rendezvous at the end of the day at the end of the line.

i was no longer at the end of my tether.

Thereafter we formed an orderly queue and proceeded on our journey round the coast together. Very pleasant company.

We formed a plan to contact the bus company after refreshments at the end and maybe intercept the bus somewhere along the route.

Meanwhile I took time out to visit the RNLI Lifeguards at Poppit Sands to replenish my water supply. Nothing was too much trouble for duty lifeguards Sam and Lily and I was soon supplied with enough water and sterilised bottle to complete my journey. I remain very impressed by the whole service offered by the RNLI. Did you know they make All their own lifeboats in Poole?

It took a while to catch up with Geoff and Marlene ( or as I renamed them serendipity personified) on account of some seriously steep ascents. Especially the last! But at the end Geoff insisted on feed and watering me, topped off with a gin and raspberry ice cream cone!

The garden centre cafe allowed me to use their phone to arrange s rendezvous with the bus carrying my wallet, I was not equal to their telephonic system and fortunately the waitress remained available to help place the call and give me essential information like where was I?

SP Geoff and Marlene  hadn’t finished as I was escorted through the cunning crafty back lanes to await the bus; I even had time to purchase souvenirs from the RNLI Shop.

i took Geoff’s advice to  not drive home but to stay around Cardigan and refresh for less hectic walking tomorrow

 

Trenewydd – I am thus writing the blog from the comfort of b and b near St  Dogmaels.  I am comfortably positioned ready to spring into action on the WCP on Tuesday and return home after much too much excitement

It was spooky that the only Bolton connections I had were also known to Geoff and Marlene…. namely the Chadwicks and the Lofthouses

 

 

Back to today’s Walk

 

Witches cauldron

 

 

Shady memories below of a steep, long and painful climb to the garden centre cafe where Geoff and Marlene resuscitated  me tea cakes latte and gin flavoured ice cream

 

RNLI Station at Poppit Sands

– more souvenirs particularly as they rescued me from potential dehydration

 

That’s all folks – I’m double visioning – or hallucinating?