Having slept reasonably well I awoke to find that the lovely lady, who had allowed me to camp in her garden last night, had been replaced by an even lovelier daughter. She very kindly gave me a four pint bottle of milk and said I could use as much as I wanted. At my request she also topped up my supply of washing up liquid. I drank plenty of milk and had a large bowl of Musli before preparing to leave. I paid £4.50 for my stay and then set about packing my tent away.
As I was striking camp a couple of young boys (probably between 8 and 10 years old) were cycling around in the yard outside and they stopped and spoke to me with the most amazingly pristine English accent:
"Why did you sleep in the garden?"
"You're the first one we've known sleep in the garden"
"You packed that away quickly"
"How much does it cost to sleep in the garden?"
Their chatter kept me occupied until I was ready to depart when I said a cheerful goodbye and began today's 21 mile hike to Ingleby Cross, departing at around midday.
The walking was generally flat and uninspiring although there was a lovely bit along the river which started at Brompton-on-Swale. In another desperate bodily moment I diverted to Laylands Farm to make use of their toilet. All the way I chose the option of having soft footpaths underfoot rather than attempting to make this day a road trek. Although sometimes this required careful navigation it made the walking far more pleasant on the whole.
Crossing the A1 was strangely satisfying as I had driven past this exact spot many a time before. In Danby Wiske a pub sign cheerfully stated "60 Miles To Go!". It still seemed like a long way to me!
After crossing the railway just beyond Wray House I stumbled across some other walkers doing the route. We chatted for a bit and when I said that my name was David they said "Ah, you must be the guy Karen and Brian were talking about, the late starter!". They asked why I chose to begin later in the day. "Well," I replied, "basically I am incredibly crap at getting up in the morning.". They laughed and admired my honesty. One of the gentlemen said that by this stage the walk had simply become an "endurance test" for him. He was staying in a B&B every night and carrying a light day pack. No wonder I was starting to feel the strain!
I later also stumbled across a couple from Nottingham doing the walk in traditional "him up front, her fifty paces behind" style. I exchanged pleasantries, firstly with the lady and then (after catching up with him) with the man as well.
When I reached the A19 I nipped into a service station to stock up on food before making what felt like a very un-safe crossing of the road. With four lanes of cars hurtling by at speeds of 80mph or more it really was a case of wait for a space and run for it!
I saw signs for the "Best Campsite Yet!" and followed them through Ingleby Cross to Park House where I was able to camp for two pounds. I was also able to buy some fruit salad for desert later. By 20:30 I was inside my tent and planning the next days goal. I had intended to make it an easy day, twelve miles to Clay Bank Top. However, looking at the map I realised there was nowhere to stay there! I asked a couple, who were also backpacking and camped next to me, what they were intending to do. They told me that their plan was to continue for a further ten miles to the Lion Inn camp site. Unappealing as it was to turn my easy day into a twenty two mile walk, I decided this was the best option for me also. I ended day eight with two tins of ravioli, fruit salad for desert and sleep.