Day
12 - Saturday 24th July
Glaisdale to Robin Hood's Bay
19miles: 8h 45mins
Up at 6:45am, washed and went to breakfast. Paid £18 by cheque
- very trusting. Dave was a DIYer who had suffered a stroke a few months
previously. Some of his DIY skills (tiles in the bathroom all sloping with
the basin and shelf at a matching angle!) would be enough to give me a stroke!
Set off at 8:15am. My leg was already hurting from the swelling despite it
being fairly easy going. We reached Grosmont just in time to see a train
and stopped at a shop to buy an ice cream. By 11am were on Sleights Moor
and my lower leg had become unbearably painful. I resorted to taking 2 Ibuprofen
and 2 paracetamol tablets. 50 minutes later I felt nothing. What a relief!
Part way up Little Beck we saw a couple Stella and Steve recognised, from
Kirkby Stephen, sitting having lunch. We chatted briefly and left just as
two young lads (Steve and Stella had aslo met previously) arrived. We moved
on and stopped at about 1:00pm at the top of Falling Foss for lunch. The
people we had met all passed us here and we never saw them again. More bright
green caterpillars today. The weather was similar to yesterday - overcast
and windy and quite cold on the moors. After ½ hour we continued and
as we reached the B1416 saw the three Americans approaching from along the
road. Steve noted their spotless white trainers - they hadn't been through
the woods or across the moors today! We spoke briefly and they then continued
down a country lane as we set out across the muddy moorland. We saw them
no more. Our pace if anything was quickening with the expectation of the
end being so near. Eventually we were on the cliffs and marching towards
Robin Hood's Bay. Then suddenly we had our first sighting and before we knew
were walking down the hill amongst all the holidaymakers. We strode out across
the beach to the nearest bit of sea, which we reached at precisely 5:00pm,
and, no doubt to the puzzlement of any onlookers, paddled in our boots, took
photos of arms in the air, congratulated each other and whooped with joy!
I had wisely carried two stones all the way from St Bees and willingly threw
one in the sea. Stella and Steve had a stone each so after a short deliberation
decided to throw one in the sea and keep the other as a memento. Then to
the Bay Hotel where we expected to find other Coast to Coasters. But no,
only two people who had completed it the year previously. A slight anticlimax
to say the least. We sign the finisher's book a the bar and it appears we
are the only ones so far to finish that day. A last drink with Stella and
Steve and with mixed feelings at 5:30pm I set off back up the hill to locate
the campsite and my tent. The wind was blowing in enormous gusts. I made
it to the site and then the bus stop opposite with 5 minutes to spare. A
circuitous route via Whitby and Leeds brought me three hours later to Retford
station where Gemma met me and transported me the last few miles to a welcoming
home.
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