I slept well and finally woke about 7:50am. It was grey and misty but the heavy rain had stopped. I packed all my dry possessions and went down for breakfast. As I was leaving my room at 9:05am I saw two figures laden with heavy rucksacks passing by. Were these the two campers? I paid £35 including the meal, chatted briefly and left. I had not put a jacket on as I knew there was a steep climb for the first ½mile and I didn't think it was raining. It was!! I stopped under a tree by the driveway and put on full rain gear. The forecast this morning had been for rain moving north with the worst of it being between 2:00 and 8:00pm. My plan was to walk to the first hut (9miles), stop there for lunch, stay there until it brightened - if necessary overnight. In that case I could make an early start tomorrow and still get to Kirk Yetholm by the afternoon. As I climbed up through the forest I was sweating profusely under my rainwear and becoming very warm. Since It was little more than drizzle, I took off my rain jacket and was drier without it! At 10:45am I though I saw two people on a summit ahead of me, one with an orange coloured rucksack cover. They seemed to be moving quite slowly. I reckoned I was 20minutes behind them but by the time I reached the summit this was only 10minutes. I eventually caught them by the Roman Camp (unfortunately no Roman coffee shop selling cappuccinos!) It was a couple originally from Manchester who had never done a Long Distance Walk before and they were carrying tent and everything with them. This was their 18th day and they were still cheerful enough despite the weather and heavy packs. We discussed plans and I set off ahead. However, they cut the corner (cheats!) and I re-passed them by a stream where they stopped for some lunch. Shortly after this the rain became heavier and I put my rain jacket back on. I saw a wild goat and a kid and then realised there was a small herd of them but their brown colouring was perfect camouflage on moorland landscape. I reached the hut at around 1:15pm and as it was barely raining went to fetch water from the spring as described in the note on the wall of the hut. I found it with lots of grass and weed growing over it and had to clear this away to access the water but it was clear and plentiful. Back at the hut the couple appeared as I was making sandwiches. We chatted some more and they went on their way. The weather had brightened a little but there was still drizzle and threatening clouds. Sometime later 2 men appeared and had a snack. We didn't talk a lot and they quickly went on their way. By 3:30pm it was still raining - sometimes more, sometimes less. It would be at least 3½hours to the next hut so, short of a dramatic improvement in the next couple of hours, I would stay here.6:00pm came and went so it will be a night at the hut. I managed to text Gemma and David when I briefly had reception, I swept the floor as my contribution the maintenance of the hut, made soup at 4:30pm and did a Sudoku puzzle. At 7:00pm I made tea of savoury rice, pineapple rings and coffee plus of course chocolate. By 8pm the rain has almost stopped and the cloud was breaking. I could even see a hint of blue or was I just hallucinating? I cleared up for an early get away as I needed to be at Kirk Yetholm by 1:00pm if I were to be sure of a train home. Although I was stretched out comfortably and warm in my sleeping bag on the bench before 10:00pm I still found it difficult to sleep.