Blog 2024

Blog updates are only on an "ad hoc" basis when I have something to say and will not be particularly regular. Latest entries first.

30 December 2024

All my walks contain directions to the parking site, also marked by the icon at the top of each walk page. I have often indicated that the car park is free. However, with local authorities being strapped for cash and certainly Yorkshire Water in particular charging in places where they never had previously, some of this information may now be out of date. As I look through my walks deciding which to give a boost on social media or if I become aware by any other means, I will remove such mentions. If you turn up at parking expecting it to be free because I have said so but it is not, apologies. If you could please let me know, I will correct the text.

Sometimes, users of my site have a problem downloading the .gpx files, especially to mobile phones. A possible means of resolving is mentioned on the My Walks page. The reason may well be that many of my .gpx files were created on older software. I am in the process of changing over to files downloaded from the Ordnance Survey website which I now use to plan my walks. Hopefully this is a more modern format. It will however take a while to complete this exercise. As I write, the Lake District walks are complete.

19 November 2024

If you have been a regular visitor to my site, you may have followed my heart by-pass story on 'My Cabbage and !' (see above). I am now sharing my latest medical adventure, which is also a cautionary tale. See 'My Prostate and I'.

X (formerly Twitter) has been a useful way to keep people informed as I add walks to the site. However it is becoming increasingly toxic

19 October 2024

Can't believe it has been 5 months since I added anything on this page. Anyway, I thought I would say thank you to those who have emailed to point out where things on my walks have changed. Stiles have become gates, bridges closed/demolished paths altered etc. Obviously I cannot race off to examine changes on routes, especially those a considerable distance away. By helping to keep walks updated, users benefit fellow walkers by avoiding confusion so please keep up the notifications. Equally useful would be if anyone hears for example that a bridge reported as closed, reopens.

I have bridge issues on the following walks:

Egglestone Abbey to Whorlton in County Durham
Appersett to Mossdale and Cotterdale in the Yorkshire Dales

Winter approaches so it is particular time to think about your gear and make sure that you go properly equipped. There seem to have been a lot of Mountain Rescue Team (MRT) call outs and a regular cause of problems is where people have been relying on a navigation app on their mobile phones and they run out of power. This use drains a lot of power quite quickly. Batteries are less efficient in cold weather which adds to the problem. MRT members have lives too and we should all do what we can to ensure our own safety and avoid burdening them unnecessarily. A good chance of keeping safe is to carry a proper OS map and compass as a back up. OS maps are not expensive. If you can afford a smart phone, you can afford an OS map! For example, as I write, OL4 The English Lakes North Western area is only £8.99 from Amazon. This seems a pretty standard price for them and less than from Ordnance Survey themselves. I list links to them all at Ordnance Survey Maps 1:25000

28 May 2024

I have been using the OS Maps app. for some time now, both for planning my walks and downloading them afterwards. I find the app. very useful, although it is quite power hungry on a mobile phone and if used continuously in the manner of sat. nav. in a car, power would quickly be exhausted. Therefore I would strongly urge everyone to carry an paper OS map and restrict using the app. to particularly difficult navigation sections of a walk.

One of the problems with the app. is that you cannot search for walks by name or my walks in particular. You can search for locations or use the map but finding exactly the walk you want is not so easy. When you log in and go to "Find Routes" it defaults to "Recommended" routes. Seemingly these are those added by Ordnance Survey's outdoor route partners (whoever they are) and no doubt there are all sorts of criteria to become one. However if you go into "All Routes" the number is overwhelming and even zooming in to locations can still reveal multiple options. You might struggle to find mine although I have prefaced the title of each walk with "Happy Hiker".

For anyone who wants to use this app. to download my routes, I have started to introduce links to my walks. You will need to log in to the OS app. New walks I add will have the link straight away but including previous walks will take some (a long!) time as it is a laborious process.

Bear in mind some of my walks will have been planned on different software/equipment and I have downloaded .gpx files to the OS site. There may therefore be some minor variations in the precision of the walk. For example, a route might be at the side of a road rather than precisely on it, or seem to be on the wrong side of a wall. But common sense should resolve.

31 March 2024

Unbelievably, having been criticised for record dumping of sewage in the sea and the resulting protests, South West Water have claimed that no one has a right to swim in the sea. Such arrogance defies belief.

10 January 2024

Having watched the Mr Bates v the Post Office, in effect a dramatised documentary, like over 1.2 million other people who signed a petition to strip the CEO of her CBE, I feel a probably hugely disproportionate sense of outrage, considering I was not personally affected.

Paula Vennells (CEO) is a completely disgusting character who tried to cover up the failings of the Horizon computer system and denied natural justice to hundreds of individuals, resulting in extortion from them of money not due, unlawful prosecutions and imprisonments, suicide and bankruptcy. For what, to protect the reputation of the Post Office or to protect her bonuses and CBE?

He sidekick Angela van den Bogerd was also involved and appears to have clearly tried to mislead a judge according to him. Contempt of Court? Furthermore in respect of one sub-postmaster who committed suicide, she personally went to The Wirral to coerce his widow to sign a non-disclosure agreement in return for a £120,000 pay off.

Behind all this, Fujitsu who developed the Horizon system, knew their system was faulty but kept quiet and denied everything.

The drama has brought the whole issue to the fore and there are going to be repercussions which will reverberate for some time.

Vennels, van den Bogerd and other board members need to have inappropriate bonuses clawed back. Restitution needs to be had from Fujitsu and most importantly the prevarications to wiping out all the unjust convictions and payment of full restitution and damages to the sub-postmasters/mistresses need to be ended.

2 January 2024

Happy New Year to everyone for starters.

2023 ended with a disappointing spell of atrocious weather which I have to confess quite literally dampened my enthusiasm for walking. It was not just the thought of going out in the rain but ploughing through the quagmire that seems to be everywhere. As I write, there is promise of better weather towards the end of the week but I will believe it when I see it.

The New Year came in with no change, though the weather did not prevent visiting friends for what is now our traditional get together with a quiz (which I lost) and a game. I think I actually drank only a modesty amount of alcohol this year for no particular reason.

I had one or two emails in 2023 from people to tell me that something had changed on the routes I had described. This is very useful because it enables me to update the directions for the benefit of the next person to do the walk. Things do change - fingerposts rot off (though usually get replaced eventually), stiles become gates, I even had an instance where a whole stone barn used as a reference disappeared! Obviously, I cannot be repeatedly re-walking my routes, there are too many, too dispersed. Depending on what the change is, I generally include a note in [square brackets] or possibly italics, or just amend the text depending on circumstances. Please carry on providing this information so that everyone can have confidence in the directions. I am not aware of any other walking media that offers this service.

Since getting a new iPhone in 2023, I have started using the OS App. It is very accurate and gives to access to 1:25000 maps for a modest annual charge. You can download my gpx files. All my walks are also now on the OS Website, though to find them you need to go to "All Routes" and zoom in closely to the starting point. I have started the title of all my walks with "Happy Hiker walk - (name of walk)" to make them easier to identify as there are so many.

Having praised the OS App, I would still not rely on it fro the entirety of a walk for fear of running out of power. I use it for an occasional check as necessary.

For details about the OS App, see https://shop.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/apps/os-maps-subscriptions/

All information on this site is given in good faith and no liability is accepted in respect of any damage, loss or injury which might result from acting on it.