From Humble Beginnings ...

As many of you are aware in just under a months time I will be embarking on my charity walk from Dover to Lands End. For those of you that do not know this... Surprise!

This is quite a distance. For those of you that do not know just how long a distance it is, I got the boys in the lab to make this for your benefit.

Dover is here:

and Lands End is here:

And they are this far apart:

The chevrons mark the direction I will be travelling.

The rays of beautiful sunshine represent both the start and end (Lands End get it?) of my journey. I realised that this was confusing, that is why I added the chevrons.

Literally coast to coast! A man coastal walk as well, none of this Cumbria to Yorkshire rubbish!

I took this challenge on partly as a means pass the time over the summer and partly to avoid getting a proper job... So far it has achieved both these goals with ease.
Unfortunately there are hidden costs to this otherwise flawless plan:

Firstly, I actually have to plan this walk. This has proved fairly easy, given that I intend to take no more than a sleeping bag, a small tent and not enough underwear with me.

Secondly, I actually have to do this walk. I have planned a rough route (or 'rout', if you're American (say it out loud)) which should take roughly, exactly 16 days. I am booking a train ticket home on a the 16th day so as not to let myself slow off during the journey. This is purely to add to the danger of the exercise (walk).

This blog will not just be a record of my preparations, it will not just be a record of the walk itself, oh no. This blog will also serve as a desperate call for help. I am doing this walk solo and I haven't planned anywhere to stay. There is a very real chance that I will be sleeping rough. With this in mind if anybody, knows of somebody (or is somebody) who lives in (or near) any of the places that I will be spending the night near, perhaps you could help organize some impromptu (and free) accommodation for the night.

Well here is the first taste of what the next few days are bound to be like.

Day 1. 4th July 2011

Arrive early at Dover.

I will then walk along Folkestone road all the way to Folkestone (according to Google maps this is 8 miles and will take about 2 and a half hours).

Along the way I will see some of the great towns and villages of the area, including (but not limited to) Hougham, West Hougham, Church Hougham and Hougham Without.

I will then hug the coast (figuratively) until I reach Dungeness (18 miles and 5 and three quarters hours walk). This will be where I lay my head for the first night of my walk, so if you know anyone in the area who has a warm bed, cold bed or carpeted floor please let them know about me and we can see how charitable they really are. If they can't house me just call them on the evening of the 4th and remind them that I'm out there.

Note: I must admit that the amount of time Google is predicting it will take me to walk from place to place seems a lot, but I will be weighed down and I think a more leisurely pace may be nice.

Well that is it for the first blog, tune in (log on) tomorrow for day 2 and the next exciting installment of... UNEMPLOYED GRADUATE MAN!

If you would like to sponsor me (the money is going to charity after all) you may do so here: http://www.justgiving.com/Owen-Johnstons-big-walk