Biggar than Jesus

That lost a few fans in the Bible Belt dint it John? But you weren’t too distressed. It was hyped out of context. The power of the fourth estate, even in 1965? Maybe 64. Forever young. RIP. Our hero.

Good night’s sleep. I’ve got used to sleeping on the ground without a mattress so tonight might be difficult. But probably not. We’ve had a waterbed for thirty years and the most recent version is the best bed in the world. There’s a membrane down the middle so Maggie can set the temperature on her side differently to mine. Mine’s right. But don’t tell her.

Because I’ve been walking up the Clyde Valley and down the Tweed Valley the ground has been great for putting tent pegs in without a hammer. Softer ground for sleeping on too.

It was dry through last night but by the time I’d been down to the toilet block on the campsite and got back to the tent the rain had started so I packed away a wet tent again. And it went on to rain all day. I walked with wet but less pained feet and felt a lightness of being, despite the dreich.

I stopped for breakfast at the far end of Melrose at a nice cafe and didn’t want to leave as it was warm and they had limitless pots of tea.

Melrose is a nice place. Kelso was my target, today and finally for this trip, about 15 miles of road walking again. Starting off Melrose Abbey is interesting they say but hidden behind walls so no photo I’m afraid. But further out of Melrose is the location of the northernmost Roman fort in Britain. Trimontium (the place of the three hills). But there’s nowt there but sign boards and cultivated fields. It was actually huge in its day, but had to be because the Scots were a bit of a handful. 

Fantastically there was a decent sized colosseum for entertainment on the edge of the old town. Get in!

The road crossed the Tweed again with a railway bridge, old road bridge and new bridge within a few hundred yards of each other.

The old road bridge takes first prize.

Over the river, up a hill on to Smailholm and a slow descent to Kelso. On roads in the rain.

Felt good. Could’ve done 25 miles today but glad when Kelso appeared. An elegant little town.

My last stop in Scotland so I got a couple of proper Haggis for the freezer from a local top quality butcher. The bus sped on through the rain, from Kelso to Berwick Upon Tweed, crossing the border to England just after Coldstream. I’ve just polished off sausage and mash in a hotel opposite the station. £6 for more than a normal man could eat, but I’ve been walking. And I’ve enjoyed the walk and will be starting from where I left off in Kelso on the 25th July heading south for a couple of hundred miles down the Pennine Way.

Thanks for reading the blog and maybe join me again in July. Cheers friends.

Night night.