An accidental journey

Quite a few years ago, I was at my desk at IBM in Portsmouth and the phone rang. It was my friend Tina, so I picked up the phone and asked her how she was.

"Knackered" she replied, "I accidentally ran a half marathon this morning"

I was doubled over in hysterics! "What? How on earth do you *accidentally* run a half marathon? Didn't you notice?" 

I have to say she was a complete fitness freak and would get up at 5:30am every day to either go running or to the gym. The accidental half marathon had happened when she missed a turning on the Eastern Rd, and, after she'd realised, thought "sod it, I'm not going back, I'll run along to the next turning and go down that one instead."

Unfortunately, that bit of Pompey isn't particularly well furnished with roads - sea on one side and inlet of harbour on the other, so the additional 'block' that she ran added 6 miles to an already planned 6 mile journey. So it's *kind of* understandable. Saying that, I'd have just called a taxi! 

That phrase has gone down in legend amongst my friends. A classic from Tina, which exemplifies her single minded attitude to life, and fitness! But it, and she, sprang to mind today when Dan and accidentally walked 7 miles!

We headed off towards Great Strickland - a hamlet which we knew had a pub; we'd seen the sign pointing to the 'Strickland Arms' the other day on our meanderings towards Morland. We knew it was a smidge further than Morland (when you go the direct route) so just about 2 miles. Of we trotted. It was quite a nice walk, a not cold, not wet, not sunny, not really anything day, so, actually, perfect for walking. 

As we approached Gt Strickland, we realised that it was very much like all the little villages round here. A bunch of houses, but devoid of life! No shops, mobile post office in a van, but no PEOPLE! Very strange. Nevertheless, a we got to the centre of the main street, Dan saw the sign - Strickland Arms (pointing left) - and we trotted up to the door...only to be met by another sign 'Closed on Tuesdays' Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

After the intial disappointment, we spent 6 seconds exploring the rest of the village (4 more houses) and then decided to head on to Little Strickland, rather than going back along the pub-less route we'd come along. As we walked the next 2 miles to Little Strickland, we did consider that as Great Strickland had a pub which was closed on a Tuesday, there wasn't too much hope for Little Strickland, it potentially being (by definition) littler! 

We were right. About a dozen grim looking houses. No pub, no shop...but  on the upside, some llamas.

By this time we were too far round to be going back, so we decided we might as well complete the triangle and head back to Newby. A further mile and a half or so completed the circuit. Ooww my legs!

Where's the beer?