Day 14 begins

4/7/2012

Day 14 begins

I was aware that the breakfast was to be served early, they expected me to leave by about 7.30. The breakfast was a gut buster, and I had to leave some as my poor stomach wouldn't stretch to fit all the food in. (Keep the jokes to yourself please...)

My host dutifully kicked me out as promised, but he was a pleasant sort of guy with a very keen desire to state his point of views even if you hadn't asked for any. I like usual just smiled and nodded at the appropriate times and listened to a life of struggles and industry closure here in Hull, formerly known as Kingston upon Hull.

The day was bleak again, but my spirits were very high, I was going to be spending the day with Dawn from the Hull saints Boxing Club. She had willingly offered to help me with a project I had thought of for my videos and as she had a super dooper Macintosh computer with a film making program, she seemed just the right sort of person to know what to do with my pathetic video clips.

I passed my favourite Asda shop and used their conveniences and the cafe for a few cups of tea. I wrote as per usual at this hour of the day and tried desperately to catch up with some of my accounts before Dawn came to collect me at about 10 am. She lived with her husband and children in a quieter part of town towards the north I guessed. It was very pretty, rows of lovely individual town houses with oodles of character. Her son Connor was on his way out as we arrived, he sussed me out for a few moments before deciding his mum would be safe with the man with a strange name. Alexis the older daughter was at home too and made herself known before going about her day. Millie the soccer and boxing up and coming star was at school and Dawn who now works from home showed me her lovely homely kitchen and gardens. As if sensing my need, she asked if I needed to use the washing machine, and set the machine going once my clothes were in.

I love it how some people are so in tune with the needs of others and are keen to help out. People like the Haighs and the Goslings and Ang Keys and all the lovely folk that have been keen to set me safely on my way fed and watered and cared for.

Before long we were set up in Dawn's office, (a safe corner of the dining room) drinking tea, and she began showing me how to make a full feature film from clips of the shots, video and photos from the previous evening at the boxing club with Gordon, Gary and the rest of the team. Dawn was currently using all her skills to put a lot of footage onto disk on behalf of the Hull Saints A.B.C. She seemed tireless in her devotion not only to her own daughters social activities but those of the club too. Gordon has really got a great team behind him, if only he could get a bit more assistance with the financial help of running the club. Recently he had been on Noel Edmunds Xmas show and as a direct result been given the keys to a new van for the club donated by a local Hyundai dealership.

Dawn was soon able to navigate me through the set up and overlay of all the film clips that I had taken. On their own they were ok. Together they looked really fantastic. She showed me how to squeeze in both the still shots and the linking clips, the music behind the scenes and the credits and titles. I was in awe of the computer program and the person spending her day doing this for me and the club as well. The finished article that you see linked from yesterdays post was a major success I felt. We chatted like old friends for hours as we worked. Alexis made us some lunch and we carried on uploading clips and working to get them viewable for the website.

Dawn has decided after years of working for the Social Care Services, to go it alone and work as a self employed consultant, offering Social care training and development strategies. It seems like the ideal thing to do if you have skills that are in demand as hers seemed to be. I add the link to Dawn's professional consultant services web pages, and if you need her talents please get in touch via the links you will find there.

 Dawns Website.

I was very pleased to be able to briefly meet her husband, before I set out for the walk towards Beverley. Millie had by now returned from school and we had a quick photo outside for the blog here. I realised that I had taken up her entire day, but Dawn just smiled and said that it had been her gift to me. It had indeed been a gift and a rare privilege to have been made so welcome at her home. Goodbyes said, a big hug for my lovely friend and her kindness and I was on my way again. A rolling stone gathers no moss they say. But I was picking up all sorts of things as I rolled through the towns and villages of my walk so far, and most of it felt incredibly positive and bouyant.
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The evening was still a way off and I had a good warm afternoon and time to discover many things. I hadn't gone too far (Cottingham) when I spotted, or rather overheard a conversation that led me to offer my help to a stranger, who was having some difficulty with her keys. I was able to help her and she and her mother repaid my very kindly with a cup of tea and I was soon on my way again. It is a two way street you see. Kindness cannot only be received, but often you have to do the giving. Like Karma in a way, or the Universal Favour Bank. Not like any other bank and the bosses don't keep misappropriating the funds either.....(See many recent bank scandals for reference)
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I was given a brief direction towards Beverley via the footpaths across the fields and was soon well away from the noise of civilization. An odd tractor moving across a field in the distance but nothing noteworthy. I loved this solitude and decided that soon I should find a camp amongst the trees. The rain suddenly came from nowhere and I ran to some old buildings for cover, just in the nick of time. The shower lasted about half an hour but was swift and deluging. I found a lovely small plot of trees half way between two farms and decided that neither would really be able to see my little tent. And besides I wont be doing any damage to anything, except a few blades of grass.

Once the tent was pitched, 15 seconds, I was setting up for the evening and letting the suns rays waft in through the open doorway. It was a bit chillier than I would have liked summer to be, but well, this is what we got......

Well only about 6/7 miles covered but still a lot had been accomplished today and in some ways I had had the best day so far to really, what with Dawn's good company, the new movie made and so much learned about Hull and the goodness and kindness of recently made friends. I defy anyone to find a reason not to like Hull, now that I had seen so many precious things within her boundaries and communities. But then I am a peaceful warrior, so maybe I have drawn this experience to me by my desire to seek out the good in people rather than berate them for the same inadequacies everyone else can display on any given day wherever they live. Life has proven to be so much fun and I loved the experiences of new acquaintances and new places. Onward and upwards.

I closed and zipped the tent and nestled down in my warm sleeping bag. Despite the thin mat I had a desire to drift off immediately, and sooner that you can say Bob's yer Uncle I was out.

Day 14 came to an end.