Day 15 begins

 5/7/1012

Day 15 begins

I was up at the crack of Dawn. The sun was not really visable but it threatened to peek through at some point, despite the best efforts of the cloud cover to dump its cargo all over the place. As I was packing away the last part of my gear, the tent, a car pulled over near to where I was and I thought that the farmer was going to come over and say something. Previously I had been hidden below the line of the grass, but standing made me a bit more obvious, and my white teeshirt with Imagine logo was a dead give away, that I was more than a regular hobo. The farmer or occupant decided against and drove away, maybe it was because he realised I was leaving anyway, and that any confrontation would be pointless. Who knows? I would have just said the obvious thing anyway. I was just leaving and I didn't know that it would be a problem. The thing is I am not about to get myself arrested for trespassing, but well, didn't you have to do some actual damage before that was the case?

All I am is a traveler who respects both nature and the environment and other peoples property and am walking thousands of miles to raise money for charity and awareness about the need for more kindness in our world. Who in their right mind would protest against that? 
 

Beverley was not far away, and I was soon in sight of the towers of a church? More like the Beverley Minster.... I had no idea what on earth to expect, but this was an awesome edifice. The definition of the statues was incredible for a building that had seen several centuries come and go. It was an impressive and enormous project for any era, especially from one going back around 900 years. I was suitably surprised to see that you could go in for free. Often such grand places I would imagine need constant funding to stay open and serviceable. 
 

At the door on entering was a couple of lovely ladies asking if people had been before and giving out leaflets on the layout of the minster etc. Christine was very charming and asked me all about my bag and my walk. She offered to let me leave my bag with her at the entrance, or I was welcome to carry it with me. However I decided it would be safe and secure with her and safer for the Minster. Lots of wooden things could get snagged and snap off, the carvings were so intricate and very old too. She even offered to pay for a couple of cups of coffee, they had flasks on a table half way along the nave. The place was heaving with tourists and foreign students and I was just passing one part of the Minster when I noticed the Orchestra setting up. A lady with a very fetching dress and an aire of a performer about her was just setting up behind a lectern. So I sat and I watched as the orchestra and soprano boomed into life and set me into a lazy dream. I felt so honoured, to be having my own performance, no-one else came to sit and enjoy. It was truly a wonderful half hour or so, as I watched the poetry of Edward Lear's come to life in the adaptation on the screen and through the voice of Sarah Leonard. The orchestra, made up of students from Hull university going under the name Sinfonietta were wonderful. I guess that I just got the timing right for their practice performance. I snuck away and got into a chat with the verger of the day Martin, who availed me of many new and interesting facts about the Minster and its usage in the community, we talked about the youth discos too. No-one except the youths seemed to be pleased about that.

I thanked my hosts and the lady who sweetly had offered me the refreshments, and set out to see what else Beverley had to offer me. A Nero's for a start, would help me get some work done on the blog, but I ended up chatting to so many people I hardly got anything done. I met two members of the orchestra. The very engaging Alice Billen, a Viola player, (a big Violin) to you and me, and Mateusz Diehl the Double bass player. (A very big violin) They asked about my walk we talked about the concert I had enjoyed, I gave my tips on their performances...(Joking of course) I am no expert on music, and don't hold a note very well. Even bank notes are not held very well in my hands....

They were very kind and I hope that our conversation had been a delight to them as it had been to me. I am in awe of musicians who can do such beautiful things with their fingers and can feel the resonance of sound as they do, making their respective instruments sing into life. They invited me to go back to the main concert and I thought that I would, but as I was about to leave another gentleman came over and asked for my help. He was having difficulties getting logged on to the internet, so I tried to show him what the system was for free Wi-fi at Nero's. Terry and I had a really good chat and he had to leave to do some business elsewhere which left me free to carry on with my blogs. One of the Baristas at Nero's came over to have her break I guess sitting near me and we got into conversation easily. Katie was a young lady who was making her way up througt the ranks of the Nero industry and was as all their staff seem to be, a level above ordinary service staff. Courteous and polite and very attentive to the requests and service of the customers, who in the end are the ones paying for that service. As I set to leave she wished me well for the journey and I smiled at how easily people seemed to want to talk with me, regardless of how long we had been in company. All good then....

The town has a really good amount of shops and services, and I was surprised that some of the businesses have more than one shop here. It must pay though. I had a good look around as some of the architecture is very old here and some of the houses have some very ornate features, especially as I set out along the road towards Driffield. 

I wasn't walking towards there but these places were pretty lovely so I continued as far as the ring road and then headed east along the side of the carriageway. I found a lovely place to stop after a while, I needed the loos and a drink too. And as It smelt so good I eventually caved in and had some fruit pie and custard. The Hayride, ran by Lois Wilson was an excellent place. I only wished I had been more hungry as the food was deliciously enticing. It is in a chain of public houses and eateries under the Fayre and Square banner. Again the staff all seemed happy and delightful as they worked constantly to serve the huge throngs of hungry people coming through their doors. Zoe brought over my dessert and I ate heartily, the evening was rolling in and the mist or fog seemed to be filling the skies and the road outside. I was getting up to speed with my blog of course, I have to keep my readers fed and happy don't I? Natalie was happy to let me put my phone on charge behind the bar, as I need to keep remembering to do these things, and as I had recently received a phone call from B.B.C. Radio Humberside, to ask me to be on the breakfast show on Saturday morning (have a brief chat over the phone with Carl Wheatley on his show) I had to be aware that I needed constant good battery life or I might miss the vital networking that could come from such a link to people.

Lois and Dave, a customer at the bar all wished me well and Lois had given me some information on someone else who is apparently doing a long walk around England for charity. I am becoming amazed everyday by these little snippets of information, for surely it means that love and kindness are on the increase. William Cook from Saltaire (yorks) is doing a project somewhat similar to my own it would seem, I still want to contact William and ask, but he is doing something called, Walking for a smile..

I admire anyone who is doing anything for the good of others, even if it is just a smile. Who of us doesn't feel good when a stranger smiles at us. O.k. the people who are way too suspicious as to what smiles mean. Kindness is a smile, so well done William with your project too, I shall be in touch.

By the time I got out, well I was the last to leave I fear, the whole darkness was absolute. I made my way by streetlights that fought the foggy evening well but lost, and made a beeline for the coast. I took the road to Bridlington but wasn't feeling like going all that far. It was warmish, I was warm in my new weatherproof 'goldplated' coat, and the chances to find a spot were few and far between. No camping signs in a few places, but then I arrived at the entrance to the village of Tickton. It must have been about 11 o'clock and the weather wasn't improving, so I looked for a clue as to where to park myself. In the end I set the tent up on the green at the entrance, as the ground was relatively flat, the sheltered parts were not very flat or accommodating. I hid as much as I could from the lights of passing cars but to be honest at this time there were very few. The sleeping bag was all I needed and quickly I was ready for sleep teeth brushed and out like the lights.

Day 15 came to an abrupt end.