Gary has declared himself a late non-runner due to family commitments. John is somewhat concerned about Ben’s ability to make the 0910 without Gary’s guidance but Cathy proves a capable deputy to get him to the start line and they join John and Helen for the trip to Sheerness. They are greeted at the station by Mike who has driven down and fortified himself for the day’s walk with a Tesco’s full English breakfast for £4.99 whilst awaiting the train trippers.
The party set off along the Sheerness promenade. The prevalence of fisherman using mobility scooters invokes speculation as to whether fishing leads to weight gain or whether weight gain means that fishing is one of the few sports that can still be undertaken. The walk is pleasant as the high temperatures are mollified by a sea breeze. Cathy has used her Girl Guide experience to bring water frozen overnight and generously shares this with the team.
After a few miles, the path diverts inland along tracks and minor roads. The day becomes hotter but the team remain in good spirits. Mike takes a hand in the navigation which leads to a 15 minute detour to a dead end. Eventually we reach Leysdon-on-Sea which is the planned refreshment stop. This is not a particularly appealing resort, reminiscent of a number of small towns on the East Coast where the Amusement Arcades vie with the knick-knack stalls and the burger restaurants for the passing trade. John reports that his sunglasses purchased in Great Yarmouth from a similar location fell apart after a few months.
A pub is located and we wander in. The barman, rather than asking what we would like, announces that the toilets are not working and there is no water. The oddity of seeing numerous people carrying bottles of water is solved, it turns out that there is no water at all in this part of the island. There is alcohol available so the team has a refreshing pint to consider what to do. It is pretty hot and we have drunk all our water. We could walk to the distribution centre for bottled water that apparently exists. Instead, we buy a bottle from one of the locals who has broken his trip home from the distribution centre to have a beer. This is a very satisfactory transaction for all parties. He sells us 2 litres for a £1 that he has got for free. We are spared a half hour detour.
We get underway for a pleasant stroll along the sea wall leaving human habitation behind. There is some concern about whether we will be able to get a shower at the Ferry Inn. Happily it turns out that the location is so remote that it has its own supply. After a beer, Mike departs to help his son move house leaving Cathy, Helen Ben and John to have a good meal and sleep in the very comfortable inn.
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