Day 178 – Highcliffe to Sandbanks: 13.3m: 4.5h

We’re almost back at our starting point which we left just over twelve and a half years ago. For this final leg, we’ll be joined on the walk and/or at the celebrations afterwards by our wives, some of our children (along with three of their girlfriends) and a few other family members and friends who have been with us on several days of the walk – from Richard on day 12 through to Mark on days 176 and 177. The rendezvous for most of the group is the Canford, a pub/restaurant with rooms which is about 2 miles inland from Sandbanks. As well as being the venue for our celebratory dinner this evening and where those coming to the dinner will be staying overnight, John has booked a minibus for 10:30 this morning to take us from there to Highcliffe. As regards arrival of the core team, John got to the Canford yesterday with Helen (and elder son John with girlfriend Sophie), as did Mike with Irene. Gary stayed overnight with Sally at a B&B on the edge of the New Forest, and they arrive this morning just before 10 o’clock. Ben has spent the weekend with the family at a place on Selsey Bill. On their drive west today, Cath drops him off at Highcliffe along with daughter Jen and son Will plus girlfriend Ellie, and arrives at the Canford (with son Jamie in a separate car) a few minutes after 10:30. The minibus leaves with 13 passengers on board and we meet Ben and his group in the Highcliffe car park with Ben remarkably having followed the progress of the minibus via live location on WhatsApp. We go down the steps to the beach, and set off for Sandbanks at 11:15. Excellent admin. After a 30 minute stroll along Highcliffe beach, we arrive at Mudeford Quay and await the ferry to Mudeford Spit. There’s plenty of room on board for all 17 of us and it’s only a short crossing to the spit which, given its name, can’t justifiably be regarded as falling within the jetty/pier exemption. So we walk north around the spit and then back south to Hengistbury Head before turning west to continue along the beach towards Southbourne. From there, on our way to Boscombe, we meet John’s younger son Simon and his girlfriend Maria. The original plan was for them to join us earlier at the Canford but, following delays to their flight from Palermo to Stansted yesterday, they decided to leave London this morning a few hours later than previously intended. The route onwards continues to be both straight and straightforward, along beaches and promenades through Boscombe and Bournemouth where John stops to purchase a pair of swimming shorts – although he ultimately postpones his plan to use them in the sea this evening to tomorrow morning. Also postponed, but not by choice, is a rendezvous en route with Carine, Dinks and Roxy the dog (see day 158). Despite the use of live location, albeit not by the now IT savvy Ben, we miss them as we go past Southbourne and don’t meet up with them until we’re approaching Sandbanks. After 4 hours of comfortable underfoot conditions, the final mile or so includes a stretch of shingle, and the last corner at the southernmost tip of Sandbanks involves a bit of scramblage or paddling, but everything is safely negotiated and, at 4 o’clock, we arrive at the ferry finishing line. Or, more accurately, a finishing tape produced and held by Irene and David’s wife Judith, who also produce paper cups and bottles of fizz by way of immediate celebration for all. After toasting completion of the walk, and several photographs, the 23 humans and single canine make their way to the Canford, some by bus and some on foot. A few drinks are consumed in the bar; Jamie, Jen, Will and Ellie leave to drive back to London; and the remaining 19 of us (and perhaps Roxy) prepare for dinner at 7 o’clock. And a wonderful dinner/celebration it proves to be. Mike makes a lovely speech about joining the walk and his time on it and, by way of thanks, presents John, Ben and Gary with cloth badges incorporating the outline of England and the very marginally overstated (by 4) figure of 2,700 miles. The food – various pre-ordered starters and mains – is excellent and is washed down with numerous bottles of white and red. Several people then switch to the walk’s traditional post-supper stickies, but everyone retires to their rooms a little bit later than the walk’s traditional window of 9/9:30. Well, there’s nothing to do tomorrow morning apart from breakfast, a no doubt bracing swim for John and Carine, and for everyone other than Gary and Sally (who are staying an extra night) checking out. The end of an extraordinary journey, and time to think about the next one and the next……….??