Author | Writer | Photographer
The June 2019 issuse of Country Walking magazine contains my 7 ¾ mile wander around the Welsh Border village of Whitton.
Whitton is one of those places that feels as if it’s in the middle of nowhere, yet is only 3 miles from the English/Welsh border.
It was glorious. There was a hint of the summer warmth to come, as the sun slowly sank behind the Long Mynd. I was on Hope Bowdler Hill, one of the quieter Stretton Hills, and not far from Caer Caradoc.
Didn’t get chance to stretch my legs at lunchtime, so I managed to escape for some fresh air after dinner. I climbed up onto Ragleth Hill and watched the sun slip behind the Long Mynd. It was one of those tranquil evenings when the air was still and the sound of the skylarks filled the orange-tinged sky above me. And I snapped a photo of it too!
It’s sixteen years since my first book was published, and it still amazes me how it continues to sell. According to my latest royalty statement, total sales in all formats, for One Hundred Ways For A Dog To Train Its Human, now stands at an amazing 271,234 copies.
Well, they say that March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. And so far, this month, March has lived up to its name. (Don’t believe me? Check out the video below taken on top of the hills last weekend.)
Step inside the Spring 2019 issue of Country Walking magazine and you’ll find my steamy Severn-side saunter route description. Don’t let the steamy label make you think it’s a walk that will get you out of puff – instead, watch the puffing steam trains go by as the path runs parallel to the Severn Valley Railway.
My feature about the Welsh Border town of Crickhowell can be found in the current issue of The People’s Friend, and as with all such pieces, there’s only so much that you can fit into three pages, and only so many photos. So here’s some bonus bits that didn’t make the cut …
I don’t know if I still like you. You’re familiar, yet different. You’re still the same shape. You’ve reatined your claim to fame: the world’s first. But … But. Your …
After several grey days, it was nice to see some sunshine at lunchtime today. As it was sunny, I opted for a different route to stretch my legs, and explored a tiny single-track road called Squirrel Lane. It’s along that lane that I passed a field of solar panels, clearly earning their keep today. The perfect Snapper Simon photo, I thought.
