Day 43: Ashby-de-la-Zouch Rest Day

No, I haven’t made a trip to France. Ashby-de-la-Zouch is a small town in the midlands, where my brother and his fiancé, Amy, live. I’ve had a rest day here today, spending it chauffeuring my mother around the shops, who popped down to see me. 

• Date: 2 May 2024
• Start: Chelmorton
• End: Chelmorton
• Miles: 0.0
• Total miles: 539.5
• Accommodation: Kieren and Amy’s House

Once my mum figured out how to open the door of a Tesla, Amy drove mum and I to an outdoor shop this morning, where I replaced my remaining two pairs of old socks with new ones.

I had all my laundry done last night, including washing my sleeping bag for the first time this trip. To be fair, it didn’t smell that bad. It was time for a bag refresh, packing everything all over again. 

My mum wanted to go shopping for her upcoming holiday in Morocco, so I took my brother’s car and drove it to retail park in Tamworth. I did some shopping of my own, popping into Go Outdoors to stock up on supplies. 

Back at the house, I’ve done a lot of reading on my upcoming hike along the Pennine Way, which starts on Saturday. I’ve booked my accommodation for the bank holiday weekend, not an easy feat. The Pennine Way will be a challenge within a challenge. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, and unlike the South West Coast Path and Offa’s Dyke Path, I’m going to do this one in full, all 268 miles of it. 

My brother and I headed to his local brew pub, an excellent place for a beer or two. There was some live music on, not particularly interesting though. Then I headed back for a roast dinner and sticky toffee pudding. 

Mickey and Daisy have kept me company the last couple of days. Sadly, I haven’t taken them out for a walk, as I don’t need to walk right now. But mum’s taken them out. 

It’s back to it tomorrow, although a bit of a shorter day than normal, as I’ll head to Edale, the start of the Pennine Way. I’ll also be meeting up with some special guests tomorrow night who’ll join me on the first stage of the Pennine Way.