The Jogler: Once Brewed to South Shields

For once I was early. I hit the road by 9.15 and was at Vindolanda (a mass of Roman ruins) by 9.30. Unfortunately it doesn't open until 10 so I sat in the sunshine and read for a bit.

Looking around, it's an enormous site but, I kept being distracted by the hill in the background. Eventually I could put it off no longer and so, tackled the final big climb to the summit.

I was going great on steep incline number 1 but, I had to stop for the car coming round the hairpin bend, and you know what it's like getting going on such hills... Still I struggled on. On steep incline number 2 I eventually managed to catch the walker ahead and round the corner to the summit.

From there it was sort of down hill. I got to the river and rather than stopping at Hexham I carried on to Corbridge - a lovely little town. I whiled away a while looking in the shops then got some lunch.

For the rest of the afternoon I was on the riverside path. My bell (such a pretty sound according to one lady) was fairly ineffectual against the hoards of pedestrians and so I resorted to shouting. Politely.

I passed the point I had to give up (injury) on this route (in reverse) a few years ago and soon was into Newcastle. Obviously South Shields is quite a way from the Quayside but in my head I was almost there.

I had a pastie and revelled in 4G for a bit and then went on. It's amazing how slow 12 miles can be. At first it was fine but that middle third...it went on forever. Now, either Oasis (summer fruits) is magic or the '3 miles' left sign made everything all better (the fact that the next sign said 4 is neither here nor there). After the second 3 mile sign I felt far more positive and soon was into South Shields. I stopped at the fort - official route end - and then came to the wonderfully friendly b&b.