Day 35 - a thirty year reunion

I planned my route between friends by trying to even out the daily distances. Day 35, however, was always going to be an odd one. Thornbury was just six miles north of Almondsbury, leaving me an eighteen-miler for Day 36.

There was still time For surprises though. For instance, on the map Old Down looked unremarkable. Even though it was raining steadily, Old Down perked my spirits somehow. Perhaps it began with the two small children cycling on the path, who said "thank you", unprompted by their mum, when I stepped aside.

There were signs of investment in the village - not spectacular sums of money but deliberate efforts to make the place better. Not naturally attractive, the setting was improved well maintained open spaces. The houses weren't anything special but this place felt as desirable a place to live as any I've passed.

Through Alveston and into Thornbury, which I reached before 12:30. I took my time over lunch then whiled away more time in the tiny town museum. It's great that places like this exist, run by volunteers and with no admission charge. I got the impression that visitors are few and the team made me very welcome.

I decided to get my hair cut and queued for ages, watching youngsters playing the shop's games console. Eventually my turn came and I was mauled with the roughest handling I've received from a barber. He was in his twenties, his right arm was tattooed from shoulder to wrist.

He'd only just finished with the electric razor when the power failed. Fortunately I wasn't left with a half-finished job.

In a Thornbury pub in the evening I met up with Neil, a close friend from secondary school, who I haven't seen for thirty years. Neil joined the army at sixteen and did fourteen years in the Signals regiment. Since then he's done all sorts of jobs, moved around the country and worked abroad. A father of two daughters, he also has two grandaughters.

We talked for hours and were joined by Sandra and Claire, his wife and youngest daughter. I think we were the last to leave at eleven thirty, having remembered old schoolmates, teachers and the holidays we took together to my grandad's cottage in North Wales.

I loved the way that Neil remembers so much of the detail and can't believe it's taken us so long to meet again.