Day 51 Part 3 - To Leicestershire

(continued from Part Three)

I was getting tired by now and the narrow verge of the busy road to the M69 made for frustration. After the motorway roundabout, it was easier to relax into the 'simply walking' zone and to trek mindlessly towards Stoney Stanton.

Keith and Linda let me in to The Dive Inn, a reference to the nearby Stoney Cove diving centre. I'd expected a pub but the Inn turns out to be a guest house, with overflow accomodation in the form of a caravan in the back garden.

I set off for the nearest pub for dinner but the smell from the fish and chip shop was irrestistible. I sat on the bench outside, eating my dinner with a small wooden fork, for a few minutes before three lads came out with their food. They sat with me and we got talking.

After a while we introduced ourselves and Adam, Will and Alex fired questions about my walk. "What you doing it for?", "How much money are you carrying?", "Where's your luggage?", "How many clothes have you got?"

They told me about Stoney Stanton, that there's a lot to do, there aren't any real chavs here and that it's better than Earl Shilton.

They insisted I should stay until Saturday afternoon when the Stanton Carnival takes place. I had to apologise and explain that I want to be home.

They wanted the address of my blog and a picture. I promised them a mention in my book.

My walking verse was from almost the end of the Bible, in which a vision of a new Jerusalem is described. Revelation 21.24, "The nations will walk by its light and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it."