Thank you for your interest.
I had better get this blog up to date. It has been a long time, but then a lot has happened.
We have a lot to be proud of since we started this trek in 1998. We have walked nearly four thousand miles along the coast. During that time I have had five operations on my legs and Colin has had three on his bladder. We have had to contend with Foot & Mouth restrictions, financial problems when a mortgage got out of hand, bereavement and Covid restrictions. Still we carried on when we could, but all the time we were getting older.
By September 2021 we had reached Manorbier in South Pembrokeshire. I had found the last few Walks extremely difficult, and on the way back from this particular Walk I had a near-collapse. I realised that age and infirmity had overtaken me, and regrettably we decided to throw in the towel! I could no longer cope with the roller-coaster nature of the coastal path.
My husband and walking companion, Colin, was also giving cause for concern with strange behaviour quirks. But it was not until October 2022 that he was diagnosed with a rare form of Alzheimer's. Since then he has gone rapidly downhill. He can no longer drive, and walks only short distances in a shuffle. His short-term memory is completely gone, he cannot take part in a conversation, he cannot remember even the layout of our home, thinks I am someone else and thinks he's not at home when he is. He cannot carry out simple tasks like making a cup of tea. He was also diagnosed with atrial fibrilation last October, and recently with heart failure which caused his hands and feet to swell alarmingly.
But all is not lost -- because my nephew, Gerry Clifton, has asked if he can start at Manorbier and complete our Trek back to Bognor Regis! (He is only 30, so he has plenty of time before old age catches up with him!) I was delighted to say "Yes!" so long as he takes loads of photos along the way so we can see the places we can no longer visit. Hopefully he will also take over this blog.
Good luck, Gerry!
To all my readers, thank you for your interest in our venture.
Rosemary
PS Go to www.bognorregisbeach.co.uk to see what is happening NOW just left of Bognor Pier! (On the website, click on 'Live Webcam')
