I must pack my bag now and prepare for my walking weekend in North Norfolk with Cambridge Rambling Club. I am vastly outnumbered politically with 
this group, the city council does not have one Conservative councillor. I was joined on one of their recent walks by a Respect member who told me how they are actively canvassing there.
But we are all good friends once we put on our walking boots and I do love those coastal paths from Sheringham, I am looking forward to a good hike and lots of fresh air as too much blogging is not good for a girl’s complexion.
I’m being joined by walker extraordinaire Sally and only hope I can keep up with her. We shall be staying in a youth hostel – my first time, but I’m quite happy as long as I can plug my hairdryer in. Do you have any youth hostel memories?
When talking to Iain on his show about women blogging, I mentioned that I may take regular weekend breaks from blogging to achieve that elusive life-balance. If only there were more hours in the day…..
Update: 29 January, I’m delighted that I walked 30 miles over the weekend, which is a record for me, and suffered only one blister. Some of my views are posted on my photo gallery, including the magnificent ruins of Baconsthorpe Castle located in a field. What easier, or cheaper, way is there to keep fit?
Get a tiny laptop and 3G card and you could blog anywhere. Though I think it would be a little excessive. I was sad enough to try wifi on a JAL flight to Oz and wrote a post at 30,000 feet.
get a blackberry and we can have updates while you walk!
I am thinking of having a week off .I need to read some books. Sorry that you are surrounded by the benighted heathen Ellee.
YHA memories Ellee – Could write a book! My father was one of first members and in fact was a warden at Overton Hall in Derbyshire prior to 1939 (The hostel was seconded to house Derby School during the war). We went hostelling several times every year, travelling by bike from when I was 6 or 7 doing 30miles a day. Good luck at Sheringham sounds more like a hotel to me talking about hair dryers etc.
Enjoy your walking weekend, Ellee. Let’s hope you have some good tales to tell.
Have a great walk, Ellee!
I am with cityunslicker… tose forms of communication are amazing. Got a version of one (called a Jasjam,went camping and my daoughters send me information on an 8 foot diamond python that wandered into our home. !
Anyway,
Ellee enjoy your woalk.. there is nothing like fresh air and exercise to reinvigorate!
thank you too for a great blog!
ps sorry for ALL those typos :o(
It looks like a very picturesque are to hike. I hope you enjoyed your weekend…and I hope there were suitable refreshments at the hostel for ‘after-walk-recovery’!
I have just caught up with your Doughty Street appearance Ellee. It was quite thought provoking. I fact I am consumed with guilt that I keep puting my comments on which you will then feel you have to respond to. You came over very well actually and rather more strongly than I anticipated.
I still feel that a”slap Rachel” movement can only be agood thing and a boon to the mental health of the nation.
Ummmm… walking weekend along the coastal paths… Great idea it is… Enjoy your weekend and walking…. Forget blogging. Have a nice time buddy…..We will be waiting for the pics…
Ah, Ellee, wish I was with you and hope you read Tom’s testimonial before you went.
If that photo is any indication of the views…sounds like heaven to me 🙂 Enjoy!
Hmmm I `m begginning to think this work life balance thing is wrong.For me !
have a pleasant hiking/walking trip alongst the coast..
The best thing that can be said about youth hosteling, as I recall, is that magical moment when you return home to enjoy a good long soak in your own bath!
Peter, You are absolutely right about returning to the comforts of your own home, enjoying a good soak in the bath and your comfy bed, instead of a bunk bed.
I met a great bunch of people, including Rob, Alan and Tyrone, who joined Sally and me for an Indian meal on the Saturday night and kept calling us blaggers, instead of bloggers. I was the slowest on my Saturday walk as I had joined the ‘A’ team to stay with Sally, unaware that these were expert walkers. Rob told me he walks 2,000 miles a year. Thanks to Larry for watching out for me as I trailed behind.
Sunday’s walk was also at a good pace, but a shorter distance. Thanks to Janet and Roger for letting me join them, and to Suzanne and Caroline for the good company and plaster.
Hoorah she`s back . I `ve been catching up with the old Doughty Streets Elee you came over so well. I quite liked the little girl with the cross as well she was fun .Rachel is of course hideous and evil but there we go …
I don`t see the point myself of having professional politicians like the labour chap there with general bloggers . It turns it into a game of poltical trivia pursuit which those of us working are unlikely to be able to to be able participate in.It is boring , politically irrelevant and very much slews the discussion leftwards. They love politics . They hate work.
Very very interesting and I must say Iain himslef is perfect for the role. I have been abusing him on the subject of Gay Lobbying all week so I would guess my invitation is on Permanent stand by .
Now you`ve had your break and your “Work life balance is back in order”
GET BACK TO WORK SLACKER !!!!1
Newmania, You are a very hard and impatient taskmaster! I must catch up with my day job first and shall have a post written about mid-day.
Glad you enjoyed Doughty Street. I don’t know why you are so unkind about Rachel, she is none of those things, stop being so cruel.
Ellee,
What a great week-end we had, you did so well and should be real pleased with yourself.
I wish i was still there walking as i love it so much but wont have to wait too long for my next walk, should be out with Geoff on wednesday 🙂
Hi Ellee
so pleased you had a good weekend, walking with Sally…it looks amazing.
Just been looking at Doughty Street, quite interesting…I find it hard to blog about normal things, let alone Politics, but I suppose the more I get into it, might find things easier.
Hi Anne, the more frequently you write your posts, the more confident you will become. Just find a subject you feel comfortable with and I’m sure the words will flow and you will really enjoy it.
Some of the happiest days of my life were spent camping on the cliffs of Norfolk (West Runton) – and some of the most hair raising nights as we tried to stop the marquee being blown away.
Man in a Shed, I know West Runton well. I have friends who stay there every summer and visit when I am based in nearby Burnham Market for a week.
Glad to hear that you love walking Ellee. Why not join us on one of our Simply Social walks. We have just completed our challenge of walking from Cambridge to King’s Lynn – in three stages. See Sally in Norfolk blog. Our next challenge walking from Snettisham to Cromer, first walk on 12 May. Our goal after that is the walk the walk breast cancer walk in London in May 2008 – 26 miles walking in London at night! More info look at the Simply Social website.
Happy walking Elle, The picture looks similar to the walks near my home, Cabo da Roca, Sintra, Portugal – “where the land ends and the sea begins”.
If you ever want to walk in Sintra I can give you some local info on the area!
How long will you be able to walk along that coastal path?, as I hear the sea is eating up the land around there.
Keep on rambling.
Dewi, I would like to walk in Sintra, I imagine it is stunning, as well as the excellent food and drink. Meeting up with a blogger there would indeed be a bonus.
[…] I’m off with the Ramblers again for a loooooong weekend, only this time I will be able to rest my aching feet in the comfort of a former hunting lodge of Charles II instead of a youth hostel. […]