Day One - Newcastle to Horden

Mileage - 26.39 miles

Day one is over and was really very enjoyable.

Started at around 0930 this morning at St James Park where obligatory photos were taken with Sir Bobby, wor Jackie and the St James Park sign. Stuck a bit in the throat of my running partner Flip, who is a bonafide Mackem, but I still managed to take a photo of him, by stealth, smiling by the sign. First few miles were punctuated with lots of photo opportunities, including one by the aptly named 'Baltic' arts centre as was bloody cold to start with, but we soon got into our stride and were through the industrial side of Newcastle and towards the village of Borden where we stopped and our car guy for the day, Steven, was duly dispatched to buy some pork and wild mushroom sausages from a good old fashioned butchers. Flip is cooking these as I type and they will be consumed dans un sandwich very shortly before a 'proper' meal later. We dumped our jackets here as the sun had come out and was warming up nicely. Through Bordon and I got a call from the Sunderland echo (after an interview on BBC Tees radio this morning) asking when I would be at the Stadium of Light for photos. Arrived there around midday, a few photos, where Flip was much happier to be snapped, and some special flapjack, thanks Sioux. Next target was Seaham and rather than going along the foot pathless main road we 'cut' across the cliff tops, a fantastic view of a very angry sea, a bit of marshland and a few banks to scramble up and down. Flip was determined to get to Seaham, it being his childhood home, but was starting to feel it a little in his legs having run Hardmoors 55 over the weekend. So at Seaham and 19.5 miles Flip got in the car and I dumped my bag and looked to crack out some more miles as quickly as possible. met Flip a few times along the route here for directions, negotiated some naughty inclines, but was determined to get at least 26.2 miles in on the first day which took me into Horden and the waiting car, Flip, can of diet coke and snickers bar. So a good first day, not as many donations as I would like but still some very kind ones, good mileage covered and not a sight of snow. Long may it continue.....