Wednesday 17 September 2003
Carlisle to Newtown
08:30
Enjoy an extra hour in bed. Because we are broadcasting today from
Carlisle, there is no travelling to do. The radio staff have been
at work since 07:00.
09:00
Paul Braithwaite's programme begins at Carlisle Castle. I photograph
all the guests for the gallery
and enjoy tasting a cake made to a Roman recipe. It's fluffy and
flavoured with spices and almonds - very tasty.
10:00
We hoof across to Tullie House Museum via the subway. We continue
with interviews in the upstairs galleries devoted to Carlisle's
Roman history. I have trouble keeping up with my photo duties because
I'm distracted by the exhibits.
After
years of slogging through Latin translations at school (yes, I went
to that kind of school), it's amazing to actually see real Roman
altars and gravestones up close.
Tim
Padley from the museum points out highlights of the exhibition,
including a particularly gruesome cataract needle - urgh! I persuade
him to let me handle a large Roman bowl. He shows us where the owner
carved his initial and the 2000 year old fingermarks made by the
craftsman!
11:00
We move again - this time just next door into the BBC Radio Cumbria
reception area. There is a mysterious empty box on a plinth in our
reception. It will soon by home to a fragment of a Roman household
altar found when archaeologists dug on the site of our building!
Tim
Padley has brought the piece to show us. It's rather small and he
balances it precariously on top of the box. I stay far away with
my camera - I don't want to be responsible for shattering it into
a million pieces..
12:00
Broadcast ends. I realise we've done the entire thing without cups
of tea. I'm surprised the techies haven't gone on strike.
12:30
Tuck into lunch at the Prior's Kitchen within the Cathedral grounds.
The café has several dishes on the menu which resemble what
Romans would have eaten. They are hearty meals but we all opt for
a lighter option after yesterday's enormous pub lunch.
13:00
Oh dear, there's been some mix up with the car situation - we needed
colleagues to take a car for us to Newtown but they only set off
15 minutes ago! Durr.
I pass
the time by chatting to David McGlade and Tony Jackson who are walking
with us today. They work for The Countryside Agency and National
Trails.
I have
a look at their book about the Hadrian's Wall walk - why do all
the books start from Newcastle? It's really annoying if you're coming
from the other end! I regret looking at the maps of where we're
walking to in the book - they cover about eight pages!
David
and Tony are surprised at my footwear choice. I decide flip-flops
is an inappropriate name for my shoes (because they're not flaky
beach things) so we decide to call them 'cabriolet walking sandals'.
13:45
Finally set off! Our walk takes us across to The Sands leisure centre
where I collect a Hadrian's Wall Passport and get my first stamp!
(I'm easily pleased.) There are six 'stamping stations' along the
path. Anyone who sends in their completed passport is sent a badge
and certificate! Cool. Wish I'd got the stamp in Bowness. :-(
14:00
We roam across Rickerby Park. Just outside the park is a ridiculous
folly slap-bang in the middle of a farmer's field. Bet he's really
chuffed about having to mow around it.
15:30
Much of today's walk is in a very straight line. We walk on a concrete
farm track. "This is actually on top of Hadrian's Wall!"
says Tony. Yeah right.
David
and Tony do their best to convince me that a ditch to our left is
the 'Northern Ditch'. Peering closer, Natalie and I decide that
maybe we are walking on a mound.
16:00
Following my undisguised skepticism, Paul points out every bit of
crumbly wall or ditch and exclaims it must be part of the Wall.
Har har. "Ooh look - a centurion!" he cries.
It's
no laughing matter - I've not had even a glimpse of this fabled
Wall yet. In fact, I've never actually seen it in my life. Maybe
all these photos and TV pictures are fake? It's all a big conspiracy!
Make a mental note to ask my online colleague Mark, the world's
greatest conspiracy theorist.
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David
and Tony fix an acorn plaque to the gatepost.
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16:30
Yet more farmland. Mile after mile. Paul picks an apple from a tree
alongside the footpath and I note the elderberries making the branches
sag under their weight. My mum would have a field-day picking all
this fruit.
Tony
and David stop at a farm to improve the waymarkers there. They whip
out a bag of screws and fix little plaques with an acorn on to the
gateposts. I'm glad of the rest and share out my sweets.
17:00
The end is in sight - Newtown! Natalie, Steve and I stride onwards.
I reckon I've got a kind of momentum going here - auto-pilot legs.
My knees and ankles are sending complaints to my brain but I ignore
them. If I stop, I think they'd seize up and refuse to move.
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My
disgusting feet.
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18:00
Arrive back at BBC Radio Cumbria. Persuade my boss to photograph
my horrible muddy feet. All in a day's work, eh, Paul?!
Now
I'm sat here at my computer, I'm not sure I'll be able to stand
up.
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