I’m 52 years old and feel a lot fitter than when I was 22 years old. I’m single and have no children and try to live my life to the best I can, that is walking and cycling. I live in Stockton on Tees, where I’m pretty lucky to have the Pennines, Yorkshire Dales & Moors and the Lake District within easy reach.

At the moment, the website includes an account of my Coast to Coast walk from 1991, as time goes on though I hope to include more walks.

I started my walking when I was at school at the age of 10 and loved it from the start, what I liked was the clean fresh air of the countryside. I did the Pennine Way when I was 15 in 1971 within the school and that was great. However I stopped all the walking after I left school, although I did some camping around the Whitby area in 1976. I think the rest of the years between 19 and 25 year old, I was more or less in the night-clubs/pubbing/smoking and all that stuff when you are young.

I joined the Youth Hostel Association when I was 26 and that changed my life, I decided to become a life-member and never regretted it since. I’ve done a lot of long distance walks over the years, that being the Pennine Way, Cleveland Way, Dales Way (twice), Cumbria Way, White Peak Way, The Isle of Wight Path, Esk Valley Way, South Downs Way and of course the Coast to Coast (three & half times).

I was in the LDWA for a number of years and did a few 26 milers, such as the Saltergate Circuit, Kilburn Kanter, Pathfinder 25, Falcon Flyer, West Cleveland Circuit, Footloose Heritage Walk, Newtondale trail, Seven Sister’s Marathon, Dales Traverse, Bilsdale Circuit and some 40 milers such as the Lyke Wake Walk (7 times) Langburgh Loop (twice) 3 Peaks Walk, Samaritan Way.

There is one I would like to do sometime and that is the West Highland Way, I’ve heard some good reports about it. I like Scotland and have done 20 Munros to date.

I’m a member of the Stockton on Tees Rambling club and have led a lot of walks over the years. I like my cycling as well as walking and try to balance the two out, which is not easy. I also do back-packing and cycling camping and have three tents, that is The North Face Solo 12, The North Face Particle 13 and just got a Terra Nova Laser Comp for my next Coast to Coast Walk next year in April.

I like to offer advice to anyone doing the Coast to Coast or anything in walking, I would do my best to fulfil any question. All I say to people is walking and cycling is the best exercise you could possibly wish for.