Strider is the in-house tri-annual publication of the LDWA, the Long Distance Walkers Association. Although several of my pictures have been published in earlier editions, it was the arrival of the new editor, Julie Welch, that really set my paparazzo career in motion! Here are the three most prominant photographs, together with a brief description. Enjoy! If you want to see more, then my many websites have hundreds taken on LDWA walks, including over 400 taken on the Isle of Man Coastal Path. Watch out next year for the sequel, the Isle of Wight Coastal Path, to be walked courtesy of the Irregulars, in April 2004. You could always join the LDWA, the minimal annual fee being a small price to pay to get printed versions of my photographs through your letter box every few months!
Published April 2003, taken in January 2003 at the summit of Dufton Pike, North Pennines, after a walk to the higher areas north of this point. I was returning from two days in the Lakes, as the guest of Heather Rhodes, inventer of Pacerpoles where I took delivery of the poles that are prominent in the photograph!
The star of this photograph is Richard Measures, Sherwood LDWA. I understand he had spoken to his two lady friends a few days before, and asked them if they were going to be on the Sherwood group walk from Duffield, Derbyshire. He was told that they were doing a run elsewhere. Little did he know that the routes would overlap, and as we walked down this enclosed track Richard was surprised to see them running towards him. Because of the slight time delay on this digital camera, the participants in the clinch had pulled apart when the picture was taken, which probably enabled it to be suitable for publication in a family magazine. This was the back cover of April 2003, to go with the front cover above.
The Irregulars group of the LDWA had two recces of the White Rose 100. This was taken on the second walk, on Easter Monday 2003, and shows Carole Engel, LDWA, running down the steps on the final stage of the 100 route. I bet she was not running when she got there in the full event! It is a great action shot, and shows the energy and vitality of the somewhat younger generation, of which there are too few in the LDWA. The youngsters these days do not have the stamina to walk these sorts of distances. They cannot even be bothered to walk a mile or so to school! Carole has said that she is sure to feel ultra embarrassed but I know that she is secretly delighted! She will be chattering about nothing else for the next six months. I hope that I am credited as the photographer at the same time!
