I am writing this blog in the kitchen back in East Grinstead. A 10 mile walk then a 6 hour car journey back has made it a long day but utterly memorable. Alan drove Tim and I to Abereiddy then went to leave the car at Whitesands Bay and walked back to meet us. This allowed Tim and I to walk the whole last leg having been delivered to the start point and then have the car waiting for us at the end. The day was once again grey with clouds that looked like rain but mercifully weren't. As before we saw lots of seals in the many bays far below us but today we saw something new. A seal who looked up at us on the cliff above was attacked by another seal in a most aggressive manner and then a chase which went up onto the rocks at which point if we leaned over any further we would have joined them on the beach below. Was it territorial aggression or seal foreplay? In the next bay were seal pups with their mother and an altogether more peaceful family scene. The penninsula went on forever. Alan came and met us and it seemed like many people were heading in the same direction as us including a hoard of schoolchildren. Tim and Alan left the last few steps to the actual head to me to arrive first. It was a moment of sheer bliss to be on a promintary at the end of a 1,500 mile walk with the sun coming out over a calm sea full of islands and to complete the scene there appeared from stage right an old sailing boat in full spectacular sail. We shared a few moments of bliss, disturbed a tranquil couple to take a photo or two then left to the busy Whitesands Bay and a beach full of tourists with their boogey boards and their wetsuits. We went by car to St. David's Cathedral which we enjoyed for a while before finishing in the refectory. What a wonderful and special place and a fitting place to end the 5 months walk. We stopped once on the M4 motorway for coffee and arrived in East Grinstead at 10pm. Waiting for us was Kaya, champagne and blinis. What a wonderful ending, what a wonderful trip. I feel so lucky and privilaged to have experienced and survived the last 115 days. My legs are weary and in need of rest. I feel gratitude for all that I have been allowed to experience. With that I end this years blogs.

The number 114 is forever etched in my memory as my old school number. It has appeared again as the penultimate day of this leg of my journey. Tomorrow I walk to St. David's Head and then all being well I shall be home in East Grinstead tomorrow night. Today we did a good 14 mile walk once again along an endlessly amazing coast path. The walk was a little easier than yesterday, that is to say there were a few more flat bits. After a lot of road walking, promenade walking and beach walking this is the best possible finale with a non-stop designated coastal path. It is me, the path, the coast, the sea, birds and wild life and the weather. The weather would be described as bad for beach folk and sun lovers, but great for walkers needing to put in the mileage. It was grey and cool with non of the sunny intervals forecast on TV. We passed some very pretty places, Tregwynt, Abercastle, Aberbraw and Porthgain. Again these villages are full of holiday homes. Houses being reinvented from their original purpose into pleasure places. There seems to be a vogue for painting their houses in bright colours, some of which show questionable taste. We got the Strumble Shuttle back to Trefasser which was where Alan's car was waiting for us. Three guys walking together is a recipe for lots of fun and laughter which was continued over supper. I thought my knee had gone at one point towards the end of today's walk but it was OK. I feel like an old crock and cannot believe that my legs can carry me like today for so many miles. When I swing out of bed, stand up and go downstairs in the morning the feeling is not good and I can only admit astonishment, admiration, and gratitude to this body of mine for being able to go along with what I ask of it and delivering me safely each day.

I had a leisurely start to the day knowing that Tim and Alan would not be here till midday. I walked a couple of miles through Goodwick to the end of a bus route where they joined me at 1.15pm. Tim had walked with me in Scotland earlier this year and both he and Alan had been with me on a memorable sailing day from Tolesbury way back in Essex. It seems like a lifetime away being in Essex. They were endless days of flat landscape where foot fatigue was an issue, not knee pain which has kicked in with a vengence since the Pembrokeshire Coast Path started three days ago. My legs are saying, 'Give us a break!' and the rest of me feels the same. To therefore have 2 close friends to jolly me through the last days is a huge help. The walk from Goodwick to Trefasser was 10 1/2 miles of once more blissful coastline but as tiring as before. From Strumble Head, where there is a pretty lighthouse, the landscape is reminicent of Scotland. The plant life is wonderfully colourful against the grey sky. We saw lots of seals way down below us in the sea and on the rocks. Even the lifeboat went into a bay beneath us to see what was going on. We passed the point marked by a monument of where the French invaded Britain in 1797 for 3 days before they surrendered in a pub in Fishguard where we had supper. Tim kept us going on the walk with eccles cakes which he had brought from Sussex. Now there are only 2 left and 3 of us to be catered for. We are staying the night back in Fishguard. We got back here on a bus called the Strumble Shuttle which goes from Newport to St. David's and is basically put on to ferry walkers up and down the path. We will be using it tomorrow again. We will also use this hotel again. We may have camped tomorrow but that is no longer an exciting prospect for me and the weather forecast is for more grey skies.

It was a bad night. The wind blew me awake at 4am, got worse and woke me again at 7am. By 7.30am I realised the wind was seriously against me and the motor I kept hearing could be the farmer coming with a pitchfork. It was a cold, grey and unwelcoming start to day 112 and my legs didn't want to move. It was my upper body strenghth that got them over the fence, and then will power to get back on the path, down 500feet and into Newport for breakfast. A man with a dog called Henry (an alsation this time) knew the coast path well and told me that yesterday's walk was the hardest coast path he knew of. I agreed and was glad not to have known that before setting off. I also didn't know about the famous blow-hole which made it all the more exciting for being alert enough to notice it and recognise it. The scenery all day today was once again breathtaking. Dinas Head sticks up and out into the sea half way between Newport and Fishguard. This area is full of Londoners who have bought property. 15 years ago they would have been wary of Welsh Nationalists but not any longer for those days are gone. There are some lovely villages and properties around quiet beaches. One especially on the east side of Dinas Head which had both a beach and a (ruined)chuch right beside it. I sang. I walked round the neck of the Head as I had neither the energy nor the time to go round. On the other side, I met Deborah from Hastings who walked with me for a bit. Yesterday I went past a group of 4 ladies who gave me 2 Twix bars. I got to Fishguard where the second place I visited had a room for me. My landlady is from Finland, knows Forest Row and worked in a Camphill home for 3 years. There are a lot of drunk males in Fishguard plus the usual teenagers travelling in packs but what frightened me were 3 vehicles racing up the High Street towards me, one of which was the cab of an articulated lorry. I had supper in the Royal Oak which is famous for being the sight where the French surrendered their invasion force in 1797. It was a historical farce but nonetheless true that this was the last time we were invaded and not 1066. Alan and Tim are joining me for the last few days. They leave Sussex at 6am.

I had badly miscalculated the distance today. The cliff paths are a lot further to walk than they appear on the map. After 17 miles of ups and downs my legs were done so I hopped over a fence to get away from the sheer 500ft. drop and set up camp for the night. It is my very own hill fort. It had got to 7.30pm, the wind was blowing colder and the light goes much earlier now. I had a good breakfast, fortunately in my overpriced Bank Holiday G a B and wanted to go to a Welsh Presyterian Chapel Service but the 10 o'clock service simply wasn't happening for some reason. I set off across the river out of Cardigan having digested the fact that it was Lord Cardigan who had got Lord Raglans order wrong at 'The Charge of the Light Brigade'. I charged along the estuary to Poppit Sands, a charming spot and the start of the Pembroke Coast Path. I've seen so much coastline and most recently enjoyed the Llyn Penninsula and the Ceredigion Coast Path but this is something else. OK, I was lucky with the weather but I have to say that as a coastal path, this is the best so far. The effort to construct it, put the signs up and open it was done way back in 1970 so it's time some of the signs were replaced, but it's very well marked. I saw all the geological features I'd taught in GCSE Geography last year including a blow-hole. I saw also a red kite and lots of choughs. No otters or bottle-nosed dolphins or mermaids, though.

From writing blog on beach to writing blog in Chinese restaurant. Andy had said last night that someone camped on exactly the same spot as me three weeks ago. Last night was the most heavenly experience. I fell asleep fully clothed with the tent open and woke up cold at 1 o'clock with the moon having risen above the far cliff. I closed up for the night and woke again in good time to pack everything away by 9 am and before anyone passed. In fact I didn't see anyone till breakfast which I took in a cafe close to the beach at Craig Cairlian. A good 2 miles cliff walk before breakfast makes a bacon, egg and sausage bap taste very special even with instant coffee. The best part of the Ceredigion (Cardigan) coast was to come. The peacefully soothing farmland, although undulating, gives no clue to the dramatic nature of the high cliffs, wonderful rock features, hidden coves and beaches. The path and landscape was as good as anywhere I have seen the whole journey which is now nearly 3,000 miles. Much of this path is brand new having only been opened in July of this year. This makes it too new to be on the o/s map and there will surely be more signs soon - there needs to be. A new £10 book is available to coincide with the opening but it is too heavy to carry and surely it should be clear to walk without the need for a book at all. There are a lot of iron age hill forts and I photographed some strange circles visible in a field leading up to one. Sadly it started to rain at Penbryn as forecast so I wasn't going to walk anymore of the cliff path which was muddy enough without rain. I was also exhausted having walked up and down steep slopes all day and was still a long way from Cardigan. Si I walked a few miles by road till I could walk no further and caught a bus the last few miles from Aberporth. The bus went via Mwnt - yet another delightful beach and once again a National Trust property. Across the estuary from Cardigan the Pembroke Coast Path starts and the last leg of this year's journey. Not sure about Cardigan. I found Llangrannog and the coast around it the best bit today. I was lucky to find a spare single room tonight - it was certainly the last in this Gwely a Brecwast.

What a difference good weather makes. I have had a reasonable night except for a group with one particulary loud Canadian voice in the next field who were still talking when I woke at 4 am and then a baby started crying. When I got up at 9 am I had thought of a few things to say to the Canadian but amazingly he was already up and was neadly 7 foot tall. I gave him a withering look and he put on music which was as dull as his voice last night. Aberaeron was heaving with Bank Holiday bustle, everyone pleased about the good weather. It's the busiest weekend of the year down here so livelihoods depend on the sun shining. It seems that the family unit is very close in Wales with grandparents having an especially important role. Lovely cliff top path to New Quay which was positively heaving, the seagulls deliriously happy with so many unfinished fish and chips around. The cliff path south was very slow going and I wasn't sure where I would end up. It's mayhem in the campsites and all accomodation is booked so I was prepared to wild camp since the weather was so good. I was tired by 6.30 pm when a heavenly beach appeared and behold a little flat patch beside the path aloft. There I am perched and have had a wonderful evening. On the menu was dried whitebait from Japan, miso soup also from Japan followed by a chicken and mushroom pie. I'm writing this on the beach as the tide comes in. It's a very dark night. Andy came up and sat down beside my tent as I was eating earlier. He told me this was all National Trust property which means there should be no camping. Andy was not bothered. He's a stay-at-home dad bringing up 2 children, so he was out for a walk having put them to bed and was glad to chat. I'm going to put myself to bed soon as there's nothing else to do but go to sleep with the sound of the sea in my ears.

I had a lovely breakfast with fresh orange juice, parma ham, toast and olive oil. It was a delicatessen where they made me the best baguette doused in olive oil, then pastrami, little gerkins and salad. I had seen Aberystwyth last night and a bit more today like the castle and harbour. I forgot to mention last night hearing presumably the local theatre group on a stage on the seafront singing Gilbert and Sullivan. The trio singing 'Three Little Girls from School' were U3A age which contributed towards the surreal situation with the high tide behind them smashing on the sea wall. Aberystwyth is the main town of mid Wales with lots going on. This week the town is taken over by thousands of Hasidic Jews who have an annual get together by the sea. I flagged down a bus to help me along a busy main road which was packed out with women and children off on an outing to a honey farm. All of them were eating and making a huge noise - suddenly, it wasn't like Wales anymore. I lost one of the lenses from my glasses somewhere on the roadside so I'm on the spare pair which I've been carrying for a hundred and eight days. They are not very good and make map reading rather difficult. Most of today was walking on quiet back roads, the cliff path being too wet and muddy. There was however a nice stretch of beach to walk along to Llanon. The pebbles were all very flat and good for walking on. I made it to Aberaeron to find the Bank Holiday weekend had already begun. The first campsite was full but the second had a pitch left on the far corner and next door to a man with his family from the Rhondda Valley. He'd seen me that morning in Aberystwyth and gave me a can of Irish beer to help me with getting the tent up. This area of Wales is very connected to Ireland much like Galloway and Liverpool. This is where Dylan Thomas used to come to go walking and relax in the pubs. It is indeed a charming village with colourfully painted houses around the harbour and provided me with the best fish and chips I've had this year. At last I've found out that bed and breakfast is Welsh is Gwely a Brecwast which explains G a B outside the B&Bs. It has not rained today and latterly the sun came out - rejoice! There's rugby pitches all over the place suddenly and they speak English with what I understand as being a Welsh accent unlike North Wales where they speak English English. From here people go for fun to Aberystwyth and to Swansea for shopping.

I was up early and with a cup of tea and then a wholesome muesli concoction from Bill who enjoyed making sure I was at the station to catch the train to Tywyn. The tide was very high so I had to walk behind the sand dunes and over the golf course to Aberdovey. To cross the River Dovey Estuary would not be far but there is no ferry crossing or bridge. Waiting for the train up the estuary, I met a girl with her mother. She was travelling all the way back to London to pick up her GCSE results. I hope my history and geography students do OK! The train took me up to Machynlleth where I had 45 minutes to look around. After Hells Mouth Beach this was my second hippy experience. A beautiful place and a market is all you need to find people seeking an idealistic lifestyle. So many of the first generation look as bad as the Vietnam veterans, the American versions decided not to be. Their children now carry the ideal further in a more calculated and sensible way and are now giving birth to the third generation who will hopefully find the answer to saving the planet. Borth is a cowboy seaside town which I got to by train. Walking along, I came across a van in the road advertising haircut, massage, nail cutting and ear cleaning. I was intrigued so looked in at the open sliding door. There was Henry on a plinth on all fours grinning with his tongue hanging out. Henry was a dog! Now I was out of Gwynedd and into Powys. The mountains of Snowdonia have given way to a landscape more like Devon. This meant the walk to Aberystwyth was very up and down - beautiful to look at but hard to walk. Today the weather was supposed to get better but it got worse. Not just rain but thunder as well. The cliff path would have been awful but the road was, too and I felt uncomfortable as it bent through the hills. At the end of it I met a man coming the other way and felt compelled to warn him that it was very dangerous. 'I know', he said, 'I do it everyday!'. I'm enjoying Aberystwyth. Like Bangor it has a university and a hospital but in addition it houses the National Library and is a seaside town. I'm in what my landlady describes as a sort of hostel. She runs a building with a load of rooms by the seafront beneath which she also runs laundrettes. I'm out of travel soap so was able to borrow some washing powder to do my clothes washing which I generally do every other day. The seafront has been done up and I had a very passable pizza in a pub which was on what is left of the pier. There have been floods a days march further down the coast. Surely the weather can only get better.

It was another challenging day as far as the weather was concerned. The wettest August for 100 years, so I am told. Bill walked with me across the estuary and up a steep climb inland to put me on the old pilgrimage track to Tywyn. The pedestrian path is alongside the rail track across the estuary. I had to pay a £0.70 toll for the privilage which gave splendid views but also close-ups of how shoddy the bridge is with considerable rust and corrosion over all the structure. We could see that the top of the hill was in cloud and could only hope that it would clear but it didn't. Bill went back once we were on top but he had done me a huge favour by guiding me up to over 1000 feet on a path through the forest which he knew well. I then had a mostly downhill walk through what I'm sure was wonderful scenery of which I saw only the very wet track where I had to watch my step. It rained on and off and in the wind Brolly took a battering from which she will soon need treatment. She has worked hard again this year and is in need of a rest. Only one week to go. I came out of the clouds to enjoy the village of Llanegryn and then got as far as Bryncrug where I had to stop to get a bus back towards Barmouth. I thought it would be a drag getting off the bus and having to retrace my steps back across the estuary to Barmouth but the scenery, although grey and forbidding was spectacular. I am spending a third night with Bill who is very sleepy after his walk up the mountain but still cooked a good meal. Like Brolly, I feel rather battered and am looking forward to finishing soon and enjoying the comfort of home. Autumn is in the air and the leaves are turning in preparation to drop as I am.