Quintin Lake

As his ankle recovers, Quintin’s coastal journey gathers momentum while Blackpool Tower beckons

AFTER seven weeks’ rest, the tendon injury in my foot is starting to heal, and I return tentatively to the trail. Progress is slow, and rests are frequent, but feeling the cool sea breeze on my face again makes me feel like I’m home.

Fortunately the ground is flat, as my ankle feels like it’s lost strength after being encased for the previous weeks. I shuffle along like a geriatric insect with two trekking poles. It takes me four days to reach Preston, when previously it would have taken me one.