…..And so to Nettlebed. Carrying our packs, bruises and hangovers we completed the last 19 miles into Goring on a stiflingly hot day, with some gorgeous views of Didcot Power Station, on a dusty, hard Ridgeway that hurt the feet. It is amazing how, so close to so many people, roads and towns, you feel aloof and removed from the bustle of life, lost in the rhythm of the walk and even though I guess some people were feeling the pace, the journey had to be finished. Finished where we ended our first ever walking tour, in the surroundings of Nettlebed Village Hall for a great final show and everyone on fine form. Lindsey and Benji really powered the rhythm section along, Tim’s fiddle soared under the controls of Oysterband sound maestro Tim Porter, Rowan just gets stronger and stronger and was in great voice while Al ‘s guitar anchored everything and glued us together. I am privileged to have such people round me and that goes for everyone who walked, welcomed us, met us along the way and shared in the journey. My thanks to everyone involved in any way, including the Reluctant Ramblers support team who make all this happen: Tom Povey, Fran Burge, Bev Bond, Colin Kirkby, Tim Porter and Caz White. JJ

  Join JJ on the 8th, 9th and 10th of October for walking in the beautiful Lake District. Three days of walking will finish with a gig in Threlkeld Village Hall. The walks will be around Threlkeld with accommodation available in nearby Keswick. Further details will follow. Click here for details of the Saturday concert.  

Just walking down into Goring – a mile to go – a good day after a splendid but rather heavy night at the Shoulder of Mutton last night! Completing 18 miles and two sessions yesterday really highlighted the extent to which these tours are about more than a passion for walking and music. It is also about taking the music to different places – in this case two great pubs (the Royal Oak in Bishopstone and the Shoulder of Mutton in Wantage) which so appreciated that we were there and gave us such warm welcomes. We were playing to some people who were there because of us, but also others who were just in the pub and knew little or nothing about us but by the end were asking us to play more!

Peter Fowler, the landlord, is shortly giving up the Shoulder of Mutton and we wish him all the best – as well as hoping that the spirit of a fantastic pub can be sustained. We’re so sorry not to have been able to fit more people in last night, it was a truly fantasic evening in a very tight-packed pub!

The Ridgeway has felt hard underfoot today but interestingly,  once we crossed the A34 heading east, it all seems emptier. We are in the heart of southern England among red kits, rolling cornfields and high drifting clouds, with time and space to take it all in. There are about 30 people walking with us today and more meeting us tonight. JJ says “This tour has been about the perfect distance and duration for me just now. Big thanks to the pubs, the audiences, the walkers and of course the band. If you want to join the next walking tour, keep 8th, 9th and 10th October free – details to follow!”

Last night’s show was the first Ramblers outing as a 5-piece: JJ, Al Scott, Rowan Godel, Tim Cotterell and Lindsey Oliver. It was a light and concentrated sound, very close to the audience, and the lyrics and harmonies came across really well. Big thanks to Andrew Bumphrey who promoted this sell-out show.
A long walk this morning led to the Royal Oak in Bishopstone, where the landlord Tim treated us superbly and we had a fabulous session in the garden – lots of people on a sunny day in a lovely pub in a beautiful village. The band has now been joined for the rest of the tour by Benji Kirkpatrick, so we had his traditional rendering of Voodoo Chile as well as Benji’s men singers alongside Rowan’s women singers.
A shorter walk this afternoon – 40 people and 5 dogs – took us to a total distance of 18 miles for the day. So here we are by the Uffington White Horse looking out across beautiful countryside and anticipating another great (sold out) session tonight.

27 walkers ready to leave Marlborough sharp at 9am. At 0920 Benji arrived and hurried off after them!

56 of us leaving the Red Lion, Avebury, to walk the stone circle. Humbled and elated with turnout. On the Ridgeway with high cumulus clouds promising fair weather, the downs shimmering with winter wheat caught in the wind. The Reluctant Ramblers are off agaim. JJ