TGO Challenge 2010 - Day 14 - A Wet Day around Montrose

Having walked Day 14's route on Day 13, an enjoyable and relaxing time was had around Montrose with Graham B, chatting to both old friends and complete strangers as they drifted in to the Park Hotel from their various finishing points.

We popped out to St Cyrus, in the hope of a stroll along the beach. But the heavens opened. The café by the bus stop had been expecting its annual surge in business a week earlier, so they were relieved to get it today. My 'ploughmans' was excellent. A stream of Challengers passed through before heading to the bus stop. A lucky trio - Andrew, John and Norma - all part of this year's 'Lochailort Tribe' enjoyed being delivered to the door of the Park in Graham's charabanc.

More of the same - rain, chats, to and fro from the camp site, refreshments, etc, until the bar gradually filled prior to the traditional Thursday evening dinner attended by over 200 Challengers and the great and good from TGO magazine.

MC Roger Smith conducted proceedings impeccably as always, with all Challengers in the room being called upon to take a bow according to the number of Challenges they have completed, plus a special mention of certain individuals, absent friends and overseas participants.

Then special awards to those who had just completed their 10 crossings - including Mike Knipe, the infamous Pie Man of Crook Town, followed by just two awards for those who completed their 20th crossings this year - to a very Proud Scotsman and an equally proud (not to say eloquent) Englishman from Settle.

After that, before more time in the bar and a very late stagger back to the camp site - a surprise - a new award.

More of that later.

So, that's almost it. The 31st TGO Challenge is nearly over. Stragglers will arrive on Friday and proceedings will draw to a close. Then preparations for next year's event will swing into process. It's a year round job for Roger Smiith, the stalwart organiser of the event.

I should also mention Cameron McNeish's announcement that Emily Rodway will shortly be taking over from him as editor of TGO magazine. Cameron will become 'Editor at Large', whatever that is.

There will be a short further posting and the insertion of an index and a few more images and tidying up of information, with links to a web page and a slide show. It'll be a couple of weeks before that happens. In the meantime I plan to rest and recuperate in sunnier climes far away from the Montrose Rain, which seems strangely absent from today's snap of a small section of the final camp - it's an illusion!

Sent using BlackBerry® from Orange