Day 17 - Kidderminster to Featherstone (22 miles approx)

I decided the place where I had walked to yesterday and stopped at (North Kidderminster) was no fun. I decided to get a bus from Bewdley into central Kidderminster and take the canal path a bit further than I had done the day previously. Before I continue with todays tale let me rewind to 6:45am and my alarm clock sounding...

I woke to the same indescribable smell I had gone to sleep with. If I hadn't been so tired last night I would have moved to a decent hotel at the drop of a hat, but I didn't. Now I was laying in a dirty room, looking through dirty windows, smelling the dirty air. I could not wait to leave but before I left I HAD to see the effort made for breakfast. In Tripadvisor someone had commented that the food hall was even worse and that the chef looked like lurch. Sure enough he did, and it was, and so I left... To the bus and Kiddi.

The morning walk started perfectly. I was once again fully laden yet I still had a spring in my step (Mr Elliott's work was paying dividends). I think of all the walking I've done the tow paths have been the most relaxing. There's no reward as such with them but you can't fail but to be fully relaxed after a 10 mile jaunt along quiet tow paths. Friendly boaters bidding you a good morning and telling you what a lovely day it is. Just perfect. However this was still a challenge and the meandering was costing me miles so I broke away from the tow path and made my way to Wolverhampton via the sub and main roads.

I'm an avid Wolves supporter and I was really keen to see the home of Wolves style of the beautiful game, Molineux. I kept glancing at my map but all I had was my gps on my phone for most of today and you could only see fine detail if you zoomed in further than I wanted to. I gave up looking for Molineux and promised myself a return there one day soon. As I rounded a corner my jaw dropped. By chance my route had taken me to the front entrance of Molineux! I was delighted! I'm still delighted! I went in and had a good nose around. I could not stop smiling. So so happy. I've promised myself I'll still go back there but next time hopefully with a ticket to a game. For now I had to tear myself away. So happy!

I continued on through Wolvehampton and I watched as a man deliberate tossed his rubbish into a hedge, lit a cigarette, finished a bottle of drink, tossed that in the hedge, then attempted to make a phonecall (which failed probably because the Cro-Magnon man couldn't recall how the noise box worked). I wondered what it is with cities. I'm not saying you don't get litter louts outside of cities but to be so blatant and think it was cool, surely that's got to be some kind of 'display'. I'm not sure what it is and if I work it out well line up The Nobel for me!

Suddenly my senses were being assaulted. Wolverhampton has a tyre making factory. I've worked in some factories in the past but wow. This hummed like nothing I'd smelt before (even at last nights accommodation). Pew, I hastened on and then I was in leafy suburbia once again. The pack weight was starting to make my feet ache. I still had 4 miles to go. Time to dig deep and trudge on.

I arrived in Featherstone at about 5pm and at the Featgerstone Farm house at about 5:15pm. I'd been day dreaming of a little picturesque farm house in stunning surroundings. I nearly cried when I saw it. It was better than my day dream. Rufus let me in and should me to the most comfortable room ever. Complete with a bath. I iced my feet and ankles in the coldest water for 10 minutes then bathed away the rest of the days strains and stresses (like there had been any).

Today was a good day. It was cloudy, it rained, the clouds cleared, the sun shone. The World kept turning as it always does but today... today was a good day.

Tomorrow I head towards Uttoxeter and tomorrow nights accommodation.. Well I'll tell you more about that tomorrow.