On a hot summer day we took a walk at Cheesefoot Head passing a view down to a natural amphitheatre, Matterley Bowl, which gained a place in history when General Eisenhower addressed over 100,000 Allied troops there prior to D-Day in 1944.
We had just entered Whistlers Wood when we met a walker with his backpack coming towards us. We stopped to pass the time of day and discovered he was following The South Downs Way. Having started from Eastbourne, he was on the last leg of his 100 mile journey nearing the finishing point of Winchester.
Richard had been walking for nine days, of which one had been a rest day. Ray was interested to speak with him as he also walked The Way a few summers ago with a friend.
After a bit I asked Richard for a photo explaining my strangers' portrait project. He was quite agreeable and I took several shots with my iPhone, the first time I had taken a portrait with it. I think it did OK.
Richard is a family man with grown-up children and lives in Horsham. He runs his own engineering firm and is a churchwarden.
I was conscious that we were keeping him from his goal so apologised, to which he replied that he was quite glad of a chance to stop and rest a bit. With a promise to send him photos we parted company wishing him well.
Checking my Fitbit, I noted that I had walked a mere 1.45 miles of The South Downs Way......
