{"id":1018,"date":"2012-11-06T08:53:58","date_gmt":"2012-11-06T08:53:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/martinblack.com\/?p=1018"},"modified":"2017-02-22T16:29:56","modified_gmt":"2017-02-22T16:29:56","slug":"hit-the-north-stage-4-whittlesey-to-peterborough","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/martinblack.com\/oldsite\/2012\/11\/hit-the-north-stage-4-whittlesey-to-peterborough\/","title":{"rendered":"Hit the North! \u2013 Stage 4: Whittlesey to Peterborough"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is stage four of the\u00a0Hit The North expedition<\/a>.<\/p>\n

I arrived in\u00a0Whittlesey and stopped off at the Sunshine Cafe for a\u00a0fortifying\u00a0fry-up.<\/p>\n

\"Brunch
Brunch at Cafe Sunshine, Whittlesey<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After a quick snoop around for books in the Sally Anne charity shop I headed westwards out of town. \u00a0For a while I walked along Delph Dike…<\/p>\n

\"Swans
Swans on Delph Dike<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

…and passed by the intersection with Morton’s Leam. \u00a0The Leam, which runs all the way to Peterborough, was first cut in the 1480s, the work was funded by the bishop of Ely,\u00a0John Morton.<\/p>\n

Gazing down the Leam was\u00a0probably\u00a0the highlight of the walk, everything afterwards was somewhat grey and dismal.<\/p>\n

\"Morton's
Morton’s Leam<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The path took me alongside the River Nene,\u00a0unfortunately\u00a0the path also runs alongside a busy road. \u00a0The clouds were grey and turning to a threatening black towards Peterborough.<\/p>\n

Eventually, after what seemed like miles and miles, I left the busy road and took a quiet paved path along the bank of the Nene.<\/p>\n

I caught sight of\u00a0Peterborough\u00a0cathedral in the distance and watched a hawk hovering over a field but these sightings were not enough to lift my fast fading spirits.<\/p>\n

\"The
The Nene in a grey and dismal landscape<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Feeling fed-up and demoralised by the grey clouds, spitting rain and dull countryside I turned to my ‘smart’ phone and on YouTube found some swinging bop by Shelley Manne and his Men<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Shelley
Shelley Manne helping out<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After a few minutes the tune had loaded and suddenly the greyness abated and was\u00a0replaced\u00a0by a rainbow of lush jazz sounds. \u00a0Immediately\u00a0my mood lifted, a smile appeared on my face, a tuneless whistle leapt from my lips and the world was good once more.<\/p>\n