Leaving Knighton with warnings of hard climbs ahead ringing in my ears. I remembered meeting an ex-countryside ranger while only a few miles into the walk back in Chepstow. After telling me how hostile the locals were to walkers, how they were the principle vandals of waymarking signs, he left me with the encouragment "Don't worry, there are a few flat bits."
So I walked off glancing suspiciously at net curtains, imagining pernicious locals clutching loaded air rifles in their sweaty hands, waiting for the click, ping, wizz, ouch of their success. I should have paid more attention to the 'few flat bits' repeating it over in my mind like a new age mantra. I left Knighton via a very, very steep grassy climb. On reaching the top and after pausing to take in the view of Peinghton down the valley. I noted how it was then straight down into the next valley bottom (a cwm). That went on all day! It was like alternating every half hour of a working day on a stair machine on its highest setting. I dropped into more bottoms than I care to remember that day!

Relief came in the shape of some r&r with Carol, (visiting billynomatesonoffasdyke.com on her way to see her daughter in Nottingham), in Bishopscastle, an h'or d'oerve of Three Tuns Bitter-brewed inhouse- followed by some particularly satisfying Russian cuisine.

The second of the trails flat bits -the first being The Hatterall Ridge on the Black Mountains-lay ahead from Welshpool to Llanymynech along the now restored Montgomery Canal. Stopping for a quick half in the Powis Arms with Dave and Deryn (my xmas card list is growing exponentially!) I set off waterside.

A beautiful walk along the canal culminated in the sight of the aquaduct over the Severn. Though I was due for another dose of night terrors the suggestion by a local that I might like to stay at the Bradford Arms Hotel seemed invitation enough.

Bob Hedley, who runs it with his wife Cathy offered me a five pound discount if I could crack the maths home work of their 10 year old.

"Can you get across the river using 3,5,7,8 each time plus minus brackets, blah blah blah"

"NO"

They gave me the discount anyway, Bob owning that jovial effervescence that seems to be the default of Northumberlundrians, (Corbridge)he also gave me £10.00 sponsorship, being well acquainted with Diabetes through both his parents having it.

This is a four star hotel masquerading under three, The leek, mushroom and onion pancake with white wine sauce, washed down with a couple of pints of Black Sheep Bitter was worth what ever it was of anybody's money.

With a talking three legged cat called Charlie "'meowt....neow" (let me out...now).
And a wife that cuts the jewels of every male within a machetes length of her, (Bob's been done twice!) - a predeliction I thought perculiar only to my own mother before today. Replete and recharged I legged it!
On their recommendation next stop Selattyn.