In July of this year I will be walking the 84 mile long Hadrian’s Wall footpath. I am doing this in aid of The Joseph Salmon Trust, a charity that provides financial support to parents who have lost a child. This might be help with things like funeral costs for those struggling to afford them, or to allow the self employed to take time off in order to grieve.
Over the next nine days I will be showcasing the bloggers that will be hiking the trail with me.
Arjan from Dutchnid
On my trip to Wisconsin last year I was talking to my friend Greg about the people who comment on the blog.
“That Arjan” he observed “comes across like a really nice guy”.
Never a truer word was said.
Arjan is our sole Dutch walker (unless you count Martin, who’s Irish really), and at 25 is the youngest member of Team Ocelot. He’s unfailingly warm, pleasant, enthusiastic, and supportive. And his English is a hell of a lot better than my Dutch.
Arjan blogs rather sporadically over at Dutchnid. He writes about a variety of stuff, Warhammer 40k, Dutch culture, photography, films, and his every day life. I’m always pleased when I see that he’s posted in my feedreader, and only wish he’d do so more often. His posts highlighting models he has painted always fascinate me. No mater what your opinion on the merits of wargaming, you can’t deny that painting this level of detail on a figure only a couple of inches high is anything but amazing:
Arjan’s blog is a window into another world, similar – but also very different to my own (Sinterklaas? what on earth is all that about then!?).
I’m pretty sure I first encountered Arjan over at Lee’s blog, although it was so long ago now I can’t really say for sure. Our friendship is a good example of how blogging can bring together disparate people who never would have met otherwise. I’m glad we did meet though, and I’m very much looking forward to doing so in person this July.
Cathrine from Some Vague Utopia
Cathrine wasn’t a blogger before signing up to Hadrian’s Walk – but she thought she may as well start one up seeing as though half the other walkers have one. You can now find her over at her wonderful blog Some Vague Utopia
If I remember rightly we first “met” in my comments section when she responded to one of my rant’s about misery memoirs.
There is another connection however. Both she and her fiance Richard are friends of Oli Walker, one of the original Dales Walkers. Still there is no reason to hold that against them, and I’m extremely pleased that both of them are coming on the walk. Especially as they have decided to arrange their own accommodation and food, thereby not acting as contributory factors to my impending nervous breakdown.
Considering she’s only just started, Catherine has managed to avoid all the pit traps of the novice blogger. She’s forgone all the tales of what she had for lunch at Debinhams cafe and painfuly dreary accounts of the dream she had last night, and gone straight in with interesting posts, wonderful prose, and beautiful photos.
The swine.
If you would like to learn more about the Hadrian’s Walk then you can visit our website. If you would like to donate then you can do so here.
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Plus Arjan is always right up at the top. He must wait in anticipation of every one of your posts.
I got you this time though, Arjan!
Great idea featuring all those great bloggers. I will check them out.
Seattledad (Luke, I am Your Father)´s last blog ..The Afterthought
@Seattledad (Luke, I am Your Father), heh, yeah. If I were to have a prize for most number of comments here I’m sure he’d win it by miles. I’ve always really appreciated his support.
..you removed the edit function? Now strange is misspelled …there goes my English.
Arjan´s last blog ..Micmacs à tire la larigot
@Arjan, huh?
@Dan, it didn’t give me the 4 minutes of edit time. So I guessed you removed it..maybe it was just a quirk or my stupid browser?
In Chrome I dó get the edit function *now editing* In IE I didn’t see it.
Arjan´s last blog ..Micmacs à tire la larigot
@Arjan, I haven’t touched anything so either it’s your browser of one of my editorial assistants has been tampering with things. Not that I have editorial assistants, so it’s probably your browser:)
I too will be interested to meet Arjan, one of the few commenters left at my blog. Albeit for one night only on the Wednesday…
Sam´s last blog ..A Hughes in Iran
@Sam, he’s certainly the only one who isn’t related to you and so comes out of a sense of obligation.
84 miles??? That’s a bit more than the occasional long walk, I guess. Stupid question: what kind of shoes survive such a walk? Can you still feel your feet after that?
Metropolitan Mum´s last blog ..There’s a place called Kokomo
@Metropolitan Mum, most walking boots are up to it.
But trust me, you can definitely feel your feet by the end.
Hahaha so, me to Richard : “Look at the lovely thing Dan wrote about me on his blog!”
Richard: “It should be sow surely, not swine?”
“Thanks.”
Catherine´s last blog ..Waifs and strays
@Catherine, I do apologize. Of course I should have said sow. Or maybe heifer? No, no, sow is definitely the one.
@Dan, lol, totally lumbered into that one!
Catherine´s last blog ..Waifs and strays
Excellent, an A to Z of who I am likely to offend during this walk, I wonder if offence will be caused alphabetically?
Based on your bold claim; ‘you can’t deny that painting this level of detail on a figure only a couple of inches high is anything but amazing’
I reckon it stands a fair chance.
Ian´s last blog ..Parenting tourettes
@Ian, I’d like to see you try it matey.
You manage to offend most people before you even get in the room (if you are downwind of course)
@Dan, That’s the thing, I don’t try, it just seems offence follows me around, just like that smell you kindly mentioned.
Ian´s last blog ..Parenting tourettes
I have found this blog interesting…
I have a tiny “following” on my blog…….generally people who like me, love their chickens ( and a few who like the lifestyle choice and movies—my other passion)
I love the fact that blogland resembles the POSEIDON ADVENTURE! ie a few mixed character brought together in the face of , well if not adversity, a common interest of words, events and pastimes!!
perhaps I am shelley winters?
peace!
john´s last blog ..Turkey dances
@john, that is a fascinating point actually – the POSEIDON ADVENTURE! comparison (I’m assuming the done thing is to capitalize).
I feel a post waxing lyrical on this coming up soon.
@Dan,
wax away!!!
I HOPE you’re going to mention that I’m the SECOND youngest walker, when you get to E.
Erin´s last blog ..It hasn’t really been that bad