From the youth hostel I easily found my way back to the coast path and CLEVELAND Way. It was sunny with only a slight breeze from the southwest. Life felt good and re-enforced with Black Sheep ale from last night,bit of a liquid supper from the previous evening, I felt strong. I had fields of wheat on my left, and a near flat sea on my right. The heads of the wheat hug heavy and as I plucked a few heads the seeds were hard and no longer unripe milky and soft . I could here cracking as the heads bowed with the dryness of the stem. It was warm the walking. Dipping my cap in a stream at Hayburn Wyke that I decended to from a cheerful place called RODGER TRODD. A drip from my cap peak splashed on my map, the water was blue,the dye from my cap was coming out, if I wasn't bald I would of had a blue rinse and as far as I knew my head may even be blue, something out of Braveheart. I ambled along the coast cheerful that it was dry, yes I had confidently said to a fellow hosteler that it would say dry today. It didn't. Three hours on into walking the clouds I was convinced would miss me opened, and the distant thunder was no longer so distant. My lovely dry waterproofs had to be donned as torrents fell. As the rain turned the odd spot I took no longer needed shelter in an old coast guard lookout, it more because I wanted a sit down than shelter. At Ravenscar I bought an expensive can of drink at the Nat. Trust shop before walking on to RobinHoods bay. I watched air sea rescue helicopter do some sort of manovoures on a distant headland. As I came out of Boggle Hole I asked a chap if he knew what was happening , he replied " I haven't a clue and I'm the coast guard. I carried on. I headed inland to a campsite called MIDDLEWOOD FARM HOLIDAY PARK.It felt along way in land , my feet were prunes again and sore from the wet experience grass. It was a nice track but up hill and I was tired. I got to the site, a multi coloured array of family tents with each an attached family. Kids played in the play area and charged around far to happy. At the well organised reception I asked for a pitch with a ten pound note in hand. The chap behind the counter asked if I was doing the Coast to Coast because Robin Hoods bay is a start or finish there. I explained what I was doing and he disappeared into the bosses office to return saying do I have proof.? Pathetically I produced a laminated A4 sheet with our walk motif, a letter was required. I said I have an email on my phone. Of course my phone was dead and on hearing the seven pound charge if not I dug in my pack for the spare battery. I could not find it, out came the tent, stove,dirty pants. He then piped up with I can check on line, he looked convinced I was pulling a fast one. Hanging over the tall counter I directed him to this blog. A picture of me smiling in a less faded cap appeared ,I mimiced the same smile and looking defeated he said "Thats you, pitch where you want. " I hasterly bundled kit back in and did just that between two enormous ten berthers and families to match. I was soon at home mixing with the decadent neighbours before nursing feet and sleep.
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