We’re in Thurnham tonight, just north of Bearsted in Kent, where we left off two years ago, thwarted by Covid and the consequent lockdowns. Tomorrow we set off for Charing Hill for our third to last day into Canterbury. We’ll be joined by John an old friend from Tom’s days in Kent and we very much look forward to it – much to talk about and catch up on. Weather forecast looks pretty reasonable and signs of spring are emerging. This morning, on his way to chair a WFA meeting, Tom witnessed hawthorn in leaf for the first time this year and the blackthorn has been in flower at home for about a week now. We’ve got twelve or thirteen miles to do tomorrow, so that’s not too bad for a first day back, but we’re carrying full packs now, as we will for the onward journey down through France – not too heavy but more than just a day-pack.
We received a bit of a body blow a couple of days ago in an SMS message from P&O Ferries with whom we’d booked our crossing to Calais. Having reopened ferries to foot passengers at the beginning of February, the message told us that “for operational reasons” they were suspending access for foot passengers again, saying they would only honour our booking if we turned up in a car! We immediately wrote to the CEO of P&O Ferries to explain our predicament and that pilgrims on foot don’t usually have a car with them, and asking for his help – perhaps by providing us with a vehicle, or accommodating us in some other way. Tom signed off the letter with a defiant quote from John Bunyan “There’s no discouragement will make him once relent his first avowed intent to be a pilgrim.” We await a positive response.
If in the meantime anyone fancies a return trip to Calais on 24th March with their car for free and could take a couple of forlorn pilgrims on the outward trip then please get in touch via tomandjulie@salisburytorome2020.com.