Phil to the Rescue

Well, what can I say about Phil Hancock?
Just a very big thank you.

With Phil Hancock Phil treating my ankle
Phil Hancock, treating my ankle. When I arrived at North Tawton on the Saturday I could barely walk, my ankle was so swollen. It was only by chance that I went over with Muriel Goodman to Phil`s house (she had to pick up her son Charles). Phil said come in, and he worked miracles. It was already feeling better when walked back out.


From the walk diary


"Saturday May 27th was a dark gloomy day, and when I woke up my ankle was very sore. I had to hobble downstairs for breakfast with Valerie and John. Any hopes that I might have had of walking on to North Tawton were completely dashed. It was a big problem - I had to get there somehow, and there were no buses from Rose Ash. I tried to sound cheerful, but I was feeling very down at heart, and even afraid that I might have to abandon the rest of the walk, my ankle was so bad.
Caroline Harvey rang, and she said that she and Neil could take me over to North Tawton. They had to go that way, they said, as they were looking to buy a boiler ( a more energy efficient one, so that their journey could be said to have a Green dimension to it) I thanked them, realising there was nothing else I could do.

Over breakfast I had said to John that if I had had a walkingstick, that might have saved me from  me falling so badly. A little later he said, "!`ll see if I can make you one, I might be able to cut a stake from the hedge".  He went off into the garden (despite the rain) and reappeared with a stick that was really a work of art, just like an old shepherds stick, with a fork at the top.

Neil and Caroline turned up after lunch. Valerie was up the lane with Williiam, the Dartmoor pony. He had been on loan to keep their old horse company, but sadly he had died, so William was going back to his owners. We said goodbye - in the rain. I didn`t know how to thank Valerie and John enough, they had been so kind.

I don`t remember much of the journey - it rained so much you couldn`t see the countryside that we drove through.  We arrived at Nichols Nymet House and I staggered in, finding it difficult even to walk. Muriel had not been up long - not because she is lazy but because she had been working nights (she is a midwife, as well as being a picture framer, running a B&B with her husband Paul, and being a mother of two teenagers.)
We all had a cup of tea, and then when Caroline and Neil had gone on, Muriel said did I want to come with her to Phil`s house (she had to pick up her son Charles from there). Obviously I did, as I hadn`t seen him in person to say thankyou for the outfits, but little did I realise that he would be able to fix my ankle as well. I have never met as many multi-talented people as I have done on this walk!

Phil said come in, and he worked miracles. It was already feeling better when  I walked back out...... not finished