But the difference between this trip and any other I've been on is that although I know I did learn a lot about myself, now I'm back I can't for the life of me remember what it was. It reads as a bit 'dated' but then that's also interesting, as it reminds me of how life was in England in the 70's (80's? This book was fab because of the humour and for Mark's honesty about the people he met along the way and the things he encountered. Years ago I would have awarded it 5 stars but it is now at times shockingly dated and Mark comes across as a very careless dog owner, as perhaps people were in 1986.

THE BOOK Omnibus edition of Mark Wallington's two humour/travel classics featuring the much-loved Boogie. You can change your choices at any time by visiting Cookie preferences, as described in the Cookie notice.As soon as I read the open description about Minehead I had confidence that Mr Wallington was going to capture the spirit of South West England, and he didn't disappoint. Again, from having no idea how to skull an ancient skiff, he soon settles into the routine of raising with the dawn (or some time in the morning), skulling gently for a few miles and whiling away his time chatting to lock-keepers and studying the wildlife.

This wouldn't make much of a traveller's guide but, what he does do and say is easy-going, well phrased and gently amusing. It is no ‘how to’ guide and you will gain little, if any, insight into what is now part of the South West Coast Path. Gear talk: Pad-Pal, the world’s smallest and lightest electric pad inflator is getting smaller and lighter!Raynor Winn mentions it in The Salt Path as being a book she’d read years before starting out on her own walk along the path. No missing or damaged pages, no creases or tears, no underlining or highlighting of text, and no writing in the margins. Finance is provided by PayPal Credit (a trading name of PayPal UK Ltd, Whittaker House, Whittaker Avenue, Richmond-Upon-Thames, Surrey, United Kingdom, TW9 1EH).

He's supposed to be accompnnied by Jennifer, his on-off girlfriend, but when she fails to turn up, he takes his dog, Boogie - well, more that he can't find anywhere to have him for the duration.Two books in one, I enjoyed the walk around the South West Coastpath more than the rowing up the Thames river. The first story is a light-hearted travel tale of the author's walk round the Devon/Cornwall coastline, with an introduction to the inimitable Boogie, both right up my street. Three decades later, I'm chortling over this book at a second-hand book stall and the nice lady in charge lets me have it for free.