The ramblings, happenings and meanderings of Ratty Golightly.
Hello Friend
Fancy joining me for a ramble of sorts? Walking is my daily go-to for clearing the mind, gathering ideas and keeping the sanity in check. Sometimes I wander with a friend, the smalls and almost always the four-legged beasties. It turns out that May is National Walking month so it’s perfect timing to share all I love about a romp in the fresh air. Read on for my top five things to walk with, this week’s social survey results and a 15% discount for Ratty Golightly.
The Rat’s 5 great things to walk with…
1) A friend
Today marks the end of Mental Health Awareness week in the UK. The theme for the week has been loneliness. Hands up who relished the point of lockdown when we were finally all
owed to take a walk with a friend. There’s something about walking with a friend that makes chat so easy - its doesn’t have to be the big issues, it can just be comments
about the things you see and spot. I’m so grateful for Adventure Fridays with one of my besties, we cover all manner of topics on our rambles - definitely the easiest and cheapest therapy. I find a walk with one of the smalls also pays off as they seem to open up more when they're not being eyeballed across the kitchen table. Next time you fancy a chat or need an opinion, ask a friend for a walk and reap the joy-filled benefits of putting the world to right in the open air.
2) A dog
It goes without saying that I love walking the dogs. The BEST thing about having a dog is the reason to walk. Whatever the weather they need to go out and that does wonders to force the frazzled or anxious brain out of the house. Our village is full of dog-walkers so its also a lovely chance to catch up -even if you only know the people by the dog’s name.
Find a dog walk near you with the help of Ordnance Survey's 10 Best Dog Walks. (I've completed two of these so I'd best get travelling to seek out the others).
For those looking to celebrate their dog, I’ve the perfect gift (Father’s Day
is coming up too). You can now order a Ratty Golightly Dog print with a personalised name on.
3) A podcast
Morning walks are my time for podcasts. I’m always searching for more to listen to as working alone provides plenty of airspace. During the recent passport misery (click here for instagram details), walking and podcast listening completely saved the Rat-soul. I discovered this brilliant Radio 4 show - What Really Happened in the Nineties? . Presented by Robert Carlyle it's a brilliant dive into the 1990s, drawing conclusions about life today and their early beginnings almost 30 yrs ago. For chat and viewpoints, I love Emma Gannon's Control, Alt, Delete podcast. And for brilliant small business marketing advice there's Helen Perry's Just Bloody Post It.
4) A good bag
Longer walks require supplies (especially with the smalls) - water, dog treats, snacks, sketchbook & pencils, pants (not mine), talc (nothing gets sand off like it)….the list goes on. For these camel-like moments nothings beats my trusty Fjallraven Kanken. Once yellow and now a little adventure weary, the simple backpack holds way more that you'd imagine.
For the less cumbersome of walks or striding about town, a little cross-body bag is perfect for carrying phone, sunglasses and hip-flask. The super-smart striders may choose something like this little number from Javelin Online. The little bag option is especially handy for days when you're without pockets.
5) A snack
Adventure Fridays almost always seem to start at car park locations with nearby refreshment opportunities but occasionally we find ourselves at a location without. For these times there's flapjack which along with Kendall Mintcake and a banana must be top of the list of hiking fuel.
Makes 12.
Grease a baking tray and preheat oven to 160 C.
Ingredients:
175g Marg (we use dairy free).
175g Demerara Sugar
2 tbsp Golden Syrup
225g porridge oats
Melt the Marg in a large pan together with sugar and syrup.
Once melted, remove from the heat and add the oats. Mix really well.
Spoon the oats mixture into the baking tray and spread evenly.
Put the tray on the middle shelf of the oven and bake for approx. 25 mins.
Take the tin out of the oven and after about 10 mins. Cut into pieces and leave in tin until cold.
Wrap up and take on your next adventure.
The results of this week's social survey:
"Where's your fav place to walk?"
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Thank you for reading, see you next time.
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