The Walking Fool

I have possibly spoken before of my love of walking. I'm not talking walking as a means of transport - I much prefer a fast car for that, or at a pinch a motorcycle, moped or even a cycle. As a means of getting from A to B in a hurry walking sucks. And walking around town, shopping and such, is a chore rather than a pleasure. To quote (badly, as ever) I think it was Nicholas Rhea (author of the Heartbeat books) or possible James Herriot (author of the equally popular Vets books) - I've read both many times and must admit I've probably confused myself, but anyway the quote refers to one of the farmers visiting a city and complaining that he couldn't walk properly as it was "all big steps and little steps" - in the city you just can't get going because someone else is in the way. Usually a little harmless old lady armed with a lethal weapon otherwise known as an umbrella.
No, the walking I enjoy, as a hobby, a harmless and cheap hobby which doesn't cause any one else any problem is walking or possibly hiking if you prefer, in the country. Isolated areas where you can walk for hours without seeing another sole are brilliant, it's just you against the elements, with just a map and compass, a rucksack, and a pack of sandwiches, surviving on your wits.
In my youth, which is now increasingly further away, I would walk simply with a back pack containing a kagoul and some sandwiches. In those days if I got lost I simply walked further and stayed out longer until I found the car again. I was a walking fool. I didn't think of the consequences of an accident, or a sudden change in the weather. I was young, and seemingly immortal.
These days when I walk I take with me a mobile phone, a SatNav/GPS, maps, compass, sleeping bag, groundsheet and cover sheet to make an emergency shelter, enough food for two days minimum, enough water to sink the Belgrano, a stove, pans, kettle, torches, matches, first aid kit, bug spray, sun screen, frost bite preventer....... the list goes on. I also rarely walk alone now, in case of accident. Whereas I would think nothing of solo walks in my foolish youth I now worry about what happens if I break an ankle. So I take along friends, work colleagues and family just in case.
Which brings me to my point. There is already a website entitled "The walking Englishman" and another called "the Yorkshire walker" so I was struggling for a name by which I could be known on my blog as a walker of Yorkshire parts without infringing someone else's nickname. There are of course many kinds of fool too. Mr T has copyrighted the "Crazy Fool" there is the Money Fool, Car Fool and Financial Fool. Tom Hanks made the Running Fool famous in the film "Forest Gump." So I guess that leaves me as "The Walking Fool." - because despite being all grown up and sensible, yesterday I walked nine miles across barren moorland without seeing another sole, on my own, without anyone knowing where I was or when exactly I would be back. And I enjoyed it immensely.