ALL ROADS LEAD TO CAM

During a whirlwind three days, it was good to see the family, but I found it difficult to renew my "vim & vigour" for the walk when the time came to leave but I started to feel more positive the nearer we got to Painswick, where we were meeting Hilary and Maurice.
After a night in Painswick, Keith tried to drop us off in Cam to commence walking. We discovered all roads lead to Cam, we saw a sign "Welcome to Cam" but we never actually found it. However, what we did find was a convenient place to pick up the Cotswolds Way.
We clambered up a hill towards a wood and after negotiating our way through a fallen tree we finally found it. We were hoping to find "Hetty Peglar's Tump" ( a Long Barrow) but didn't. What we did find was the trail of the 11th Gloucester Scouts. We found a deserted suspicious looking tub of white powder, next to a box of compasses, having earlier seen a stressed out scout leader shouting down a walky talky "they can't be lost". We followed the trail of white powder looking for a scout or two, but like the tump they were nowhere to be seen.
On leaving the wood we saw some amazing views from up high on Coaley Peak. It was such a good start to Hilary & Maurice's first day of three, scenery & weather, perfect.
We spotted a nice place for lunch on a wide open field. After unpacking our sandwiches, we saw the "Do not trespass" sign as it was a boarding school sports field,we carried on eating, as it was Saturday, and therefore we were unlikely to be hit by a flying Lacrosse Puck.
After lunch Hilary finally got possession of the map & didn't let go(now we know who Caitlin takes after).
As we made our way down to Painswick for the second nights stop, the views were stunning. Maurice was particularly stunned by the Painswick cricket ground in an idylic setting and they even had floodlights! Just coming out to bat after tea, we nearly lost him for the rest of the day.
However, the last half mile was up hill again and that's where we caught up with a very elderly couple slowly making their way to the top.
As we passed them by the old man asked Hilary "what does KBO mean?" She told him to which he replied "absolutely fantastic - you have done really well so far"
That evening the hotel was having a "Pig Roast and Dance which we decided not to gate crash and had an early night, but what a swine! they turned up the volume at 11.30 p.m. until the early hours.