a)  Elderly lady and elderly dog - moved way to the side of a tree lined path to let me pass in the opposite direction where she picked up a stout broken branch and glared at me as I passed. Bade her good afternoon but no response.

b)  Young lady with a puppy on a long lead coming towards me on a tree lined path. Young lady passed after a brief greeting but the puppy would not - just put its front legs ramrod straight. Young lady could not coax it past me and had to return to pick it up. Maybe it dogs that are scared of me not females !.

c)  Crossing a field spotted a male sheep with its horns caught in the perimeter wire fence. Had to manhandle it free from the wire – it then urinated in thanks - before running off back to the rest of the flock.

d)  Crossing another field a flock of sheep scattered before me with three deciding to jump the fence for some reason. Two made it over the wire fence to the next field but the third caught its hind legs between the top two wire strands and ended up hanging upside down. Had to pull the top two twisted wires apart and manhandle it free – then as before - in thanks it urinated - before running after the two other escapees.

e)  Two fields next to each other the first with a Billy Goat and the next with the females. Crossing the first field heard galloping behind me rapidly closing and just missed getting butted in the legs. The Billy Goat tried another four times before I gently hit it then it kept its distance. The females in the next field flocked behind me as I crossed their field so I think I won the contest that day.

f)  Fields with young cows I will offer no advice on as there are people trampled every year. Suffice to say I have my own particular solution. Best to avoid unless absolutely no choice.

g)  Exiting a path from a wood leading onto a B road with an informal lay-by that dog walkers use I was approaching the perimeter hedge when two cars quickly stopped at the lay-by. The driver doors flew open and the drivers quickly ran to the rear of the vehicles. As I came through the kissing gate one car was a supercar and the other a high powered saloon. The drivers were however foreign looking, big and late 20’s and were in the process of changing the rear number plates with large bladed screwdrivers. They did not look best pleased as I walked between the cars as they moved to the front ones. A white van drew up to talk to the lead driver as I went through the kissing gate on the other side of the road. Obviously an organised gang and quite threatening with absolutely no chance to get my camera out before all three speed away.