Next week, I’ll be swapping the Second Floor Studio for the GR10, a long distance trail that runs the length of the Pyrenees from Hendaye on the Atlantic to Banyuls-sur-Mer on the Mediterranean. It is around 900km, with 48,000m of elevation, and will take roughly 45 days, walking solo and unsupported with just a backpack, tent and sleeping bag.
Since starting out in urban planning in 1997, this is my first proper career break, coming after a relentless 18 months across neighbourhood plans, design codes, citizens’ panels and design review, from Fordingbridge to East Suffolk, Corfe Mullen to Basingstoke. That stretch also brought real recognition: commended for Small Planning Consultancy of the Year at the RTPI South West Awards, and the Spelthorne Design Code shortlisted at the Planning Awards.
I’ll be off-grid and away from the studio until early October, trusting the team to keep things moving. Expect me back with tired legs and strong opinions on the structural merits of tent design.
