WALKING pals, Mike Harris and Chris Moores, both Bude exiles, are delighted to have published their first book together, ‘My Feet Hurt’, documenting their 50th birthday adventures.

Both men grew up in Bude, attending the comprehensive school, and are keen for those in the area to know of their latest exploits as authors.

Their new book, published in May, documents their journey undertaken in 2013 walking the coastal footpath from St Austell to their beloved Bude to celebrate their 50th birthdays.

Speaking about their joint project, Mike told the Post: “We were very happy to get published after the project kicked off three years ago from an evening pub conversation where we realised we were forgetting the details of our walk. So I got the notes, files and maps out and then thought that this has a basic book structure so we took it from there, I wrote an intro and first chapter, sent it to Chris and he liked it so on we went. It is quite a tortious process to get published so there was some relief as well after we found a self publishing company who were really helpful.”

My Feet Hurt documents Mike and Chris’ journey along the coastal path from St Austell to Bude, an ambition they had both had for many years.

Mike said: “We took the journey on to celebrate our 50th birthday celebrations and to fulfil a long time ambition of both of us to walk the coastal path. We are both keen walkers and the logic was to end the journey in Bude as it seemed more appropriate than starting there — to finish in your old hometown was a calling hard to resist.

“St Austell ended up being the start due to logistics, ease of train connections and we had an old school friend who lived there who wanted to join us for the start. Also the time factor of completing the trek with two weeks needed some trimming and starting at the Tamar Bridge really didn’t work for us.”

Along the way the two men made many happy memories which are portrayed in the book: “There were so many adventures, characters, places we’d never been to before, new and old friends made and met that it took the whole book to relay. But we both know and think it was one of the best and most rewarding things we’ve ever done; despite the physical pain barriers and time pressures on such a long walk of 200 to 220 miles.

“Throughout the walk we visited places we’d never seen before, and parts of Cornwall and the way it has changed since we grew up; especially food and cuisine which is so modern and varied — also we had two weeks of perfect weather, which really helped!”

To read about Mike and Chris’ exploits, My Feet Hurt is available in paper-back form online from Waterstones, visit www.waterstones.com/book/my-feet-hurt/mike-harris/chris-moore/9781789555042