A former Royal Navy sailor who is walking the coast of mainland Great Britain today arrived on the Shotley peninsula.

Richard Morton, better known as Jim, set off from his Yorkshire home on his epic 7,500 mile journey at the beginning of January 2021 and has already cracked 5,500 miles.

Nub News bumped into Jim this afternoon as he was walking along the Shotley Gate shoreline after setting off from Levington this morning.

He was on his way, via the Brickyards at Cockle Creek, to his motorhome base for the night in the Shotley Rose field and wondering where he could get an electricity hook up.

This 19.2mile leg had taken eight and a half hours and Jim plans to be up bright and early to start his 333rd day to complete the rest of the peninsula walk and stroll into Essex.

Although he completed his basic Royal Navy training at HMS Raleigh, 61-year-old Jim is well aware of the significance of HMS Ganges and stopped to get a selfie outside the museum at Shotley marina.

He said: "I have heard a lot about Ganges but I have never been to Shotley before in my life."

Helped by a lovely sunny day, Jim was suitably impressed but told Nub News the whole journey has not about what he has seen.

"It is the people, not the places," said Jim. "People have been incredibly kind, supportive and generous."

Jim had always wanted to walk the British coastline and decided he could do some fundraising in the process explained why the the Gurkha Welfare Trust was the charity of choice when he embarked on the trek.

"My first ship was HMS Gurkha and we had some of the Gurkhas on board, along with Royal Marines," said Jim.

"The Gurkhas have served this county for more than 200 years and are an incredible bunch."

Jim is still hoping to meet Joanna Lumley, the Gurkha's patron and ambassador, but that has so far eluded him.

"One of the questions I get asked the most is; 'have you met Joanna Lumley?' I have not yet, but you never know."

The Gurkha Welfare Trust is currently focusing on getting safe water to the Gurkha community in Nepal as part of its commitment caring for the elderly Gurkha soldiers and their widows in Nepal who are dependent on the Trust for a secure old age.

Since the devastating earthquake of 2015 the trust has been working hard to rebuild homes for Gurkha veterans and widows across Nepal. So far they have built more than 1,500 homes.

Like the Gurkhas, Jim has had to show fortitude especially after being airlifted to hospital for treatment when a coastal path collapsed under him Scotland, he suffered a head injury, resulting in a bleed on the brain and also broke a thumb.

Jim's original plan was to complete the hike in 500 days, and started off at relatively modest 12 miles a day, but has subsequently increased to to between 18 and 22 as diversions and distraction add to his total.

Judging by the 400 people that have donated so far, Jim has made an impression along the way, and has so far raised more than £16,000 of his £50,000 target.

Donate here: [L]https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/richard-morton11[L+]Richard Morton, I may be gone a while, Just Giving page.[L]