Regional press colleagues who became walking buddies have written a book about the 4,000 miles they have covered over the course of 40 years.

Nigel Heath and Peter Gibbs have written Paths & Poetry, which is described as “a celebration of walking the footpaths, waterways and canals of Great Britain”.

Nigel, who worked for the Bristol Post, and former Western Daily Press assistant editor Peter first met at a party in Clevedon, Somerset, in the early 1980s and discovered a mutual interest in walking.

The pair have walked regularly since, for a week every three months, trekking across countryside during the summer months and exploring Britain’s network of canals during the winter.

Peter Gibbs, left, and Nigel Heath

Nigel, 75, told Somerset Live: “While I write features for newspapers, Peter pens poems, which illuminate and complement my prose, so the idea of producing a book seemed like a natural progression.

“When we set out on yet another walk, I always say ‘I wonder what adventures we shall have this time?’

“And of course, we mostly always do, stopping and chatting to people we meet along the way and occasionally getting lost when not paying enough attention to our maps or guide books.

“Our modus operandi is to drive to the start of a long-distance walk and then follow the way, staying overnight in hotels, inns and B&Bs before taking a taxi back to the start.”

Peter, 79, recalled their very first walk on Scotland’s West Highland Way.

He said: “We were novices then and we didn’t realise we didn’t need to take several shirts and pairs of trousers with us.

“Everything was sodden. Our rucksacks now have a waterproof liner. And we now only pack the very basics.”

The book can be bought from Amazon here.