Feet. I hate them. I particularly despise mine at the moment for letting me down with the old blisters.

But, it has to be said, I just don’t like them generally – can’t abide touching them (my own or other people’s) and never give them a second thought other than when they hurt.

So when I bumped into Adele Holmes, whose whole life is foot-related, she fascinated me.

I don’t mean she has pictures all over her walls of fine specimens (actually, she may have, I don’t know), but she’s had more than 30 years’ experience of being a podiatrist (honestly, the thought of having people’s feet waved in your face makes me shudder).

We were fated to meet.

I fell on her like I was a drowning man and she was the lifebelt.

“What can I do about the massive blisters?” I whined.

“Your best bet is to prevent them in the first place.”

Okay – I met her two weeks too late but she gave me some top tips to help me along the way – after all my massive walk is tomorrow and I’ve got to do something to try and stop that horrible burning feeling on the soles of my feet half way round.

Socks are the key, apparently.

Adele says: “Wear the correct socks to reduce the risks of fungal infection and blisters.

“Good socks will not only help keep your feet comfortable within your shoes but will also keep them dry by drawing moisture away from the feet.

“Whatever you do, don’t wear 100 per cent cotton socks – they hold the moisture against the skin, causing painful blistering.”

Okay, so we’ve discovered what my problem is – those excellent M&S socks I spent a fortune on because they were pretty are the cause of my pain. Adele says wool or silk ones, blended with the latest generation of synthetic materials (not the scratchy stuff I remember from that Duke of Edinburgh Award expedition we never talk about) could help.

I’ve now got three pairs on order.

She also suggested rubbing a film of soap on the inside of my socks to prevent blisters and wearing the socks inside out to prevent the seam rubbing.

I like nothing better than meeting an expert and pumping them for information.

I had a vague idea what podiatrists did but Adele, whose practice is in Cockermouth, tells me more – it’s very involved and is not just dealing with the old ingrown toenail.

We’ve also just had International World Foot Health Awareness Month apparently, and Adele convinces me that your trotters are as important as the rest of you.

You shouldn’t really ignore them like I do.

Adele’s parting words of advice?

Wash and dry your feet, including between your toes and apply a good foot moisturiser daily (who knew?). Make sure your shoes fit and don’t squeeze into those darling kitten heels if they’re a size too small – it’ll cause you problems.

Adele has made me think of feet in a whole new light and while I’m not sure I can get over my repulsion totally, I’m grateful to my tootsies and will try to take a bit more care of them. After all, they are important.