The Walker's Dilemma

Ask any walker the greatest bugbear of his or her life, and the reply, almost certainly, will be - blisters. Mind you, things have improved. Several decades ago there was little footwear to choose from other than the sort of boots which invariably reminded me of National Service and basic training; and there was little you could do to combat the blister menace other than to treat the wound after the damage had already been done.
Essentially, and even after boots and socks and every other piece of walking equipment gradually improved over the years, the argument - and goodness, there were arguments - boiled down to this. You've got blisters, so, do you cushion them with plasters and let them develop at will, or do you burst the bubbles and cover them? For years the debate raged beside numerous campfires on different trails, and two schools of thought formed. You were either a burster or you were not.
In the end my strategy (which was not always successful) was to try to prevent blisters in the first place. I recall prior to one week's walking holiday continually bathing my feet in surgical spirit in the hope that it would harden the skin. It didn't, and the smell was not something that could easily be dismissed. Then I tried to soften my boots in the critical heel area, and rejected any woolly walking socks which had holes or darns. This, at long last, seemed to be progress, and it gradually formed the basis of the strategy employed henceforth in the days Peripheral Claudication became a constant companion.
The pre-walk routine went like this. Check boots and socks for chafe points and, if found, smooth them out. Grease the feet, particularly the heels, with a non-smelling ointment (Atrixo or Vaseline are good) before putting on socks and boots.
During the walk, stop immediately if you feel any discomfort or chafing, and adjust boots and socks. At the midday stop, remove boots to ventilate them, re-grease the feet and swap the socks over. Sore places? Cushion with a touch of Germoline and a plaster. If there is a blister, burst it, and cover with a plaster and a touch of Germoline as antiseptic. At night, take the plasters off to assist the healing, and replace in the morning.
It's not foolproof, but it helped.
Postscript. And while on the subject of walking (in Norfolk, anyway), I note that Tim Lidstone-Scott, who has overseen the Peddars Way and the Norfolk Coast Path for 29 years, is retiring from Norfolk County Council. Tim has been a great supporter of Norfolk's long distance route, and an enormous help to anyone involved in compiling guidebooks. Thanks, Tim, and have a happy retirement.