How did this get to walking through people's gardens?
As walkers we should, in my opinion, be looking for the same walking laws that exist in Scotland.
I have always tended to walk where I want, ROW or not, however I would never knowingly cause any breach of personal privacy, or damage to the property of others.
I have been questioned on occasion but never harassed by anyone, in fact on a couple of occasions I have been told of some sight worth seeing on the man's land, once just last August near Whitby.
When I was still living in North Northumberland it was the gamekeepers who caused trouble and never the landowners. Never with me, I may add, because I was taught from a very young age when not to go into certain areas out of respect to the nesting birds and also so as not to get a load of shot in the jacksy.
As for the gardens I have reread the items and can see no one mentioning deliberately breaching anyone's privacy. I think the general thrust was towards open land and byways.