Walk Report

On a cold, wet morning on 22nd March, 12 hardy souls met for a midweek 16-mile social walk. Linda, our leader, had done her homework when planning the route and handed a leaflet to each of us giving information on some of the buildings we would pass during the day.

Peering through the rain she then cheered us up by saying we’d have an early first stop with tea and coffee provided. So off we went, uphill towards Watlington Hill Farm, before turning almost back on ourselves towards the picturesque village of Pyrton. Here in the church, we had not only the promised complimentary tea and coffee but also warmth and Jaffa cakes! Bliss!

The rain stopped for a couple of minutes so we took the opportunity to take a photo of the stunning display of daffodils in the church grounds – a display spoilt only by the group muscling in on the photo.

No sooner had we taken the pic than the rain started again. Once more we needed cheering up so Linda told us piping hot coffee or drinking chocolate and a large open fire awaited us at a café in Tetsworth which she had planned for our lunch stop. We kept this picture in mind during the rest of the very wet morning until magically, 10 minutes before lunch, the rain stopped and we had a choice of lunch either in the café or on the village green.

At that stage, Linda decided we’d had enough good fortune for the day so, after lunch, we walked back to the cars without a stop. I think it was Billy Connolly who said “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing” but he said nothing about the possibility of ‘enjoying’ bad weather if little goodies are provided along the way. We enjoyed the goodies and so, despite the rain, thoroughly enjoyed the day.

Article and photos by Chris Lloyd.

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