Walk Report

East Croydon to Crayford, Saturday 14th November 2009
9 walkers, 21 miles - leader Jerome Ripp
"No one will come, go back to bed" said my wife as we stared out of the Stygian 6.30 gloom into rain, high winds, hail and the odd rumble of thunder. Worst storm of the year said the forecast. "Better just check" I said and sure enough there were 8 other nutters, I mean determined walkers ready for anything that the weather could throw at us. By the time we had crossed the Addington hills for the first mile we were very wet but the old adage says "Rain before 7, fine before 11", and when we passed near Susan's house in Spring Park, the rain had gone and the strong winds soon dried us out. We even managed a short break at Keston Ponds and then on to lunch at Farnborough. Things went downhill rapidly after that with some torrential driving rain which led to our first retirement and then the leader decided that since we were on the London Loop, the walk needed another loop and managed to walk about a mile to almost return to the lunch stop. Dave Williams would have been proud of me. However it was a short crisis, the path was resumed, the sky cleared and it was a pleasant bracing afternoon with even a glimpse of the sun for a few seconds. Through parks, woods and then the Cray valley. 6 of us made it to the end at Bexley, having covered about 21 miles in 7 and a half hours.

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