Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Wednesday walking
The sun was shining - so off we went for a walk.
It was quite a long walk.
I escorted Bill to a place he had not known of, but I had visited once a very long time ago.
How long ago?
Good grief - 54 years ago!
I was 13 years old.
My friend and I had decided to join the Society of Sussex Wealdmen - not sure how we knew of this organisation. But what we did know was that the leader was a master at Collyers Boys School and that some of the pupils of that school had been persuaded to join.
It was an opportunity too good to miss.
We walked many times with them, but the first stands out in my memory. That day was the first time I had been inside a pub - we ramblers would take our packed lunch into a pub and order some cider. My first pub was The Ship at Cuckfield.
Remember, I was only 13 years old.
The walk began in Handcross, a footpath skirted the edge of a grand house (already partly ruined). That was Nymans - now a National Trust property that we visit often. The path dropped down steeply in lovely woods to a lake.
Bill and I took that path today.
I had wondered just how far we would walk. Maybe it was time to turn round and retrace our steps.
But my memory of the map suggested that it was not much further on to Staplefield.
It actually seemed quite far to our aging legs - particularly as were not sure exactly which path to take.
Once in Staplefield we decided to use the other pub - we had only ever been to The Victory. Today we chose The Jolly Tanners - thinking it might provide sustenance more cheaply than The Victory.
It wasn't cheap!
But never mind eating and drinking there enhanced the day.
How long would it take to walk back we wondered? Should we walk back up the road to Handcross?
We felt that it wouldn't be pleasant - and could be hazardous.
So it was back along the tracks we had taken in the morning.
That was fine until we got back to the lake.
Then came the long steep climb. Bill's knees were suffering and I found my heart and lungs were struggling.
Oh dear I am not very fit - not the 13 year old girl that was there once before.
I felt quite bad. We sat for a while in the summer house of Nyman's Gardens - until my body felt more in balance again.
But despite the suffering I am so glad we were walking today.
This evening we have been at an athletics meeting at the Crawley Track.
It was an open meeting - turn up on the day, pay your money and compete. Nobody knows how many will turn up.....this evening very many athletes of all abilities did.
The most able, maybe, was Australian. She ran in the 400 metres - won it of course. She was making an attempt on the qualifying time for The Olympics. Earlier in the day it might have seemed a great evening for racing - but in fact by the time of this race it was very windy and feeling quite chilly. She didn't make it.
The meeting ended almost an hour later than the provisional programme had estimated.
I enjoyed the evening - I was chief timekeeper, working with Gerry.
There were 7 timekeepers - all working well.
We have electric timekeeping to compare our own times with. I'll look at mine tomorrow.
And I will sort out photos taken on our walk.
It was quite a long walk.
I escorted Bill to a place he had not known of, but I had visited once a very long time ago.
How long ago?
Good grief - 54 years ago!
I was 13 years old.
My friend and I had decided to join the Society of Sussex Wealdmen - not sure how we knew of this organisation. But what we did know was that the leader was a master at Collyers Boys School and that some of the pupils of that school had been persuaded to join.
It was an opportunity too good to miss.
We walked many times with them, but the first stands out in my memory. That day was the first time I had been inside a pub - we ramblers would take our packed lunch into a pub and order some cider. My first pub was The Ship at Cuckfield.
Remember, I was only 13 years old.
The walk began in Handcross, a footpath skirted the edge of a grand house (already partly ruined). That was Nymans - now a National Trust property that we visit often. The path dropped down steeply in lovely woods to a lake.
Bill and I took that path today.
I had wondered just how far we would walk. Maybe it was time to turn round and retrace our steps.
But my memory of the map suggested that it was not much further on to Staplefield.
It actually seemed quite far to our aging legs - particularly as were not sure exactly which path to take.
Once in Staplefield we decided to use the other pub - we had only ever been to The Victory. Today we chose The Jolly Tanners - thinking it might provide sustenance more cheaply than The Victory.
It wasn't cheap!
But never mind eating and drinking there enhanced the day.
How long would it take to walk back we wondered? Should we walk back up the road to Handcross?
We felt that it wouldn't be pleasant - and could be hazardous.
So it was back along the tracks we had taken in the morning.
That was fine until we got back to the lake.
Then came the long steep climb. Bill's knees were suffering and I found my heart and lungs were struggling.
Oh dear I am not very fit - not the 13 year old girl that was there once before.
I felt quite bad. We sat for a while in the summer house of Nyman's Gardens - until my body felt more in balance again.
But despite the suffering I am so glad we were walking today.
This evening we have been at an athletics meeting at the Crawley Track.
It was an open meeting - turn up on the day, pay your money and compete. Nobody knows how many will turn up.....this evening very many athletes of all abilities did.
The most able, maybe, was Australian. She ran in the 400 metres - won it of course. She was making an attempt on the qualifying time for The Olympics. Earlier in the day it might have seemed a great evening for racing - but in fact by the time of this race it was very windy and feeling quite chilly. She didn't make it.
The meeting ended almost an hour later than the provisional programme had estimated.
I enjoyed the evening - I was chief timekeeper, working with Gerry.
There were 7 timekeepers - all working well.
We have electric timekeeping to compare our own times with. I'll look at mine tomorrow.
And I will sort out photos taken on our walk.
