CMVC
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Choir walking group
Lost near Limpsfield
Six walkers assembled at the Grasshopper in Westerham on April 8 for the first outing of Summer Time. Doomsters and gloomsters were quoting weather forecasts of rain so waterproofs were donned or packed. The group headed south, at first following a route pioneered by ex-navigator Pete Gillman back in the mists of time (2013), when the former choir MD Richard Hoyle took part in his one and only choir walk.
Woodland stretch pioneered by Pete Gillman many years before
Narrow escape at Harrow
A hard-core six walkers set out from the Harrow in Farleigh at 2.30pm on March 18. Although our halftime destination, the White Bear at Fickleshole, lay to the east, our route took us first north and then west.
Five of Harrow six at half-time stop (guess name of pub)
Walkers, please note
Choir members take part in informal local walks once every 3-4 weeks. These are mostly circular walks of 5-6 miles with a mid-walk refreshment stop, following a route proposed by a navigator. During British Summer Time they usually start at 2.30pm and finish around six, with a meal at the start/finish pub to follow. When the clocks revert to GMT, the walks start progressively earlier, starting around midday or 12.30 during the winter. All choir members are welcome to take part, and they are welcome to invite guests too. Please note that members and guests take part in the walks as individuals, and so take full personal responsibility for their own safety. The walkers followed all rules and guidance in respect of gatherings and outdoor activities during the Covid crisis.
Be prepared for mud
“Be prepared for mud” warned navigator Dave in his pre-outing text for the walk on 26 February. So it proved. The valiant six (all blokes) who set out from the Red Lion in Bletchingley encountered the worst conditions underfoot any could remember for a very long time.
Navigator Dave, watched by Neil, searches for a route past the mud
Sunny Winter Ups and Downs
Banners writes: Seven walkers gathered at The Feathers, Merstham on a gloriously crisp and sunny winter's day (February 12). We thought it would be eight as Roger Parkinson strode by the pub window in his walking togs, but coincidentally he was joining a rival walking group starting from the same place.
Walkers enjoy winter sun (Photo John Parker)
The coldest walk
The lack of real ale at Wallington’s Rose and Crown, the planned starting pub on 8 January 2024, forced some beer-loving walkers to divert to the nearby Dukes Head instead. They then collected their more abstemious colleagues from The Rose and eleven set off towards the Wandle Trail.
Crossing the wetlands (Photo Banners)