All posts by Gillian

SPRING BANK HOLIDAY 2019, WALKING IN THE DOLOMITES

The first day of the Dolomite weekend (25th May 2019) by Pam

We started the day with a substantial breakfast in the Hotel Vajolet. The ever-attentive Signora dressed in local traditional dress greeted us and indicated the spread. I chose muesli, a slice of peach, yoghurt, a boiled egg, a slice of rustic bread, ham and cheese, to get me started for the first walk. I had to resist the temptation to eat croissants and cake as well or I wouldn’t have been able to make it up the mountain!
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SUNDAY 9th June: GORING to PANGBOURNE (LINEAR):

Back in the Chilterns for an undulating 12 mile walk (although Jackie admitted it was more likely to be 13 miles) through woodlands and fields. Only 6 Polyramblers despite it being a sunny day but the lack of pub might have deterred people.  We soon left Goring, going up to Wroxhills Wood, accompanied by red kites mewing above us.  We skirted Woodcote and went through Common Wood. At one point, we lost Pam and Andrew but we found them again.  We had decided on a place to have lunch but we got lost in a wood and, as it Continue reading SUNDAY 9th June: GORING to PANGBOURNE (LINEAR):

MONDAY 20th MAY: EVENING WALK – CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW FOR THE POOR (Chelsea in bloom)

This is an annual festival of floral art in shops, restaurants and hotels in the neighbourhood of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. The theme this year is ‘Under the Sea’. Approximately 20 Polyramblers and guests met at Sloane Square tube station to do a walk to see as many floral displays as possible. We went up and down Sloane Street, Pavilion Road where we met Lorna and her mum doing the same as us, up and down King’s Road and Duke of York Square. We were all very impressed by the beautiful displays.

The winner of Chelsea in Bloom 2019 is the display on the main photo (Hackett on Sloane Street, whose installation takes inspiration from Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea).

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SATURDAY 18th may: WIVELSFIELD to HASSOCKS (LINEAR):

A grey start to the day but it soon brightened up for 17 Polyramblers for this lovely walk in Sussex. We left Wivelsfield and were soon in the countryside. We followed the Sussex Border Path through woodlands and fields, passing a farm with a massive field full of free range hens.  We reached the pretty village of Ditchling where we split to have lunch at the excellent Nutmeg Tea Rooms, pub or the churchyard. After lunch, we started a gentle climb to Continue reading SATURDAY 18th may: WIVELSFIELD to HASSOCKS (LINEAR):

Saturday 2 March 2019: Watton at Stone (Herts.)

The weather forecast was not as good as last week’s so ‘only’ 21 Polyramblers turned up for this walk in Hertfordshire. It stayed dry all day and, when it came out, the sun was quite warm.  We started the walk in Watton at Stone.  I was asked about the name of the village and Wikipedia says that the origin of ‘Watton’ is uncertain; the suffix ‘at Stone’ is thought to be referring to the Roman road (anciently described as a Stone Street) that ran from Verulamium (St Albans).  We crossed the river Beane and followed the Continue reading Saturday 2 March 2019: Watton at Stone (Herts.)