Fifteen walkers met at Barbican station for a 5 mile walk, led by Martin and assisted by his friend John, tracing the steps of the bard, William Shakespeare. From the station we went to Barbican Centre, stopping at the site of Fortune Theatre. Here Martin showed several ways the bard’s name was spelt. We studied the Roman ruins and past the St Giles and made our way towards the garden where there a memorial to Heminge and Condell, two of Shakespeare’s fellow actors who is buried. At the Guildhall we saw the Lord Mayor’s coach. Continue reading SATURDAY 5th NOVEMBER: SHAKESPEARE IN LONDON (LINEAR):→
Nine walkers met at Saunderton station for an 8 mile walk in the Chiltern Hills, led by John and Caroline. Although it was sunny everywhere else, the mist had descended on this part of Buckinghamshire and we were deprived of views all morning. After a couple of hours of undulating walking we reached the pub at Bledlow and unusually were almost mud free. We enjoyed a good meal although Pam and Stuart both wanted the last remaining portion of beef lasagne (Stuart conceded gracefully). Just has we were finishing, Mike turned up, having missed the train and done his own walk in the morning. We stepped out of the pub into bright, warm sunshine. The mist had lifted and it was like a different day. John wanted to show us Bledlow Church but unfortunately it was locked. Instead we had a look at the Lyde Garden, a sunken aquatic garden created by Lord Carrington and now open to the public. From there it was downhill for the next hour to Princes Risborough station. Thanks to John and Caroline.
For the Strollers’ first outing we caught the train to Settle to walk from there to Horton-in-Ribblesdale. On arrival in Settle there was the usual demand for a coffee stop from the subversive element but our leader enforced discipline and we made our way out of Settle into the beautiful, green Yorkshire Dales countryside. Before long we came to a steep hill, which surprised us because we were expecting a leisurely riverside walk. Nevertheless we made our way up the hill with true Strollers grit and determination. Continue reading AUGUST BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND IN THE YORKSHIRE DALES→
After several days of warm sunshine mid-week, the weekend was heralded by a drop in temperature of at least 10 degrees and the steady rain was turning to sleet as twelve walkers waited for the bus from Luton to Streatley. We spent a couple of hours trudging through the rain, including an unintentional 3/4 mile detour through Sainsburys carpark (thanks Geoffrey for guiding us out of there). As we crossed the county boundary from Bedfordshire into Continue reading Saturday 16 April: Icknield Way Streatley to Letchworth→
Thirteen walkers turned out on Saturday for the penultimate section of the London Loop, in spite of another unpromising weather forecast. After some drizzle as we left Harold Wood the clouds lifted and the rest of the day was punctuated with bursts of warm sunshine. This area of London was unfamiliar to most of us and as usual with the Loop we were pleasantly surprised as to how much of the walk was though parks, fields and woodlands rather than on roads. The first four miles took us through Harold Wood Park then a community woodland, crossing the Ingrebourne River a couple of times before eventually bringing us out at Upminster Bridge station. Continue reading Saturday 9 April: Loop Stage 15 – Harold Wood to Rainham (Essex) (Linear)→
