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 →

Soon after starting the walk, we saw a giant hedgehog painted on a wall, a man doing acrobatics on top of a post-box and two men doing mock-fighting with sticks under a bandstand. Shoreditch is becoming trendy but is still a rough diamond. A record 21 Polyramblers came on this evening walk to explore Shoreditch, Columbia Road and Brick Lane. Rain threatened but, apart from a few drops, the evening remained dry. We went up Club Row before Continue reading Wednesday 13 April: Evening Walk in Shoreditch (Circular) →

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) →

On a fine, sunny morning, 16 Polyramblers set out from Bentley station with a spring in our steps. We walked through open farmland and woodland, and carefully crossed the  railway line  just south of Froyle Mill by the river Wey. There were late daffodils, early bluebells, plenty of green shoots and very little mud. We encountered many animals – noisy geese, barking dogs, curious Continue reading Saturday 2nd April. Bentley to Alton →

The second walk of the Easter weekend saw nineteen members and Maria’s guide dog Bella set off from Hammersmith along the north bank of the Thames towards Putney. Previously a location for light industry, now upmarket flats predominate. On route, we admired an earth sculpture in the shape of a turtle and paid our respects to a statue of Johnny Haynes outside Fulham football ground. After crossing Putney Bridge to the south bank, the first of two spectacular hail showers courtesy of storm Katie sent us running for cover to a nearby pub. Unfortunately it was yet to open but we were able to find cover. Continue reading 27th March. Oxford and Cambridge boat race →