Eastbourne to Alfriston

Weather 1st thing was bright as we woke around 6am! Sunshine peeped through our new dark bedroom curtains. We drove into M&S car park by 8.15am and off to the hole in the wall to top up with cash for our expected stop offs. Coach just about on time and a good 20 or so walkers ready for the day walk.
Arrived at The Kiosk, Eastbourne having digested the Department of Health  'tick sheet' and realising we had everything with us....but no tweezers. No standing  on ceremony the coaches dropped the 170 or so walkers and off uphill to our first dilemma.  "Just follow the acorns" and we can't  get lost! The sign with an acorn clearly showed to go right but ours and others instinct  said no...go left.  So most went left but quite a few, right. This turned out to be the shorter 'Jevington ' route. Perhaps they turned around. We headed towards Beachy Head and Belle Toute, straight into the anoying head wind that has been blowing for too long now. Spots of rain but not enough to search our rucksack for wet-gear. Looking along the sparkling white cliffs, now basking in sunshine, it looked as if any morning showers were going inland. Wind was becoming very blustery at every peak on the Seven Sisters, making it difficult to stay upright so no cliff edge views today! First stop for us was a wee at Birling gap and lunch further on in a more sheltered spot. On the way we were treated to a stunning flypast by a Spitfire , just about flying at the same height as the cliffs! End of cliff walk was greeted by a classic view down to the river mouth at Cuckmere Haven. The beach and concrete road leading from the visitor centre was full of school children probably doing a similar school trip as we did some 50+ years ago. We met a few Chinese tourists en-route one young lady asking which  way to cliff? In excellent English. The SDW took a route over the fields before  leading back down to Exeat,  an excellent diversion from when we last walked the route. Coffee and cake in the small cafe before another uphill with only 3 miles to go. Lovely woodland walk now with shade from the warm sunshine. Stunning Sussex houses on the way to a tea stop at Litlington village hall where the ladies had prepared tea and homemade cakes for all of us that cared to stop.....all for the church roof fund or something! Just a mile along the river bank and into the Smugglers pub at Alfriston. Super pint of Harvey's and then onto the 4.15pm coach for the short ride back to our car. Day over...great time, great weather, great views!

Friday's nearly here

Travelled down to 'Stan' Wednesday night in light M25 traffic.
Thursday is the day to stock the cupboards and fridge for sandwich's and evening meals. The weather is still unsettled with overnight rain and strong winds in the day. Friday is now forecast  to be wet at first so macs at the ready. Even though it's election day we will try not to stay up for the results as we need to be underway fairly early (for us) to catch the coach to Eastbourne from our daily pick up spot at the Holmbush shopping centre.
Prepared for everything from wet, dry, hot, chilly, sometimes we know, all possible in one day, so we have a huge choice of socks, tops and bottoms, cover-ups and suncream, umbrellas and hats. The choice is mind-boggling and will needless to say, be our daily  breakfast discussion topic.

'Stan' our nightly retreat near Shoreham by Sea