More grandchildren
Moving South
Covid
Diagnosis of me with Cancer
Monday, 26 February 2024
it's been a long time!
Blogging was something strange that I fell into a few years ago. Looking back I was not too bad at it. With a bug NZ trip it was easy to fill pages and also lots of other things going on in our lives. 2023 and water has definitely flowed under bridges. Most significant are;
Alfriston to Newmarket Inn 14 miles
Weather set fair today and a promise of all day sunshine. Leaving the Pretty village of Alfriston behind we ascend for 2 miles high up onto the ridge. Views all around of hills fields and the sea, to our left. Just a gentle breeze today but hats and sunscreen a must. 170+ walkers soon spread out just leaving the track to small groups with the occasional dog walker and cyclist, coming from the other direction.......until we are confronted by a swarm of snaking green tea-shirts coming at us for the next 2 hours. This was the Macmillan Brighton to Eastbourne walking marathon. 26 miles is tough and almost 2000 starters set off from Brighton at 7am in the hope of making Eastbourne, we believe, by 6pm. To be honest, those we passed at Southease still had a 3 hour journey to Alfriston, their lunchstop, and then another 12 miles, over the Seven Sisters......no chance!
We had our first break on a ridge with mounds and my favorite, a trig point. Several had chosen this vantage point with its excellent views and natural seating inluding a mixed group of 15 years old Duke of Edinburgh do-ers. What is it they carry in their rucksacks? They are almost the same size as those trying to porter them. Yeah! I have got 4G service, uttered one of the lads, as if he had just found a bag of sweets.
On passing the transmitter at Firle hill and down a loop towards Southease before taking lunch at the excellent YHA. Refreshed, we crossed the railway line and the River Ouse before entering the village where most had taken their lunch break. A tap by the round spired church to replenish our bottle and on and up to a typical downland scene. Just 7 miles to go and views to die for, all around. Finally with aching feet we took our last break and then decended what seemed an everlasting path down into our stop for the day at Newmarket Inn. Not a pretty pub but nice pint of Harvey did the job before taking the last coach back to Shoreham. Not a fast walk but thoroughly enjoyable.
We had our first break on a ridge with mounds and my favorite, a trig point. Several had chosen this vantage point with its excellent views and natural seating inluding a mixed group of 15 years old Duke of Edinburgh do-ers. What is it they carry in their rucksacks? They are almost the same size as those trying to porter them. Yeah! I have got 4G service, uttered one of the lads, as if he had just found a bag of sweets.
On passing the transmitter at Firle hill and down a loop towards Southease before taking lunch at the excellent YHA. Refreshed, we crossed the railway line and the River Ouse before entering the village where most had taken their lunch break. A tap by the round spired church to replenish our bottle and on and up to a typical downland scene. Just 7 miles to go and views to die for, all around. Finally with aching feet we took our last break and then decended what seemed an everlasting path down into our stop for the day at Newmarket Inn. Not a pretty pub but nice pint of Harvey did the job before taking the last coach back to Shoreham. Not a fast walk but thoroughly enjoyable.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)