What with one thing and another, it has been some three months since I have had the opportunity of walking with IVC. Well actually that’s not strictly true as there were a couple of opportunities in December, but they were put paid to by the snow and ice.
Anyway things got off to a flyer at Victoria station, when (unlike last time I did this walk) the clerk had actually heard of Oxted, and didn’t try to insist that I buy a ticket for Oxford instead. So with the time I saved not arguing there I was able to get stuck into some pre-walk refreshments. I am eager this year to try and break out of this habit/rut of always having a cappacino and chocolate twist before boarding trains in London, so this morning I opted for a hot chocolate and jam doughnut instead. Very nice too although given the fact that the doughnut cost £1.15 (which is about how much four cost from Greggs) it placed just a slight cloud over my munchings.
So with about ten of the usual suspects assembling at Oxted station we set off on what was in the main the Greensand way. At times there was a little too much skirting past civilisation for my liking, although away from that there was also opportunities to see if the gloopy mud sections could actually suck ones boots straight off ones feet. Stupidly I had actually believed the weathermen when they said it would be about 12 degrees, however the wind chill eventually forced me to put another layer on.
So finally some five and a bit miles in, we arrived at the Hare and Hounds in Godstone for lunch. Unfortunately given the state of our boots, there was no way we could bluff our way in without taking them off first and leaving them outside. In the course of which a bottle of coke that was in a side pocket of my bag, fell out and rolled under some guys Saab (and sadly that was the last I saw of that). Undeterred I ordered a pint of Strongbow and the Gammon, Egg and chips. The price was on the inside mark of a tenner, so was reasonable enough in that respect, although (chips aside) I have tasted better.
Having left the pub I suddenly found myself being asphyxiated by someones car exhaust, putting me in a brief coughing fit. Being ever helpful our leader of all leaders offered me a cough sweet, which turned out to be an appalling sticky thing that was near impossible to get out of its wrapper. With my hands now having the adhesive properties of some type of stick insect, I put it on my mouth only for the leader of all leaders to then tell me he had had the sweet for some time. Well thanks awfully.
Anyway things got off to a flyer at Victoria station, when (unlike last time I did this walk) the clerk had actually heard of Oxted, and didn’t try to insist that I buy a ticket for Oxford instead. So with the time I saved not arguing there I was able to get stuck into some pre-walk refreshments. I am eager this year to try and break out of this habit/rut of always having a cappacino and chocolate twist before boarding trains in London, so this morning I opted for a hot chocolate and jam doughnut instead. Very nice too although given the fact that the doughnut cost £1.15 (which is about how much four cost from Greggs) it placed just a slight cloud over my munchings.
So with about ten of the usual suspects assembling at Oxted station we set off on what was in the main the Greensand way. At times there was a little too much skirting past civilisation for my liking, although away from that there was also opportunities to see if the gloopy mud sections could actually suck ones boots straight off ones feet. Stupidly I had actually believed the weathermen when they said it would be about 12 degrees, however the wind chill eventually forced me to put another layer on.
So finally some five and a bit miles in, we arrived at the Hare and Hounds in Godstone for lunch. Unfortunately given the state of our boots, there was no way we could bluff our way in without taking them off first and leaving them outside. In the course of which a bottle of coke that was in a side pocket of my bag, fell out and rolled under some guys Saab (and sadly that was the last I saw of that). Undeterred I ordered a pint of Strongbow and the Gammon, Egg and chips. The price was on the inside mark of a tenner, so was reasonable enough in that respect, although (chips aside) I have tasted better.
Having left the pub I suddenly found myself being asphyxiated by someones car exhaust, putting me in a brief coughing fit. Being ever helpful our leader of all leaders offered me a cough sweet, which turned out to be an appalling sticky thing that was near impossible to get out of its wrapper. With my hands now having the adhesive properties of some type of stick insect, I put it on my mouth only for the leader of all leaders to then tell me he had had the sweet for some time. Well thanks awfully.
Anyway the second half continued pretty much in the same way as the first, glooping along the Greensand Way, until the loop ended and we then retraced our steps back to Oxted station, with my GPS confirming we had convered 9.03 miles. Unusually for us we only had something like a five minute wait for the hourly train back to Victoria, where I was able to round the day off with a family pack of Revels from WH Smith. (incidentally sorry about the lack of decent photos, as most of the time I forgot I was carrying the camera, although in fairness to me, there was a distinct lack of big country panoramas to snap away at)
Walks since last blog entry:
1 x 2 mile – Linacre Reservoir – Helen (Luther & Molly)
1 x 7 mile – Osterley Park/Grand Union.
1 x 6.5 mile – Osterley Park.
It didn't turn out to be the best of days; I'm fortunate that I can choose to only go walking when the weather's fine...unless the Met Office gets it wrong.
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