13 ramblers, led by Kate and Kathy
Today we left at 10.30, a short local walk designed to complement the first aid course. It was snowing when I put my outdoor clothes on and there had been a night frost with the temperatures only at 2 C. As I left the house the sun was shining, but a biting North wind. As we set off it began to hail. That set the pattern for the walk: every 5 minutes a change in weather, the only constant being the wind.
But we are a hardy lot and there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing and we were well protected in hats, gloves, scarves and wind-proofs. Conger Lane had inevitable muddy patches, but the rest of the walk was dry underfoot, through grassy fields past muddy sheep with fast growing lambs. After crossing the bridleway, we turned North towards Cowbush farm then East to encircle Hipsey Spinney.
The snowdrops have finished now, but the first bluebells were just starting to open out. We stopped for a quick water stop but it was too cold to stand still for long and we then walked briskly up-hill past the horse farm, just as the sun disappeared and the sleet began for another 5 minutes.
A new barn is going up, the steel structures having been erected since Monday! Finally we passed the cemetery and up park lane, just as the sun came out again, to the village hall, where people had brought sandwiches to eat ready to start the first aid course.
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