On Sunday the 2nd of March, sixteen of us gathered at The Red Lion public house in Rotherfield Peppard for a 12 mile walk around the Oxfordshire countryside in perfect Spring-like conditions. With sunshine and blue skies we set off in an easterly direction around the southern side of Crowsley Park woods not far from where the British Broadcasting Corporation monitoring facility lies where all broadcast media is monitored and analysed and international news breaks on a regular basis.
From there we turned north towards Rotherfield Greys and St Nicholas Church, a Norman church dating from around 1200 CE and continued on to Lambridge Wood, ancient beech woodland which is designated a site of special scientific interest (SSSI).
After passing through Lambridge Wood we arrived at Greys Court National Trust property where some of our complement had National Trust membership cards scanned and we stopped for our lunch break.
After a brief look at the main house and tower – meeting place of the notorious Hellfire Club in the 1740s – we had a quick stop for lunch at the tea room and partook in some very nice warm alfresco beverages. In the Croci there were bees hard at work gathering the first nectar and pollen of the year, surely a sign that Spring had sprung?
After our lunch stop we headed west toward Stoke Row and the Maharajah’s Well. Constructed in 1864 at a cost of £400 and paid for by the Maharaja of Benares, an acquaintance of the local squire Edward Reade, the well was welcomed by the locals as at that time drought conditions occurred on some parts of the Chilterns.
From Stoke Row we then started the return to our start point in a southeasterly direction passing the French Gothic styled Wyfold Court, built in the 1870s, where politician and cotton magnate Edward Hermon resided until his demise in 1881.
After making our way through Peppard Hill we then tackled the last ‘slight incline’ back to Peppard Common and a welcome post walk drink at The Red Lion. Thanks to all who came along on what was a thoroughly enjoyable walk in some very promising spring like weather conditions, hope you enjoyed it. (Thanks also to Karen for co-leading and Bo for some of the photos)
Thanks go to Steve for leading this walk and for writing it up.
On Friday evening 28th February, seventeen of us meet up at the Hollywood Bowl! No, not the amphitheatre in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles, but the ten-pin bowling alley in Bracknell. (But you knew that!)
Richard had booked three lanes for us, so after a drink at the bar we headed down to the lanes and split into three teams; two of six and one of five. We are all have different levels of skill in this game, but the averages for each team were fairly similar.
After we finished the first game, we all swapped lanes and formed new teams. Richard put slips of paper with lane numbers on into a metaphorical hat (his hand) and we each picked out a slip and joined that lane's team.
The second game was just as enjoyable as the first - an entertaining way to spend a wintery Friday evening.
Thanks go to Richard for organising this social event. Rob wrote it up.
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