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Linear tribute to walking pioneers

The walk on 24 May was linear, requiring some ingenuity from the walkers to make their transport plans.  Seven walkers succeeded in reaching the Malt Shovel at Eynsford without difficulty, but six were left stranded at Otford – the walk’s finishing point – when their bus to Eynsford failed to arrive.  After resorting to their cars, they arrived at Otford only to see the bus – ten minutes late – drive past the pub.  

Following the line of the river in the Darenth Valley

No matter. The thirteen walkers were soon on their way, crossing the humpback bridge next to the eponymous ford in Eynsford and ascending a gentle path over the railway and on to the downs, with glorious vistas southwards along the Darenth valley and the route ahead. We descended to Lullingstone Castle, where we sang My Lord in the ancient gatehouse, followed by an invitation to sample the acoustic of the charming chapel in the courtyard,  which soon resounded to three verses of Jacob's Ladder.

The walkers at Shoreham - start and finish point of first choir walk in February 2012

The walk followed the riverbank to the Lullingstone Country Park Visitor centre, where many choristers succumbed to the temptation of ice cream. The group crossed the river by way of a narrow footbridge and emerged in the picturesque village of Shoreham, to find Ted Mouat already seated in Ye Olde George Inn. 

Before moving on the group delivered a second rendition of Jacob’s Ladder in the delightful Shoreham Church, where a sign had invited walkers inside.  (As the church is fund raising for renovations, perhaps this could be the venue of a future concert?)  We continued up a gentle incline, turned into a path leading through Darenth Valley Golf Course and up onto the crest overlooking Otford.

Choir walkers enjoy bucolic landscape

Near the finish, a sign indicating Otford Solar System attracted our attention, and so we inspected plinths marked Earth, Sun, Mars etc and realised we were traversing a scale model of the heavens. Our interplanetary jaunt was curtailed as The Bull pub proved to be closer than Jupiter. While some of the group returned to Eynsford to collect their cars, others grabbed beers and re-arranged tables in the garden under some welcome heaters.  

Walk group founders Pete and Pete (front) with fellow veterans Roger and Dick.

In addition to Ted, the group were delighted to welcome Peter Smith and his wife Hilary to dinner. Peter had been part of the original bass trio, with Peter Gillman and Aussie Jon Evans, who had introduced choir walking way back in February 2012. Today's walk had covered much of the same route and was a tribute to these heroic pioneers, who were duly toasted by the rest of the group. In the photo, Dick Jones was on the second choir walk and Roger Lee on the third.