Free beer all the way

There was an anxious prelude to the choir walk on August 28, as walkers bound for the start at the newly-reopened Whyte Harte in Bletchingley had to negotiate the traffic gridlock caused by the fete on Godstone Green.  We were still counting them in at the due departure time, but in the end the group of  eleven left only a few minutes later.

En route between pubs

We soon passed on of the group’s most fabled locations, the lay-by where eight emergency vehicles gathered to rescue stricken Martin “Polly” Perkins following his ankle-breaking tumble in 2015. After a pause for solemn contemplation, we followed a downhill path alternating between meadow and woodland, until turning back northward and steadily uphill to Coldharbour Farm.

We followed the Greensand Ridge, descended once more between ancient quarries, then looped  back up to ridge.  With the sounds of Godstone Fete resonating in the distance, we followed familiar track through Garston Park back to Godstone Green.

Happy walkers enjoying their free beer at the Hare 'n' Hounds

There we settled on tables outside a packed Hare ‘n’ Hounds. Rapturous applause greeted our singing and our restart was much delayed by song requests and several rounds of free beer. 

One couple even followed our return journey to Bletchingley and bought us a round at the Whyte Harte.  We found the new guvnor most hospitable.  He told us that he came from Cork and this was the latest of the 22 pubs he had purchased in the south-east, paying cash each time. We were impressed – and the food was excellent.