CMVC
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Choir walking group
No singing at Godstone
A select group of five walkers met at the Bletchingley Arms on August 25 for the traditional August Bank Holiday walk. In previous years the walkers had visited the annual bank holiday fair in Godstone and this was one of the objectives of the day. The five – Dave Bannister, Dick Jones, Hazel Willson, George Taylor, Pete Gillman – left at 2.30pm and headed purposefully south, following the Greensand Way path for a short distance before veering south through woods and then farmland. At one stretch, as they followed the path, the walkers were dwarfed by the towering stalks of sweet corn.
George savours late-summer landscape
Wot no Banners?
A stalwart group of walkers convened at the Caterham Fox on July 28 – stalwart because a number of their usual colleagues were away in Australia, following the Lions rugby tour, including the customary route planner and navigator, Dave “Banners” Bannister.
The Happy Valley walkers during return leg. Mike Piddock peers from back row - but where was Banners?
In their absence, veteran Dick Jones, a walking group member since 2012, had planned a route across one of his favourite stamping grounds, Happy Valley and Farthing Down.
The group of five who left the Fox included Mike Piddock, a recent recruit to the bass section and now embarking on his first choir walk, equipped with some splendid walking boots that indicated he had undertaken multiple walks in the past. Also sporting new equipment was Dick Jones, who was deploying a pair of Leki walking sticks to help balance a gammy right knee.
Mike and Hazel among patterns of light and shade
The group followed the ridge of Happy Valley, initially heading east then turning north, before plunging downwards and gaining the far side at the Farthing Down car park, where a dog washing station - £5 for five minutes – attracted much attention. The group strode along the crest of the ridge before descending towards Coulsdon, where Dick had hoped we could take R&R at the local park café, which was sadly closed on Mondays.
Instead we continued into Coulsdon for a rest at the Pembroke pub – which proved to be out of draft beer, even though Dick had checked that supplies would be ok while planning the walk. We also gained a walker, namely John Marshall, who had arrived late for the start and so made his own brisk way to the Pembroke.
After a brief rest we returned to Farthing Down, this time following an extraordinary line of ancient yews that stretched for almost a mile and gave rise to much discussion. Yews were often the site of pagan rituals, later hijacked as the location of a church. The Happy Valley website suggested the yews were most likely planted to denote a parish boundary.
Happy Valley walkers ponder ancient yews
After moving on from the yews, we eventually crossed the valley again and took the short, steep direct route up the far side to return to the Fox, pausing only for the statutory group photograph. According to Dick's mapping app, we had walked a very respectable 6.1 mies. Once the Fox we were joined by Katrina Keel, the seven of us enjoying a decent dinner before heading back to our homes.
Route map courtesy Dick Jones
Walkers, please note
Choir members take part in informal local walks once every 3-4 weeks. These are mostly circular walks of 5-6 miles with a mid-walk refreshment stop, following a route proposed by a navigator. During British Summer Time they usually start at 2.30pm and finish around six, with a meal at the start/finish pub to follow. When the clocks revert to GMT, the walks start progressively earlier, starting around midday or 12.30 during the winter. All choir members are welcome to take part, and they are welcome to invite guests too. Please note that members and guests take part in the walks as individuals, and so take full personal responsibility for their own safety. All that said, the walks are enjoyable occasions which add to the choir's spirit of fun and bonhomie.
Steep slopes and wild flowers
Seven walkers left the Aperfield Inn, Biggin Hill, on July 7 and progressed south-eastward over rolling meadows towards the ridge of the North Downs. The walk had been postponed from the previous Monday due to the heatwave and the weather was happily more temperate.
Emerging into sunlight after a woodland stretch
Of ices and men
A group of ten walkers left Warlingham’s White Lion at 2.30pm prompt on June 10 and soon passed the elegant semi where choir concert secretary Bren resides.
Crossing lush spring fields, with poppies
Bluebells with garlic
Eleven walkers (and one dog) left the Hare and Hounds in Godstone at 2.30pm on April 28, aiming to view the spring bluebell display at its finest. Unusually we started by bus, exiting beside the Caterham bypass beyond the M25 and heading steeply towards the woods above.
We were soon greeted with shimmering carpets of bluebells – mingling with the white blossoms of wild garlic, all the sweeter for the distinctive garlic aromas.
The eleven bluebell walkers (but no Goose) at the fabled Harrow