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Choir walking group
A walk in the sun
Thirteen walkers plus Nick Hewitt's Misty and Phil Willis' German Shepherd Suki left the Red Lion on August 22 and were soon enjoying outstanding views from the crest of Bletchingley Castle in glorious sunshine. Navigator Dave Bannister regaled the group on how Henry III's royalist forces sacked the castle during their retreat after Simon de Montfort's victory at the Battle of Lewes in 1264.
Banners extols the view from Bletchingley Castle
Three more choir walk records
The records tumbled again when the choir set off on its walk at Mugswell on Friday July 29. Fifteen walkers, including Nick’s ex-job mate plus his dog Misty, started at the Well House Inn – the highest number on any leg of a walk since the walking group’s first outing in February 2012. The group headed south over rolling downland towards the M25, where a resounding version of My Lord benefited from the motorway tunnel’s acoustics.
Skirting corn-fields near the start
Woodmansterne wander
A small but perfectly formed choir walking group departed the Woodman pub in Woodmansterne on a rare sunny afternoon on 27 June. Master navigator Dave Bannister guided the group into a beautiful hidden downland slope, which none of the group had seen before, and which led across to Park Downs near Banstead.
Six of the seven walkers pause on Park Downs
Walkers discover delights of Richmond
A group of thirteen walkers set off from the Jolly Farmer on Richmond Green at 2pm on 6 June, following the lanes to the Richmond bank of the Thames and then undertaking the mountainous climb to the top of Richmond Hill. A well-deserved rest provided an opportunity for group photo, taken by an obliging local.
The Thames from Richmond Hill (photo Trevor Watkins)
Choir walkers spring into action
The choir walking group has notched two more outings in the past few weeks, enduring wet spring weather on the first and enjoying balmy sunshine on the second. On 4 April the walkers covered an undulating circuit of five and a half miles from the Tudor Rose in Old Coulsdon. A descent of New Hill, where Dick Jones exhibited his voluntary clearance work, was followed by an ascent on to Farthing Down Ridge. The group then traversed Happy Valley to the mid-walk refreshment point at the Fox.
Undulating stretch of 4 April walk
Walking group records tumble - again!
The choir walkers had another record-breaking outing on March 7 2016, passing one landmark and equalling another in a delightful circuit of five and a half miles from Godstone Green.
The record twelve at the Tandridge Yew - 2000 years old