CMVC
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Choir walking group
The pub with no lunch
Nine walking stalwarts left their meeting point at a Caterham tea shop at 11.30 on October 19, intent on having lunch at the Harrow in Caterham. The walkers were following lock-down guidelines governing walking activities, and also arrived at the Harrow in separate groups of six (now including Ted Mouat) and four.
The hungry nine at Chaldon
But the Harrow guvnor refused to serve us on the grounds that we were really one composite group of ten, rather than two groups. In vain did we offer to sit on opposite sites of the garden; he would not be budged and even mentioned the police. He did look excited when the group of four offered to move on and allow the group of six to eat; but the group of six gallantly displayed their solidarity with the group of four and followed them out of the pub.
The walkers posed for a photo at Chaldon church, and here are some more photos from the walk.
Horses
Walkers
And on December 3, a group of stalwarts walked a mile or so from the Feathers in Merstham to conduct a ditties session in an unsalubrious location under the M23 (pictured above). It was cold and raining but the group was undaunted, as the photograph shows. They repaired to the Feathers where each of the eight singers was allocated their own table in the spacious dining room. Sadly this occasion marked only a brief respite in the lockdown and the choir's outdoor activities.
September delights and surprises
The walkers went out twice in September. On September 7, on the last walk before the Rule of Six, a group of nine departed the Kingswood Arms and headed northeast beside the railway. After crossing the tracks they followed the path between the mansions of Kingswood to Surrey Downs Golf Club.
Eight of the September 7 nine (photo Banners)
An eventful August for walkers
The group undertook two eventful walks in August.
On August 10 there was a near catastrophe when our host pub, the Bletchingley Arms, revealed it had run out of beer. Fortunately, some walkers were delayed in roadworks, enabling navigator Dave to search for alternative post-walk venues. Meanwhile our landlady checked her reserve supplies and confirmed all would be well on our return.
Crossing meadowland following pub with no beer scare
Covid walkers score second best
The choir walkers staged an impressive outing on July 29, with eleven taking part and covering 6.8 miles - second in distance only to the record walk of 7.28 miles notched on 3 April 2017.
Walkers en route to new second-longest walk record (photo Banners)
Chins up during lockdown
The choir walkers have notched up an impressive roster of outings during lockdown, observing the rules throughout. Following the Banners/Polly walk on May 15, the intrepid duo conducted two more outings in the ensuing three weeks. Then on June 5, the five walkers from the March 23 walk, the last day before lockdown, regathered at Dave's house in Caterham and were joined by regular walker Polly Perkins.
Five of the Sixers stage walking return (photo Banners)
Keeping the spirit alive
Choir walkers have been keeping the wandering spirit alive during the lockdown. On Thursday 14 May, Peter Gillman and Phil Willis undertook a relay walk from the old West Wickham parish church, St John’s, which sits on the hill to the south of the former village.
The bridge over the stream in Spring Park Wood