Yes, here it is - the promised report on the April walk!A Right Royal Walk.
21st April, 2007
21st April, 2007
The weather was set fair, the boots, picnics and waterproofs were packed, and the ramblers were all ready to walk in Darwen … or so we thought.
However our intrepid sherpa, Andy, had got us all into the church car park at 9.30am on the Queen’s birthday under false pretences. Just in case anyone believed they would be familiar with the countryside around Darwen, he changed the destination to Croston. The closest the promise of a walk around three reservoirs came to fruition was a walk past the dishwashing unit, the laundry and the Elsan disposal area at the Royal Umpire Caravan Site. But it would be most unfair to leave you thinking those were the highlights of the day. Once we had walked through the car park at the caravan site and past the aforesaid water attractions (all of a quarter of a mile from where we had started our walk) we appeared to be lost; the book which Andy was following having been published some years earlier. Undeterred, Andy fiddled with his GPS and Ordnance Survey map whilst Cheryl took control of the guide book and a friendly local directed us to the river.
After that the walk definitely picked up and we passed through some beautiful countryside, enjoyed a coffee at a lovely café and picnicked in idyllic surroundings. We only had to retrace our steps once after lunch, no one got lost, and we all made it back to our cars by just after 2.00pm having enjoyed a walk of about 5 miles.
Personally I think it was a great shame that after Andy had gone to such trouble Her Majesty didn’t see fit to join us for what could have been a joint birthday celebration - Andy was not only our guide but also a birthday boy. Rounding up fault-finding walkers and then getting home in time to watch your football team lose - what a way to spend your birthday!
Many thanks Andy for another lovely day, we all enjoyed it no matter what we may say!
Christine Baker
Next walk will be on 19 May.
Venue to be decided but will be jolly exciting, not arduous and will involve afternoon tea (or morning coffee).
Usual meeting arrangements (9:30 at St. John's ) apply.
However our intrepid sherpa, Andy, had got us all into the church car park at 9.30am on the Queen’s birthday under false pretences. Just in case anyone believed they would be familiar with the countryside around Darwen, he changed the destination to Croston. The closest the promise of a walk around three reservoirs came to fruition was a walk past the dishwashing unit, the laundry and the Elsan disposal area at the Royal Umpire Caravan Site. But it would be most unfair to leave you thinking those were the highlights of the day. Once we had walked through the car park at the caravan site and past the aforesaid water attractions (all of a quarter of a mile from where we had started our walk) we appeared to be lost; the book which Andy was following having been published some years earlier. Undeterred, Andy fiddled with his GPS and Ordnance Survey map whilst Cheryl took control of the guide book and a friendly local directed us to the river.
After that the walk definitely picked up and we passed through some beautiful countryside, enjoyed a coffee at a lovely café and picnicked in idyllic surroundings. We only had to retrace our steps once after lunch, no one got lost, and we all made it back to our cars by just after 2.00pm having enjoyed a walk of about 5 miles.
Personally I think it was a great shame that after Andy had gone to such trouble Her Majesty didn’t see fit to join us for what could have been a joint birthday celebration - Andy was not only our guide but also a birthday boy. Rounding up fault-finding walkers and then getting home in time to watch your football team lose - what a way to spend your birthday!
Many thanks Andy for another lovely day, we all enjoyed it no matter what we may say!
Christine Baker
Next walk will be on 19 May.
Venue to be decided but will be jolly exciting, not arduous and will involve afternoon tea (or morning coffee).
Usual meeting arrangements (9:30 at St. John's ) apply.
