Category: 2015 Walk

Day 21 – The Last Word – Richmond Park to Westminster

Gate Expectations   I notice that the closer we get to London the larger (and dare I say it, the more vulgar) the houses and of course the higher the “sod you” gates: you know, the ones with push button entry bells designed to keep scruffy folk like us out. I always imagine that behind …

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Day 20 – Small Stones – Hersham to Richmond Park

Rug, Rats! We stay in a beautiful house and I baptise it by casting a glass of claret on a cream rug! They were very kind about it (what else could they do?) and produced a marvellous machine which managed to obliterate most of it. Lost for Words When we are asked to sign visitors …

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Day 19 – The History of Man – Send to Hersham

Friends and Relation   This has been an especially great day because our eldest daughter Clare walked with us all morning. Made up for the incessant rain. We lunched with Colonel Paul Davis who used to be the Secretary General of the services charity Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League and a great friend of ZANE and …

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Day 18 – Talking the Walk – Puttenham to Send

Welcome to Our Church? While waiting for Markus I visited St Nikolas’ church in Guildford. Although it was 11.30am on a Sunday and there were people inside, the doors were locked. I wandered round to find that the somewhat elderly congregation was having coffee in a smart hall at the back. Interesting, this. What sort …

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Day 17 – A Day as a Lion – Bentley to Puttenham

Last night we stayed with a dear friend Nigel Pollock outside Godalming. A lovely and relaxed time, much needed after one of our perennial encounters with dis-courteous drivers.   Something Fishy Going on Here… I recall that a policeman friend of mine arrested a woman driver whom he saw swearing viciously at an inoffensive elderly …

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Day 16 – Shadowlands – Day Off for ZANE Conference

A Stellar Cast   We crawled through thick traffic to the ZANE conference on the second hottest day of the year and, considering Wimbledon is on, it was surprisingly well attended. My friend Paul Boateng – past High Commissioner to South Africa made an excellent chairman. The ambassador Catriona Laing was a star- it’s clear …

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Day 15 – Hurry! – Medstead to Bentley

Temptation   Perhaps dear reader you might like to be a fly on the wall and listen in as I spend a little time bartering with the devil.   The man who gave us advice on how to negotiate the road to Alton was oh so kind and well meaning:   “Do watch the lorries …

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Day 14 – The Bride Bomb – Avington to Medstead

Walks and Talks with Daukes   We walked from Avington to Medstead and we were joined by Clendon and Camilla Daukes. It’s always a joy to have them with us if only because we make each other laugh until we cry. Clendon is a force of nature, a man of boundless energy and goodwill who …

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Day 13 – Shifting Sands – Hursley – Avington

The Grand Old Duke We walked like the troops of the Grand Old Duke of York, up and down the hills from Hursley to Avington through the middle of Winchester. We met a kind lady called Ruth in the cathedral refrectory who kinldy made a donation to Zane, The sadness for Jane and me is …

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Day 12 – Je Suis Confused – Testwood to Hursley

Feeling Hot Hot Hot   Yesterday was said to be the hottest day this year and today was apparently forecast to be thundery, in fact it was even hotter than yesterday so the forecasters clearly double as election pollsters!  But how kind of the health authorities to warn us about high temperatures and the effect …

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