Tuesday 22 June: - this is national insect week, in case you were wondering, and i've met a few creepy-crawlies in my time, i can tell you (all male)
Venue: Duke's Head, Brockham
Walkers: Farty, T.B., Windy, 10 legs, and me -Clat
Distance: 6 1/2 miles - it was very hot
Find of the walk: the stiffs - not nice to photograph, and too smelly as well.
We started off in the opposite direction to a large group of walkers, thank goodness, and crossed the river Mole, and straight on to a bridleway. The path took us through fields of very healthy wheat and corn, and the weather, just glorious. We arrived at Betchworth Park Golf Club, and passed in front of the club house. It was ladies day today, so it was very colourful out on the greens, with the summer clothes out in force.
We started to smell a really nasty niff, and came across a fox on its back, very dead with a big black mark on his chest - oh dear. We found the railway line and crossed under it, and after a turn in the footpath, we went under it again!
Trekking along as we do, T.B. then decided to demonstrate what a prowler would do - don't ask me why, perhaps it was the heat. He was later told that he was too tall to prowl, so that's put paid to that.
Loads of stiles today, and some designed for a much bigger inside leg than ours - but we coped, and threaded the two dawgies through the narrow gaps provided. We came across a ditch full of tadpoles, and so that is good for the future frog population - or will they all be princes?
Our path went through several fields, and we had our first break under an old oak tree. The bushes were useful for our relief activities, although Clat let the side down, by giving herself a tremendous splash-back, so had to shuffle along until her (thankfully) quick-drying trousers had done the trick - should she go on the in-continence plan?
SORRY IF YOU GOT THE ABOVE BIT BEFORE THE WHOLE BLOG - THE INCONTINENCE PLAN HAS SPREAD TO THE KEYBOARD!
Our path led us past a couple of farms, with caring farmers, who had cut proper swathes in their fields for the walkers. We found ourselves going under the railway line once more, and our second stiff - a shrew, and then on to a pub called the Royal Oak , Blackbrook Road, where we were told we were lucky as they had had a power cut all morning until just before we arrived. There, we met Ziggy, a very friendly greyhound, and Minnie, full of bravado, barked her challenge, but it wasn't necessary. We had some long and cooling drinks, watched a bit of tennis, and set off once more, doing a bit of a re-route, just so we could get back to the Duke's Head in time for lunch - they stop serving at 2.30 p.m.
We followed the river Mole again, as it meandered gently through the countryside - damsel and dragonflies, so beautiful in the sunshine.
Along one track Minnie came to a halt, literally, and flopped onto the ground, refusing to move. We reckon it was the cut crops which might have been digging into her pads , and, as Farty said ' it went against the grain' ha ha ha! Once we were back on the lane, she was fine, and we headed homeward.
The pub could do better - it has so much potential, and here in Brockham, there is nowhere to have morning coffee or afternoon tea , and the place could well do with it. However, we got our orders in, and sat outside. The service could have been better, and they had run out of prawns, which affected two of our orders.
The scores are: Food - 4, Value - 4, Amb. - 2, Service - 2 total of 14.
We are meeting again next Tuesday 29th - venue to be announced, but we are hoping Sally can meet us for lunch, so it might be round her neck of the woods - we shall keep you posted.
TB protests he is not a creepy-crawly!
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