Tandridge, The Barley Mow

Tuesday 25th October

We've All Been Here Before - Or Have We?

Sad news - Poor Josephine, part of our 12 legs contingent, became unwell at the weekend, and the vet had to put her down. She wasn't alone, she was very loved, and we shall all miss her

Today though, it was lovely to see Chris, Sue and Minnie and to go walking in the fresh air and bright sunshine. We also had Farty, T.B., Windy, Lil and Clat. Sally joined us for lunch. Mrs P is still awl - absent with leave.

Find of the walk: a big dead fox - not photographed for obvious reasons, and he wasn't called Gaddafi

Distance: 71/2 miles

Is this a blue tit or a bullfinch? -ha ha ha ha ha

After a quick caffeine hit we set off - early for a change. Up and onto the Greensand Way for a short while before turning off and heading down Grove Road and past Sandlands, which is a big country house, now converted into apartments. We had the usual lovely views and were walking pastures new - literally, as some of the fields had just been ploughed and had therefore lost their footpath tracks - but we struggled through the mud and found them again. The rain has made a lot of the paths slippery and the sound of a huge 'wallop' was the signal that one of our members had fallen - Chris. Her wellies had dis-agreed with a footbridge and she slid off and into a ditch, which was mainly padded with dry leaves, but of course sod's law predicts that your body will find the hard bit and hers did just that. She recovered well and we set off once more, although sure as eggs is eggs she will know about it tomorrow.

Tipple

So, we were making excellent progress and then we sort of got lorst. We couldn't find a vital footbridge, and up and down the fields we went. T.B. went off to another field and did a wonderful impersonation of a scarecrow, and we decided to re-tread and start again. Good job we did, cos this time we followed the direction of the signpost exactly, and found the right place to cross a little brook.

All was going well until we reached a field of little bullocks, frisky, bouncy, and very inquisitive - they can also run fast. Chris, armed with her latest press cutting about yet another attack on a poor unfortunate woman, decided that this wasn't the place to be. However, diversions were created and we got to the other side and on into safety. We came to Foyles Farm - what a lovely place. We met two farm workers who were very friendly and chatty. They breed and rear beef cattle here, which apparently are a lot less aggressive than diary or even dairy ones. We were shown two of their magnificent bulls, one a charolais called Tipple, and the other, a Limousin called Tokyo, who had 3" long eyelashes and something else which was a hell of a lot longer- titter titter.

We were also given info about The Royal Oak, which is a pub nearby in Staffhurst Wood, and one we shall investigate another day. We waved goodbye to our farming friends and started our homeward journey, narrowly missing a hedge cutter and a mohican for some of us. Clat commented on the amount of molehills in a field nearby , only to be told they were cowpats - should've gone to Specsavers then.

As time was pressing , we omitted some of our intended route and did a bit of road walking, passing an equestrian farm called Only Foals and Horses (very clever) . Ironically, another hedge cutter was right across our pathway, but the occupant kindly moved up so we could continue - I mean, what are the chances of that happening? We are now re-tracing, and across one of the fields a rain shower passed overhead, producing a wonderful rainbow, which was sung to by Windy - cut.

The walking was heavy-going, as the mud had stuck to our boots, but slowly and surely we made our way back to the pub, passing a ram having his own tupperware party in a field nearby. Judging by the amount of red bottoms on the ewes, he had quite a lot more bonking to do - hence the expression 'being rammed' ???

Hooray, we were soon stretched, changed, and into the pub - very heavily decorated in Halloween mode. We sat surrounded by cobwebs and spiders, with a skull hanging overhead, and some eyeballs to the side of us. The barman was very attentive - we sat, while he brought us our drinks and food. The menu here is good in that one can have a 'lite bite' here, so smaller portions of our great British staples can be eaten. Windy's fish and chips was more the size of the Isle of Man, and the rest of us were satisfied with our portions. So, sated and satisfied, we went our separate ways, and noted that it had rained quite a lot during our meal inside - how's that for timing?

See you next week folks. xxx