They booked the accommodation and arranged transport of the luggage. What follows is a Blackberry blog written by Mrs M:
11th April Monday - 9 miles
Beautiful sunny day. Taxi pickup 9am to Watford Junc. Met up with C and L on the train from LB to East Croyden. Took coffees for all of us. Train crowded with holiday parties heading for the coast. Changed at EC for Brighton train Starbucks on platform. Arrived B at 12 30 ish. Hilda and Graham met us and took us to the starting point of the GMT at Peacehaven about 5 miles east of Brighton. Monument on the clifftop marks the Greenwich Meridiean erected for George V.
Great views. Perfect sunny breezy weather.Lunch -pork sarnies from home. Eaten on a grassy bank after we had been going for an hour.
Two hours later kelly kettle brew up for tea with view over Lewes. Hilda came out to meet us and led us via the old priory ruins then Graham joined too and we climbed the grassy knoll for grand views south to the sea. Up the ancient streets of Lewes to a lovely B and B just off the mainstreet,
The Prospect, down a steep side steet or twytten! Very comfy rooms on ground floor. Tea in the garden. Shower then met H and G for curry at Charlas.
Hilda led us on night walk around the old byways of Lewes incl quaint windmill house and grand castle and mathmatical tile-faced houses.
12th April Tuesday - 12 miles
Sunny but chilly. Fantastic breakfast in kitchen diner upstairs with wonderful view south. Lynn Wiseman chatted as she cooked b'fast. She had hiked Annapurna and lived on SFO many yrs ago and husband Nick a keen cyclist. He had made the delicious freshfruit salad.
Set off along main st of Lewes at 9:15 am up hill past high grey prison walls. Up to high ridge - chilly wind as we crossed the site of the Battle of Lewes Simon de Montfort v Henry III in 1245 (S won but died a few months later). Lovely views back towards the sea at Newhaven. Headed down off the hills into Offham then across fields of incipient sweet corn under plastic. Into Barcombe via ancient church with funeral - white coach and 2 white horses with red plumes. Chris liked the house near the church with upper veranda and room with views on 3 sides. Kelly kettle brew up in a field near the church. Onwards to Barcombe Cross with a pub (and loo). Missed a little of Grahams route - the rabbit hole. Fields of llamas and a 2 hump camel. 6 wild deer sped by in a wood. Then more llamas before emerging into someones front garden and then round the corner a bench and a small grassy area with goal posts. Ate lunch here. A bit of road walking. Then forest and chalybeats spring and Red Ghyll on the ancient brighton to London monks trail where Ken was making old fashioned caravans and benches out of reclaimed wood. He had a b and b took info for Hilda. Bluebells and wood anemones lining woodland floor. Squeeky wheelbarrow of the great tit pops up everywhere.
At last Wapsbourne Manor -dry closet loo-Linda! but trekked on a little to Sheffield Park railway station on the Bluebell line for cream tea at the platform cafe. Found the meridian marker along the end of platform. G came to meet us and take us to the Bull at Newick about a mile away.
Pretty village with pub on green. Our very modern rooms in converted coach house at back. Drinks with G before he left us then shower and little walk around the green. Drinks and dinner veg lasagne me chilli Stu. Bed by 930.
13th April Wed 13 miles
To bakery at 7:30 to choose our sarnies for lunch (Philtania's bakery) great selection breads and cakes B'fast at 8 am in the pub fairly pedestrian but adequate. G arrived at 8:45 took us to start for about 9:20. Chilly start high white cloud no sun. Cross fields with lambs under Bluebell railway. Ups and downs pretty woodland. Lovely houses around Danehill. Kelly kettle brew up in a wood at 12 noon about 6 miles into route. Through Ashdown Forest near Wych Cross - debate about route as we sat on bench and admired the view north.
At last breasted a hill and saw East Grinstead in distance beyond Weirwood Reservoir. Lunched adjacent to a sheep filled field. Excellent egg mayo granary roll. Cruised down to reservoir then gentle uphill into elegant (mainly) East Grinstead and Gothic House b and b above CJs cafe. Lovely rooms with high ceilinged Georgian elegance but a bit cold.
Showered and walked out along the highstreet. Found Boots for plasters and tape to fix blisters on big toes. Linda and I checked out the EWM and M and Co and we glanced in Millets
Drink at Devonshire Arms a bit pseud with awful music so headed back to CJs for excellent steak in sandwich followed by openmike live music all washed down with red wine. Bed by 10 pm.
14th April Thurs 13 miles
Woke at 5 and started writing this record. Difficult to remember even one day before!
Very friendly breakfast lady. We sat in CJs for it in the front window. Set off along the mainst at 9:15 ish. Went to the memorial gardens and found meridian monuments and Hall and loo for Stu. No certificates sadly despite Chris enquiring.
Walked through pretty woodland with white wood anemones past the Cooks pond and viaduct opened 1894. Along past large houses and then the railway to Dormans Station. Into Lingfield Park golf course beautiful view with trees then race course and village where we met a lady who could recommend a coffe shop -the place to meet- excellent service - brought us tap water. Toasted t cake amd lemondrizzle. Ordered our sarnies for lunch. Walked back past the church out of Lingfield houses one with bright purple door. Crossed railway actually over the rails and were in a field of sheep. Through fields meridian marker jiggling with railway. Old Yew tree in the churchyard at Crowhurst. Stopped for lunch in corner of field near railway kelly kettled. Sarnies were the best ever for Linda. Wood fields pigs road. Oxted mill. Arrive b and b met chris and lesley at The Croft lovely large house with huge ensuite with bath ans shower. Showered then walked into new and then old Oxted. Found a good shop for Esprit bought T shirts Stu and Chris fell asleep. Walked to Old Oxted and found succour in the Crown delic prawns then lamb for linda pork for stu and pie for chris and cherry. Ginger dessert shared and coffee 15 min walk back to b and b.
15th April Friday 17 miles
Set off after brekka 0800 teddy bears in the garden mark the zero meridian to look at the nearby Huffhouse where Andy -fellow b and b-er was drilling 3 boreholes. Left Oxted via Munchies in the high st for sarnies. Then walked across fields to cross M25 then steeply up North Downs across brambles and barbed wire - the way Stu decided to go off route. Past a large walled house with brick balls on the top of wall along a track and down into a quiet valley where paragliders were practsing their manoevers. Up another even steeper hill to kelly kettle brew up on top. Across fields to picturesque church. Then a bit of road before stopping for a drink at the White Bear at Fingleshole.
Through New Addington - lots of rubbish spoiling the vast green areas. Then on to built up Hayes where we had a Costa before marching on thru suburbia to Bromley Millets to buy cycle T shirts.
Taxi from Bromley South to the hotel Bromley Court. Hot spa and then dinner accompanied by an Abba trbute band. Also a wake and a wedding happening so a very busy and noisy hotel. Bed at 10. Slept well
April 16th Sat 10.5 miles
Buffet breakfast Taxi pickup at 845 to take us to Bromley South about 2 miles away. Headed to the Churchill theatre past the shops then into the gardens. Beckenham Park golf course was beautiful. Stopped for coffee at the Georgian mansion club house -sadly in poor repair lovely view of golf course. View of Crystal Palace
Walked to find the Edward V111 post box which some of the party missed! - boring flat walk but soon followed by the beautiful riverside walk along the Pool and then Ravensbourne River to Ladyfield Gardens where we were recommended to have coffee by a family out for a walk with their 5 young sons Which we did. Chris and Stu had an ice cream. Brilliant sunshine all morning. Walked on through streets to Lewisham cross busy interchange then up the hill to the large houses of Blackheath and the green open heath -lots of preparations for the London marathon portaloos and metal barriers. Across the heath to the gates of Greenwich Park where Graham and Hilda met us. Photoshots on the meridian then down the hill and to the Thames to complete the walk at the Greenwich tunnel under the Thames. Met up with Hannah and Jonnie and had celebratory lunch at Baba's - excellent omlettes and cava from the off licence next door.
The End
Went to Sathi for dinner
Sunday 17 April
Clean up and pack for next mini-adventure!
Tried to go to Green Dragon at Flaunden for dinner, but they had run out of food, and advised us to try The Royal Oak at Bovingdon where we had a good meal in homely surroundings.
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