The Wednesday Walk 30th December 2009

The Plan

Meet at Sue's for a short walk from Whitecliff to Poole

The Leader

Wendy

Who Turned Up

Wendy, Sue, Tricia, Beatrice, Trudy, Tony H and David.

The Walk

The weather being seasonably wet, we were in no hurry to get our feet pounding the sodden ground, so opted for a short walk that would have the benefit of cover when we got to Poole. For cover, ladies, read shoe shops. We gathered at Sue's house and then drove to Tricia's for morning coffee. Trudy joined us there. Diane and Tony, sorry you were unable to be with us because of Tony's back trouble. Refreshed after our coffee, we drove to Whitecliff and walked along the harbour shore to Poole. With no wind, the water was calm as a millpond. We inspected a number of eateries in Poole before opting to try the Italian restaurant on the quay.

After lunch we wandered up through the town and then went on through Poole Park. Some diversion was provided by the exercise machines situated within the park, This is where the fit and active walkers demonstrated just how fit they really were. See the pictures above for evidence. Finally, we drove back to Sue's for tea, mince pies and Christmas cake. Many thanks, Sue.

The Restaurant

Italian Gossip on Poole Quay. The deal was two courses for £6.95. The food was very nicely prepared and presented. The amount on the plate varied from "just about enough" to "not enough" depending upon the dish chosen. Obviously they are not in compettion with the pies at the Foresters!

The Wednesday Walk 16th December 2009

The Plan

The Christmas Lunch walk

The Leader

Wendy

Who Turned Up

(For the walk) Wendy, Trudy, Trisha, Beatrice, Ros, Tony H, Sue and David

The Walk

Not so much a "Winter Wonderland" walk, more a "Light Snow on your Nose" ramble through muddy woodland. We drove to Fiddleford Manor where we left the cars and set out through the woodland towards The Bull at Sturminster. The air was freezing but the ground was easy going to start with. Once we got into the woods we met up against slushy mud, and we handn't gone far before it started snowing. Wendy called it a blizzard and Ros called it a flurry. Take your pick. There were light moments and there were one or two heavier falls, but neither settled on the ground. The outdoor scene (above) was photographed during a snowfall, but the snow doesn't show up. We arrived at the pub nicely in time with the ten others who were joining us for our Christmas celebrations, including our two Sahara trekkers safely back in the UK! After lunch, the two drivers were taxied back to there cars and the walking party removed to Beatrice and Tony's for afternoon tea.

The Pub

The Bull at Sturminster Newton. Ros had booked the party in advance and our table was set out in what had once been the skittles alley but was now revamped for diners. The atmosphere was very pleasant and the company was good. Most importantly, there was a general agreement that the meal was excellent. Well done, Ros.

Next Week

Meet at Sue's for a walk along the shore

The Wednesday Walk 8th December 2009

The Plan

To walk from Coy Pond to the shore

The Leader

Wendy

Who Turned Up

Wendy, Sue, Ros, Trudy and David

The Walk

The day promised better weather than last week. We drove to Coy Pond, left the car beside the top end of the gardens and set off towards Bournemouth. As the walk was generally more civilised than usual we didn't bother with our boots or trekking gear. The gardens held a surprising array of colourful blooms that, by rights, should not be visible at this time of the year. We saw fuschias, roses, hydrangias and even - would you believe it - a large strawberry tree pregnant with fruit. (See picture above). There were other flowers as well, but space (and botanical knowledge) restricts the ones I can list. We had a short break in Bournemouth for morning coffee (and cakes!) courtesy of M&S. It's not just coffee, it's M&S coffee!!! Then we walked along the shore from Bournemouth Pier to Boscombe pier and had our lunch in the Harvester at Boscombe. We had a table with a view out over the sea and, during lunch, we came to the conclusion that the surfing waves were better alongside the two piers than in the vicinity of the mega-bucks artificial surf reef. I'm sure someone must be able to explain that.

After lunch, we took the cliff-top path back along the shore and stopped for a short while in Bournemouth to see what bargains were on offer in Borders' Book Shop. We did experience a short spell of light rain on our walk back up through the gardens, but nothing that would deter hardy walkers. Finally, we enjoyed tea and home-baked cake at Trudy's.

The Pub

The Harvester at Boscombe Pier. This was the first time we have eaten here. It was a standard Harvester Pub with the standard early bird deal and free salad. The chips could have been hotter but, otherwise, the food was okay. No pies were consumed.

Next Week

We shall be having our Christmas Lunch at the Bull, Sturminster Newton.

The Wednesday Walk 2nd December 2009

The Plan
To walk from Delph Woods to Corfe Mullen

The Leader
Wendy

Who Turned Up
Wendy, Trisha, Ros, Sue, Trudy and David

The Walk
It wasn't so much a walk as half a walk and a cold shower. We made the wise decision to position Sue's car at the Lamb's Green pub before we set off walking from Delph Woods. Very soon it started to rain and it didn't actually stop raining before we got to the pub. Okay, it wasn't too heavy by comparison to what came down later, but it was wet. Having said that, the chosen route always was a good walk and we tried to enjoy being out in the open. Nevertheless, we were all feeling a little bedraggled when we reached the pub.
As we were finishing our lunch we saw that the rain had increased from 'steady' to 'heavy'. Trish and Ros decided to chance a walk back to the Delph Woods car park while the rest of the group opted to go back in Sue's car. When we got to the pub door and saw just how heavy the rain had become, the two keen walkers decided to opt out also. That was a very wise move as the 'heavy' rain turned to 'total cloudburst' within five minutes.
Back at Wendy's we enjoyed a nice cup of tea and cakes.

The Pub
The Lamb's Green at Corfe Mullen. The food was good and the open chicken pie was judged to be well up to standard. They also had a special deal with a main course at £5.95 and a soup or sweet for an extra £2. Sadly, we didn't finish either Wendy's or Trisha's crossword. (Trisha - the answer to 1 across is Out of Range!)

Next Week
We will meet at Trudy's for a walk from Coy Pond to the shore.

The Wednesday Walk 18th November 2009

The Plan
Meet at Upton Park and walk to Broadstone.

The Leader
Wendy

Who Turned Up
Wendy, Sue, Trudy, Ros, Beatrice, Trisha and David

The Walk
This was more of an urban walk than our usual rural jaunts, but a good exercise for all that. We left our cars at the Upton Country Park car park and set off towards Creekmoor. The route took us around the Creekmoor Ponds, along with a couple of exploratory detours, and then through the Creekmoor housing estate until we came to the old Roman Road. Then we followed the straight path up to the top end of Broadstone. The town's charity shops were visited before and after lunch and the general opinion was that Broadstone must be doing well if the charity shops are full of quality goods. After lunch we headed back to the Roman Road and this time we continued out onto the heath, following the line of the old S&D railway. All in all, a good walk which was different to our normal style.

The Pub
The Stepping Stones at Broadstone. This was a new eating place for us and turned out to be good value for money. Several walkers had the 'two courses for £5.95' deal which went down well. Naturally, one person had to try the steak and ale pie, which also turned out to be nicely cooked.

Next Week
Meet at Wendy's at the usual time.
Plan A - Arne.
Plan B (if wet) - Swanage.

The Wednesday Walk 11th November 2009

The Plan
To walk from Stinsford to West Satfford

The Leader
Trudy

Who Turned Up
Trudy, Sue, Trisha, Wendy, Beatrice, Tony H and David

The Walk
It was another of those days when the weather could have been for us or against us, all on a matter of chance. Fortunately, it worked in our favour. We parked the cars in the village car park at Stinsford, near Kingston Mauward and then we headed off through the churchyard where the Hardy family are buried. To be accurate, Thomas's heart (or what's left of it) is buried here and the rest of him is in Westminster Abbey, but the tombstones of his relatives are lined up in the churchyard at Stinsford. A little farther on Tony spotted a buzzard as we headed across the water meadows. The walk to West Stafford was very pleasant and we arrived in the village ready to do justice to the pub lunch.
After lunch, Wendy, Beatrice and Sue opted to take what they thought would be the easy way back to the car park. The other four set off at a brisk pace on a longer, more circuitous route. It was a very pleasant country route marred only by a significant number of styles - one in particular. Tony put a foot wrong on a bridge following that style. It was slippery and Tony's feet decided to reach for the sky. Per ardua ad astra, Tony. Now we know why we set out from Sue's place near Ad Astra road. To our surprise, we four hardy walkers arrived back at the car park in Stinsford only two minutes after the group that took the easy route.
The day was nicely finished off with tea and cakes at Sue's.

The Pub
The Wise Man at West Stafford. They had a two-course meal deal for £10 which suited several of the walkers. The staff were courteous and the food was good.

Next Week
Meet at Upton Coutry Park (the parking place near the gates) at 10.30 for Wendy's walk to Broadstone.

The Wednesday Walk 4th November 2009

The Plan

Meet at Sue's for a walk from Worth Matravers

The Leader

Trudy

Who Turned Up

Trudy, Trisha, Tony H and David. Joined after lunch by Wendy, Sue and Beatrice.

The Walk

The forecast was for mere showers and the sun was shining so we went prepared with light raincoats. We should have had less trust in the forecast. We drove to the car park a mile or so beyond Worth Matravers village and were immediately aware of strong winds coming off the sea. We told ourselves it was bracing and set off towards the coast. There we stopped to admire the view (top photo) and saw that part of the cliff was loose and showing signs of an imminent landslip. We then turned inland along a path that soon became very muddy. However, the air was dry and the sun was out so we ploughed on (middle photo). Actually, it was a really pleasant morning walk but for the mud. When we reached the main road, we crossed over and went a short distance along the planned route but it was even muddier, so we retraced our steps and walked along the road to Kingston with views of Corfe Castle (Bottom photo).

Our three companions joined us at the pub where we failed to finish Trisha's crossword. That should have been an omen: while the company and the morning walk were pleasant, the day wasn't going entirely in the right direction. When the meal was finished we had coffee while a light shower passed over and then set off towards the South West Coast Path. This route would take us past Hill Bottom and Renscombe Farm. However, before we got that far black clouds bubbled up. "Just another shower," we reasured ourselves. We were wrong. It was heavy rain that left us all waterlogged by the time we got back to the car. Three of the hardy walkers (Hardy walkers in the Hardy land! Get it?) set off towards Worth village while our three afternoon walkers were shuttled back to Kingston. Finally, on the journey back to Sue's, Tony was so wet he had to divest himself of parts of his trousers. The rest of us sat in wet clothes and steamed up the car windows.

Thanks to Sue for hosting the occasion, despite her building work, and for entertaining a wet and bedraggled band of walkers.

The Pub

The Scott Arms at Kingston. The food was all right but a bit pricey. One person had the two course special, thereby holding up the proceedings for those who wanted only a simple meal. He might have finished quicker if he'd been able to finish Trisha's crossword.

Next Week

Meet at Sue's again. The walk will be somewhere in the Dorchester direction.

The Wednesday Walk 28th October 2009

The Plan
Meet and Beatrice and Tony's for a walk at Stourhead. Please be on time or early as we'll have a long drive to Stourhead.

The Leader
Trisha

Who Turned Up
Trisha, Jackie, Ros, Trudy, Sue, Beatrice, Tony, David

The Walk
Well done, Trisha on choosing and leading a good walk, and on such a warm day: up to nineteen degrees. We wondered whether we should have forsaken our boots in favour of sandals. It was quite a long drive to start the day but we took the scenic route via zig-zag hill into Shaftsbury. Then we drove on via Gillingham to Alfred's Tower car park near Stourhead. Once we were booted up, we walked up to the huge tower have a look at it. Unfortunately, we couldn't get inside. From there we set off through woods and coutryside towards the Stourhead Gardens. The sun came out for us and the trees were showing their glorious autumn colours. At one point we arrived just in time to get through a pathway before a farmer closed it to shuffle his sheep around.
After lunch we went into the gardens and walked beside the lake. We were glad we did as the autumn colours were quite spectacular. We took a route out of the gardens and up into the woods overlooking the lakes. By then we were clear of the holiday visitors and had the paths largely to ourselves. We also passed by an old Iron Age fort. One or two people began to wonder where we were headed and whether we were on the right track, but they should have had more faith in Trish's navigation because we arrived back at the tower, exactly where we started. The day was finished off with tea and cakes courtesy of Beatrice and Tony.

The Pub
Not a pub this week, it was too busy with half-term visitors. Instead we ate at the National Trust restaurant. The food was okay and reasonably priced, but the queue to the hot counter was a bit daunting. Because of the warm weather, we ate outside.

Next Week

Meet at Sue's for a walk from Worth Matravers.

The Wednesday Walk 21st October 2009

The Plan
Meet at Beatrice and Tony's for a walk from Ashmore to Compton Abbas

The Leader
Trudy

Who Turned Up
Trudy, Trisha, Ros, Beatrice, Sue and David

The Walk
After heavy rain yesterday, it was nice to see some dry weather. The blue sky was there (only just) and we looked forward to a very pleasant walk. Sue and David elected to do only the morning section so one car was left at Compton Abbas airfield. The walk began at Ashmore where the village pond had been drained for dredging. We set off on what we took to be the right route (following a green marker sign) but were turned back by a farmer who told us to use another route. We did, but have doubts about whether we should have insisted on going on our chosen path. Anyway, the walk was very invigorating (that's another way of saying we encountered steep hills up and down). It was nice to be out in open Dorset countryside, unchanged in the past hundred years or more. By the time we got to the airfield we were ready for lunch. After the meal, David and Sue departed and the three diehard walkers continued for the longer section.

For the afternoon walk, Trudy takes up the story: The field of poppies was wonderful (see photos). All told, we must have done four miles or more and came across workmen cutting trees. It was a bit dodgy picking our way through the debris but one of the loggers was very helpful in making a pathway. Then we thought we would do the short, sharp way back but it turned out to be much longer than anticipated as we could not find the turning off for the short cut. Anyway, we made it but Beatrice was suffering a bit by the end of the walk. The day ended back at Beatrice and Tony's where tea was complemented by Sue's home made sponge.

The Pub

Not a pub. We ate at the Compton Abbas airfield cafe. As usual, the selection was good, inexpensive and we had the benefit of a nice view over the airfield. Unfortunately there was nothing flying today. The pie was good.

The Wednesday Walk 14th October 2009

The Plan
To complete the previous week's Plan A. Meet in Wimborne for a Sturminster Newton walk.

The Leader
Wendy

Who Turned Up
Wendy, Trisha, Beatrice and Tony, Sue and David

The Walk

What a perfect day for a walk. Just look at the blue skies in the photos and remember that there was not a breath of wind to spoil the effect. We drove to Sturminster Newton where we parked the car and immediately visited a cafe for coffee. Well, why not? One person had a hot chocolate layered with whipped cream and marshmallow but we're not revealing who! Once we got under way, the walk turned out to be rather special. The path was generally dry and took us past Cutt Mill where the mill pond was flat calm and so was the River Stour. Once past the mill, we took a wrong turn through a woodland copse but soon found our way back on course to Hinton St Mary. The memorial gardens in the village were not as well-kept as the last time the group walked here but an apple tree did provide a free sweet after a good lunch.

After lunch we made a detour into a second-hand store where someone bought a mug for fifty pence. Sue joined us at the pub and came with us for the second half of the walk. Well done, Sue. This time we walked parallel with the river with beautiful views across the Stour Valley. To finish off the day, we had tea and cakes (a generous mixture of low calorie and high calorie) at Beatrice and Tony's. Finally, we send greetings to our overseas readers: Marian in the USA and Diane in the middle of the Sahara Desert. Have you tried camel pie yet, Diane?

The Pub

The White Horse in Hinton St Mary. The food was very good and the pie was excellent. It was cosy, picturesque and friendly. We must try this one again some time.

The Wednesday Walk 7th October 2009

The Plan
Meet at Beatrice and Tony's for a walk from Sturminster Newton to Hinton St Mary.

The Leader
Wendy

Who Turned Up
Wendy, Sue, Trisha, David

The Walk
The weather was forecast to turn wet so we cancelled plan A and met at David's for Plan B. We drove into West Moors and parked Sue's car in the car park as a guard against bad weather after lunch. Then we had coffee at the cafe in the main street. Finally, we drove back to the Inn on the Tin car park in Ferndown. The walk was no more than a mile through the woodland path into West Moors but, by then, it had started raining. Nothing difficult, but enough to deter us from a longer walk. There were no flowers of note, but we did see a large orange fungus that looked just right for a garden gnome to perch on.
After lunch we took the same route back, with just a short detour through Hatchard's Copse. Otherwise, we followed the Castleman Trailway back towards Dolman's Crossing. Once again it was raining, but at least it was a level walk which was in Sue's favour. She did well to complete both the morning and the afternoon jaunts. No photographs this week as we are missing both of our best photographers and the weather wasn't good enough for photography anyway - well, that's our excuse.

The Pub
The Tap and Railway in West Moors. This was our first taste of this particular pub and we were pleasantly surprised. They had a two meals for ten pounds deal which we all went for. The meals would have been classed as good had we paid full price for them. At the special deal price, we have to say they were excellent value. The pie was a "double" with chicken on one side and beef on the other and was excellent.

The Wednesday Walk 30th September 2009

The Plan
Meet at Beatrice and Tony's for a walk to High Hall. (This walk always makes me think of the Lone Ranger. High Hall Silver!!!)

The Leader
Tony and Wendy

Who Turned Up
Beatrice and Tony, Wendy, Sue, Trisha, Ros and David

The Walk
This week we were pleased to welcome Sue back into the walking fraternity, complete with her bionic knee. We set out from Beatrice and Tony's house and got as far as Walford Mill before we had to stop for a cup of coffee. Suitably refreshed, we then continued on our walk across the countryside behind Catley Copse and Wilksworth Farm and then on past High Hall until we reached The Stocks pub at Grange. Laburnum and Fresia. There, I have done my duty in mentioning two flower groups seen in the gardens we passed en-route, and very pretty they were too. The walk was generally flat and dry but we did have to cross quite a few styles.

After lunch, we took the route to the west of Smuggler's Lane, using the opportunity to try something different. At this stage of the walk, Tony seemed to be in control of the navigation and led us back to his house where we enjoyed tea and cake.

The Pub

The Stocks. This is a good pub, one we have visited before. Everyone had a good main meal... except David. The pie crust was far too tough. But, to the credit of the staff, they were very good about it and provided a free sweet to compensate.

The Wednesday Walk 23rd September 2009

The Plan
Meet at Wendy's for a walk at Studland

The Leader
Trisha and Wendy

Who Turned Up
Trisha, Wendy, Ros, Beatrice and Tony H, David

The Walk
We drove to the Knoll Beach car park at Studland and immediately went to the National Trust cafe for our morning infusion of coffee. We had our priorities right! Suitably refreshed, we then had a short walk on Studland Heath, stopping at the bird hide overlooking Little Sea. That's a lake in the middle of the heath. Wendy spotted some small blue flowers but - surprisingly for Wendy - she couldn't identify them. She later asked the NT guy in the cafe but he didn't know either. She has promised to find out from her stock of flower books before next week! From a high point overlooking the beach (not the nudist section, I hasten to add) we looked out towards Old Harry Rocks and saw a Royal Marine landing craft making its way into Studland Bay. We also saw the Condor SeaCat heading down towards the Channel islands and the Waverly paddle steamer heading back towards Bournemouth.
We arrived back at the NT cafe for lunch. Afterwards, we headed off to the west of Knoll Beach towards Fort Henry. This is the blockhouse where Churchill watched Operation Smash - a live ammunition attack on Studland Bay in preparation for the D Day landings. We then walked up to Studland village and crossed the main road to make our way onto the other heathland. We didn't get as far as the Agglestone rock but it was a warm and pleasant walk for all that.
On the drive back to Wendy's house, Trisha, Tony and David stopped at Lytchett Minster to gather conkers, something to take us nicely back to our school days! Tea and cakes were served at Wendy's to round off a very enjoyable day.

The Pub
Not a pub, but a National Trust cafe at Knoll Beach. The eating area seemed smaller than we recalled from a previous visit, but the food was very palatable. Sadly, they had no pies but one Cornish walker was able to enjoy a pastie. There was a mix-up over a bottle of beer mistakenly thought to be cider. When the error was pointed out, the staff were very quick to shoulder the blame and supply other drinks.

The Wednesday Walk 16th September 2009

The Plan
Meet at David's for a walk in the forest.

The Leader
Trudy

Who Turned Up
Trudy, Wendy, Beatrice, Diane, Tony R, Trisha and David

The Walk
For once the met forecasters got it right. They said it would be a nice day and it was. We parked at the Verely car park in the New Forest and set off towards Burley. For our overseas readers I should explain that the New Forest is not new and much of it isn't forested. Which is why the start of the walk was over open heathland with views right down to the coast at Bournemouth. There was a spot of wind when we were at the highest point of the walk, but otherwise it was a very pleasant jaunt into Burley village. This is a classic New Forest spot with ponies roving wild through the streets. We had planned on eating at the Queen's Head but our walk brought us into the village alongside the Burley Inn. We had not eaten here before so decided to give it a try.
After lunch we set off on another route that took us through an area of impressive country houses, including one place which we decided would look ideal in an Agatha Christie murder mystery. We could just picture the maid screaming from a window, "The butler's killed 'is lordship!"
Unfortunately, a little farther on, the route Trudy planned was closed by logging operations so we had to make an unexpected detour and - let's be honest about it - were a little unsure of our position at times. But we were never lost. We always knew where we had come from and where we were going to. In the event Trudy decided that the detour was probably less arduous than the route she planned. We think we walked between 6.5 and 7 miles.

The Pub
The Burley Inn. This was somewhere new for us and a place to keep in mind for future walks. We sat in a dark part of the pub interior and next time we would choose the lighter annex. Those who had the cous cous were not impressed but the other meals were fine. David's pie was much appreciated. The disappointment came from not finishing Trisha's three crossword puzzles.

The Wednesday Walk 9th September 2009

The Plan

To meet at Beatrice and Tony's for a walk to Tarrant Monkton.

The Leader

Trudy

Who Turned Up

Trudy, Beatrice, Tony H, Diane, Tony R, Trisha, David.

The Walk

Today we witnessed the Met Office Custard Pie of the Year award for accurate forecasting. We left home expecting bright blue skies and were greeted initially with rain. Fortunately it didn't last, but we never did see the sunshine until the walk was completed.

We drove in two cars to Manswood. For those who don't know it, this is a tiny country village with just a few thatched cottages. Despite that we were unable to redezvous the two cars! Worse still, our mobile phones were beyond signal coverage so we could not even call one another. So the two cars drove around country lanes, the occupants scanning the horizon for any signs of the other vehicle. The Carry On film makers would have had a field day!!

Once we had made contact, we set off from a lay-by at the end of the village in the direction of Tarrant Monkton. Highlights of todays walk included smelly pigs (Diane tried talking to them but they didn't seem bothered by their smell) dung beetles and a butterfly that looked dead until Tony threw it into the air.

There were no stiles on today's walk, no muddy fields or paths and no steep hills. All-in-all it was a jolly good walk.

Thanks to Beatrice and Tony for tea and cakes to nicely round of the day.

The Pub

The Langton Arms at Tarrant Monkton. The food here was excellent, including a very nice pie! It was, however, a little pricey. The coffee was very good (also pricey) and the chocolates that went with it were delicious. We asked at the reception desk where we could buy some and were told we couldn't. The owners made them by hand.

The Wednesday Walk 2nd September 2009

The Plan

To meet at Beatrice and Tony’s for walk to Sturminster Newton

The Leader

Wendy

Who Turned Up

Trudy, Beatrice, Tony, Diane, Tony, Wendy, Ros

The Walk

(Write-up by Ros)

As we set off for Fiddleford Manor car park, the clouds were very threatening so we were armed with plenty of wet weather gear! We walked through the Piddle woods to Dirty gate. As we approached Broad Oak the heavens opened and we took shelter in a community orchard small hut which explained the types of apples. There were several types of different apples and we were invited to help ourselves! They were at the peak of ripeness and very tasty. We continued on the road to the Bull at Sturminster Newton.
After lunch the rain settled in for the afternoon. We walked up through the town checking out the Railway Gardens for a possible future picnic spot. We continued along the old railway line back to Fiddleford Manor. It was quite sheltered and we didn’t get too wet.
A welcoming cup of tea and very little cake at Beatrice and Tony’s finished off a lovely but damp day.

The Pub

The Bull, Sturminster Newton. As we were all counting the calories (well most of us) the menu was varied and even Tony H opted for chicken rather than the usual faggots! The food was excellent and no pies were consumed.

The Wednesday Walk 19th August 2009

The Plan
Meet at Jackie’s for a walk at Ringstead Bay

Who Turned Up
Jackie, Diane, Tony, Beatrice, Tony, Trudy and Trisha.

The Leader
Trudy and Trisha

The Walk
(Thanks to Diane for writing up this week's account)
We set off from the car park at the top of Ringstead and walked to the first coffee stop at the hut. It was a beautiful warm day with wall to wall sunshine. Fortunately it was not as hot as anticipated as there was a pleasant breeze. We wandered along the coast to our lunch stop at The Smugglers. The route back took us through woods and streams and of course an ice-cream stop at the hut. This gave us the fortitude to clamber slowly up the hill to the chapel with the wonderful views and sit awhile before the final ascent back to the cars.

The Pub
Everyone enjoyed their lunch which was good value and promptly served. Jacket potatoes for those weight watching, pate for Diane and chilli for Tony. We sat outside enjoying the lovely weather for a change.

The Wednesday Walk 12th August 2009

The plan
With so many people away on holiday, Wendy is anxious to find someone to walk with her this week. If you are free, please call Wendy and arrange a meeting place.

The Leader
A joint effort

Who Turned Up
Trudy, Wendy, and...

The Walk
(Courtesy ofTrudy)
It was rather a lazy day, starting off at the tennis courts at Branksome. We didn't see many flowers along the way. We did however see a perfectly good bike in the stream (I think that's a meant to be a bike and not a pike - blogmaster) At Branksome Chine, Wendy spotted two wardens and told them about the bike and they said they would send a van to sort it. (Must be a bike unless they wanted a fish supper - blogmaster)
After a very good, though expensive coffee - you pay forthe view here - on the terrace, we made our way along the beach to Canford Cliffs. We had an excellent lunch in the New Beehive. The ambience was good and the staff very friendly and attentive.
Afterwards, we walked to Flaghead Chine, back along the beach and a different way up Branksome Chine. At the top we went to see if the bike had been removed. It had been taken from the stream but we discovered it on the other side leaning against some bushes. We wondered why we bopthered. Wendy suggested we send Lew to rescue it.
The pictures show us hugging a fossilised tree. Wendy reckoned it is 1.5 million years old, or 15 million. Anyway, it is very old. (Note - we now understand it to be 140 million years old, so it should have a bus pass!)

The Pub
The New Beehive, Canford Cliffs.

The Wednesday Walk 5th August 2009

The Plan
Meet at Wendy's for a walk to Okeford Fitzpaine.

The Leader
Wendy

Who Turned Up
Wendy, Jackie, Ros, Tony and Diane R, David.

But lets not forget two people who would have been there but for some medical problems.

Sue has now left hospital after having a new mid-leg hinge inserted. Get some WD40 on it, Sue, and hurry back to the Wednesday walks. We look forward to seeing you back with us. And, anyway, we've all got the old-type hinges in our legs and some of them squeak, so you'll be able to put the rest of us to shame when you've run-in your new equipment.

Brian is awaiting an operation in Bournemouth hospital. We all wish you well, Brian, and hope to see you back on your feet in the months ahead. These days we miss the Brian-type funny stories that used to punctuate our walks.

And we haven't forgotten you, Marian. We know you are looking in on the blog and keeping track of what we have been up to.

The Walk
We had planned on walking to Okeford Fitzpaine but the weather was wet and we figured the ground would be muddy, so we elected, instead, to walk from Potterne Way, between Three-Legged Cross and Verwood. For those of you who don't remember it, the car park is at the rear end of the Moors Valley Country Park. I won't dwell on the fact that it had been raining earlier in the morning and the ground was muddy underfoot on this walk as well, but no one drowned.

We started out walking through Potterne Woods, a new route for us and one that, at times, defied our combined navigational efforts. Shortly after we came out of the woods, Wendy was the first to spot a late-blooming foxglove. The route took us on across some open country and then past a motor sports ground.

After lunch, we took another new route through woodlands and countryside back to the start point. By then the weather was improving rapidly and we felt the effects of the warm temperature and high humidity.

Tea and chocolate cake was enjoyed at Wendy's house. Thanks, Wendy, for an interesting new walk and your usual hospitality.

The Pub

The Old Barn. Some of the group had eaten here before. For others it was a new experience. The service was excellent, even allowing for the fact that we started out as the only people in the building. Everyone was happy with the standard of the meals...even the inveterate pie eater!

The Wednesday Walk 29th July 2009

The Plan
Meet at Diane's. Depending upon the weather, it may be possible to swim as well as walk.

The Leader
Trudy

Who Turned Up
Trudy, Trisha, Diane, Beatrice. Tony, Sue and Jackie.

The Walk
We had a forecast of wet and miserable conditions for today. In the event, two people opted out but not because of the rain: Tony R didn't walk because he had his eye stitched the previous day (good luck with the recovery Tony), and David was missing because he had a hospital appointment for his palsy (They said the present state of his face is as good as it's going to get. How nice of them!)

Now for the real walkers story, courtesy of Diane (Thanks Diane)

We walked from Norden to Corfe and back. Sue, Beatrice and Tony completed the morning walk leaving the other four after a lovely lunch at the Fox. We had to choose a table by the illuminated well as the pub moggy occupied it's favourite seat! Everyone thoroughly enjoyed their meal. The weather was very kind and only rained whilst we had lunch. The walk was similar to last time but only one alpaca was in the field. We all returned to Diane's for tea and cake. No one fancied a swim as it started to rain again!

The Pub

The Fox at Corfe Castle. Once again the food was well up to standard.

The Wednesday Walk 22nd July

The Plan
Meet at Beatrice and Tony's for a walk from Woodlands to Verwood.

The Leader
Trudy

Who Turned Up
Trudy, Wendy, Sue, Trisha, Beatrice, Diane and Tony R, David.

The Walk
This morning, while having breakfast, I switched on the television to get the day's weather forecast. The chart showed clear skies and sunshine to start the day in our part of Dorset. Outside the window, at the very same time, heavy rain was piddling down. With that in mind, we were very lucky to have a largely dry walk. We drove to Woodlands and set off on a two hour walk to Verwood. Our route took us through woodlands, across open fields and along country lanes. Along the way, we saw clover, buttercups and daisys, but no bluebells. Wrong time of the year. There was one unfortunate incident when Beatrice slipped on a muddy patch and fell on her bottom. It was fortunate that she landed on the cheeky part of her anatomy and no serious damage appears to have been done - except a bruise or two and a severe dent to Beatrice's confidence.
After lunch we took a shorter route back to Woodlands. We hadn't gone far before we saw an enormous fungus that was surprisingly undamaged. We photographed it and moved on. Ginny, Gareth and Tasha came part way with us, far enough to see the farmyard animals before we crossed the golf course. We had a few minutes light rain, but nothing serious. When we got to the wallaby farm we were disappointed to see no wallabys. Has Tesco's taken a large order for wallaby steaks, we asked ourselves.
At the end of the day, tea and cakes were provided at Beatrice and Tony's. The cakes were enjoyed by the two male walkers, but the members of Weightwatchers abstained.

The Pub
We lunched at The Albion in Verwood, where we were joined by Ginny, Gareth and Tasha. We have had very good meals here on previous occasions but something went a litle wrong today. Tony's breast of duck was very good, David's pie was good (bar some singeing on the top of the pasty) with tender melt-in-the-mouth steak. Unfortunately, the ladies of Weightwatchers - who diligently stuck to a simple meal of baked potato and filling - were disappointed. Their potatos were not up to standard and some had to be sent back. We shall want to see signs of an improvement before we go back again.

The Wednesday Walk 15th July 2009

The Plan
To meet at Wendy's for a Purbeck Plod.

The Leader
Wendy

Who Turned Up
Wendy, Diane, Tony R, Trudy, Sue, Beatrice and David.

The Walk
I must offer my thanks to Wendy for providing me with notes to help me remember the finer points of this walk. Our first view of colourful flowers came while we were still on the road, passing through Wareham town. The main street was lined with flower arrays. We drove on to Church Knowle, a pretty little village in the Purbeck Hills. From there we set off across country towards Corfe Castle (that's the name of a village, Marion, as well as a castle). One or two of the group were a little hesitant when we met a field of cows with a bull in attendance. Diane overcame the problem by ordering Tony to go first! He didn't come to any harm so the rest of us followed.
Wendy pointed out some blue flowers she had had at her wedding. She also pointed out some flowers that were not blue and she didn't have them at her wedding. For the technically minded, the first lot were called Blue Scabious and the second lot were called Rosebay Willow Herbs. Still on the subject of flowers, we saw some colourful tubs of them adorning the lavatories at the pub.
After lunch we set off on a route that took us back towards Church Knowle, passing around the base of Knowle Hill. As we approached the village, Tony was first to spot a large heron standing forelornly alone in the middle of a field. The day started out cloudy but turned brighter in the afternoon. Together with the glorious views of the village, the castle and the countryside, this contributed to an excellent walk.
To round off the day, tea and biscuits were taken at Wendy's. Many thanks, Wendy. Did I get the flowers right?

The Pub
We had no single pub in mind as we headed towards Corfe Castle. The first one we came to was The Fox, a small place that was closed the last time we visited the village. This time we decided to give it a try. Inside, we found a cosy atmosphere and a deep well in the middle of the bar room. It was lit up from inside and covered over with a glass plate.
Let it be clearly known that David did not have a pie. He had medallions of pork in a mustard sauce which was excellent. Everyone else enjoyed their meal.
We discovered the pub garden only after we had finished our meal. This was when we found the lavatories covered in richly coloured blooms (sorry - no technical names) and Trudy took a picture of them (see above).

The Wednesday Walk 8th July 2009

The Plan

To meet at Beatrice and Tony's for a walk in the forest.

The Leader

Not too sure. Could have been Wendy or Trudy or Trisha. Let's call it a combined effort.

Who Turned Up

Wendy, Diane and Tony R, Trisha, Marion and Roger, Ros, Trudy, Beatrice, Pam (and friend) and David.

The Walk

It was a great day for a walk. It was also a special occasion because Marion and Roger had flown all the way from the United States especially to be with us on one of our Wednesdays walks. Well, maybe they did also plan to look in on Buckingham Palace and the Tower of London, but those must rank as minor attractions when compared with a Wednesday walk!

To start the day, we drove to Frogham and parked within smelling distance of the Forester's pies. Then we took a leisurely stroll across the heathland arriving back at the Foresters well before all the pies were sold. Wendy did mention seeing some flowers with some unpronounceable name, but they were sitting in a vase on the pub table. Someone swapped his shirt for a Mr Greedy tee-shirt before entering the pub, but what else can you expect from a committed pie lover?

It's worth mentioning that this walk was where Marion and Roger were introduced to the concept of a New Forest pony: an animal who thinks he owns the place. Actually, he probably does. Anyway, the ponies were, as usual, seen in abundance around the pub.

After lunch, we took another leisurely ramble, stopping at the Frogham church to see the forest animal window. Wendy wanted to show Roger an olde English country stile, but the best we could do was show him what we call a kissing gate. No, Roger, it's not an excuse for kissing your wife, it's a description of how the gate works! This was probably one of our shorter walks, but no less enjoyable for that. At the end of the day we returned to Beatrice and Tony's for tea and cakes. Many thanks Bea.

The Pub

It was the old faithful; the Forester's at Frogham. It's almost become one of our trusty old regulars by now. Surprisingly, only two people sampled the pie. Well done, Roger! Next time we'll convert you from Guinness to Real Ale.

The Wednesday Walk 24th June 2009

The Plan
Meet at Ros's for a Swanage walk

The Leaders
Ros and Tricia

Who Turned Up
Ros, Tricia, Pam (and friend) Tony R and David.

The Walk
What a glorious day. The sky was cloudless, the temperature got up to 27 degrees and the walk allowed us some superb views along the Dorset coast. Okay, so we had a couple of minor mishaps. Trisha had a tumble on loose ground at the start of the walk and Pete took a fall on a stile at the end. But these were only minor hiccups. No one was seriously injured.
We drove to Ullwell and then walked up onto Ballard Down. At the top we turned right and headed out to Old Harry, glowing white in the bright sunshine. I must mention the flowers here or I will be getting letters of complaint from our loyal readers. Okay folks: we saw poppies. Red ones. More importantly, as we came down off Ballard Down, we saw a large deep up close. It didn't seemed at all afraid of us (or Archie) and continued its meal while we watched.
We ate at the Bankes Arms and then walked on over the heathland where we had some wonderful views back over the Aggle Stone and Poole Harbour. Just imagine it: a clear sky, lovely warm weather, open countryside and the harbour spread out across the scene. What more can you ask?
The walk finished with tea and cakes at Ros's house.

The Pub
We had an odd situation here. David (wearing an "I Love Pies" tee shirt) had a chicken supreme which was expensive but an excellent meal. Tony (properly dressed by comparison) had sausage and mash which looked unappetising and tasted no better. "The worst Wednesday walk meal I've had," he said. The rest of the group were generally satisfied with the food but also thought it expensive. So it looks like you have to choose the right dish if you go to the Bankes Arms. Some of us were lucky and Tony chose the bad one.