The Wednesday Walk 8th June 2016

The Plan

Ringstead Bay

Who Turned Up

Diane and Tony R, Trudy H, Trisha, David

The Walk

It’s so nice to have friends who think about you, even if you do give them nightmares! I’ll explain that comment shortly.

We knew that summer was fully with us because of the warm humid air that sat over the region. We looked forward to a cool breeze coming off the sea when we got to the viewpoint overlooking Ringstead Bay. Sadly, one car – carrying Trisha, Trudy and David – was held up in a long queue by road resurfacing work and was in danger of arriving very late at the hilltop viewpoint. We telephoned Tony and Diane – they’d taken a different route and had already arrived – and told them we would meet them at the café at the base of the hill. They duly set off walking down the hill. This is where I should explain the earlier comment. Trudy B telephoned Trudy H before we left and told her, “I had a terrible dream last night. Don’t let David climb that steep hill. I saw him collapse on the hill!” Clearly something tragic happened in Trudy B’s dream. She followed up with a text as we drove to Ringstead, “Don’t let David climb the hill!”

We duly parked in the car park beside the beach café (at the bottom of the steep hill) and Diane and Tony arrived there only five minutes later. We then set off along the very pleasant coastal walk towards Osmington Mills. Did you know that the area around here was painted by John Constable in the early nineteenth century? He spent his honeymoon here in 1816. You can understand why when you gaze out over the glorious coastal scenery. Unfortunately, today a sea mist obscured the Isle of Portland. Although other parts of the UK had torrential rain and lightning in the past couple of days, Dorset has been dry and the stream bed leading into Osmington village - past the beautiful country cottages - was completely dry.

Over lunch, Trudy H phoned Trudy B. Part of their conversation went as follows:

Trudy H – “David is flattered that you have been dreaming about him.”

Trudy B – “It wasn’t a dream. It was a nightmare! It woke me up!”

Trudy B was reassured that David would not tackle the hill.

After lunch, we all walked back to the beach café. Again, a glorious coastal walk with very few other ramblers in sight. Diane and Trudy H then set off up the hill. David, Tony and Trisha had an ice cream and drove up the hill. See? Trudy’s dire warning was heeded.

We finished up with tea and home-made cheesecake at Diane and Tony’s. Thank you ladies, Diane for the tea and hospitality and Trudy for the cheesecake.
And thanks go to Diane and Trudy for the photographs.

The Pub

The Smugglers Inn at Osmington Mills. On a warm day like today, it was a real pleasure to sit outside the pub, relax and enjoy a decent meal. The beef and ale pie was excellent.

Next week.

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