This week’s walk was led by Tim, his third time leading for us this year which is an impressive effort is bearing in mind spring has barely sprung. For this weeks walk we invited our sister group, the Berkshire Weekend Walkers along. It only seemed fair seeing as we had been invited along to their weekend extravaganza in Bath. It was therefore an excellent opportunity for both groups to mix over the duration of the weekend.
I got up slightly earlier than needed for the walk as sources close to me had reliable informed me that a steamer was coming through Reading Station at approximately half an hour before our train to Wokingham was due to depart. It was too good an opportunity to miss although I was the only one from our group to see it standing in the station as we met up slightly after it had departed.
Without further ado, more about the walk now. We congregated at the newly developed Wokingham station for a 10.45 get away. Twenty three of us were in attendance, the equation fairly evenly split between the two groups. We headed in a southerly direction along the main road which it has to be said was quite a task for a large group like us to cross. However, we managed it with any casualties. We went past Chapel Green and then to Gorrick Plantation at Bramshill Forest. It was here that we nearly lost the Membership Secretary (yep, that would be me then!) as I dropped my camera while trying to take a photo and consequently lost touch with the back of the group. No real panic done as the others hadn’t got too far ahead and I soon caught up.
Lunch was had at a rather pleasant spot called Heath Pond. From my long recollection of being in the group I can’t remember having been here before. It was certainly a good choice by the walk leader as I’m sure everyone whom was on the walk would testify too. For some reason perhaps best known to them, our walk leader and another long term member of the group decided to partake it some burpees. I can confirm that photographic evidence is available of this event and available upon request!
This excitement over, we carried on with rest of the walk. I would guess we had completed about half distance up to this point. We walked past Crowthorne station and then soon turned off and headed past the East Berkshire Golf course taking great care in case of flying golf balls heading in our direction.
The group was getting on well with the usual chat and banter as you would expect with us. A little know factoid came out at this point and that is that I’m a fan of owls and have been ever since I was a kid. Wow, I hear you gasp. The “How many species of owl can you name” discussion is not brought up nearly enough on our walks in my view. For those that were in on the conversation, I have done a little homework and can confirm that there are over two hundred species worldwide! I think we came up with four or five.
Having left the golf behind us, we progressed along the edge of the Heath Lake Nature Reserve and onwards past some greenhouses. In fact, a lot of greenhouses some of which were covered and others were not. The walk was coming to its conclusion but not before a member of the group mentioned that the nearby Ludgrove School was attended by Princes William and Harry back in the day. Well, I never knew that.
Soon, we arrived back in Wokingham and a quick debate was had amongst us to decide which the best hostelry to frequent was. Decision soon made, as usual I was one of the first at the bar and we enjoyed our drinks outside in the rather pleasant afternoon late winter sunshine.
Our excitement didn’t end there as those who caught the train were rewarded with a comedy tannoy announcer at Wokingham station while we waited for a return train home!