Warnham - The Sussex Oak

Tuesday 12th February

What Mud?

Walkers:  Farty, T.B., 4 Legs, Windy, Lil and Clat. and, surprise surprise Minnie!  Sally joined us for lunch - and was presented with her calendar.
 Find of the walk: a pair of striking turquoise glasses - sadly, wrong prescription for Farty.
 Distance: 6 1/2 miles

It were a right raw mornin' and the cold were stappin' the vitals - perfect for a walk, some might say.  We  parked and went to the lovely butchers and looked at his meat.  We bought some of his meat, and some of us had him keep our meat until we met ,again.

Farty and Clat, had chatted about this proposed riverside walk, in the hopes that we wouldn't encounter mud, but we were so wrong.  Even in the built-up areas, it was boggy and flooded - we have had so much rain lately. Off we went,  straight into heavy heavy mud, and within minutes, a crafty bramble claimed it's first victim - Farty.  With a thud and a thwack (similar to the sound of the arrow hitting the wood in the cider advert), she was downed, and landed in a near-perfect warrior- pose position (guess who has just started doing yoga?)
She recovered quickly from this  human venus flytrap plant, and altho, covered in mud from the knees down, she valiantly continued.  What was meant to be a shortcut to the river path, turned into a tricky orienteering exercise, but we got there in the end.

The River Arun wanders and bumbles its way round Horsham, and the total walk is 11 miles and would be much better without mud.  We  spotted clumps of snowdrops and some huge areas of wild garlic already in leaf - and sooo early this year.  Lots of new housing is going up and we meandered a bit too far,  but after cutting a swathe through a new-build area , we came out at Tesco - every little helps.

An underpass got us safely across the busy main roads here, and we were in the outskirts of Warnham.  Farty had a chat to tree fellers (there is a joke there somewhere), and as time was against us, we took a straight-line approach to get back to base.

The pub wasn't very busy - we sorted ourselves out, and ordered our food - which was brilliant value as we had vouchers for bog-offs.  We were replete, and after a beverarge (as Alison in The Hotel pronounces it), we left.  Minnie has a doggie -date at the boudoir, and will emerge clipped, fluffed and manicured - something I need to have done, but I draw the line at having my anal glands squeezed - ooo matron.

Next week, bearing in mind this wretched mud, we might be walking along the old railway line, however, all will be communicated to you after the usual Sunday night planning meeting, which goes well accompanied by a large glass of shiraz.  cheeeeeeeers everyone.