Mileaters Report – 30th December
Twix-mas, between Christmas and New Year, can always be something of a challenge. Neither one thing, nor the other. A time of lazy contemplation of the year past, the year ahead, and an accumulation of yet another Covid test. A good time for a Mileaters challenge.
On 30th December, Martinstown Mileaters split into three distinct groups. Some reasonably chose to eat and not walk, others chose to walk and not eat, and some did both. The 14 hardy souls, plus two dogs, who chose to walk faced drizzle, challenging hills, 40 mph crosswinds, and mud, but they also experienced companionship, post-Christmas nattering, and a recognition that even if you can’t see a view through the cloud and mist, it is still there – a truly Zen appreciation of life. We walked from the South Dorset Ridgeway down to Bincombe, had coffee at the church – a church with a 13th Century font and wonderful views that cannot have changed for centuries – and then through Upwey all the way back up to the Ridgeway. At this point, one of our members decided the weather had turned fine, removed her waterproof trousers, and promptly triggered a rainstorm.
At the Brewers Arms we were met by those who had chosen not to walk. They looked dry. The rest of us looked smug. The pub provided simply wonderful service. Our lunch had been booked for 1.15. All eighteen of us were served with hot food by 1.16. If only every pub we visit during the year could achieve this standard of service. If only….
And so another successful Mileaters year of challenging but memorable walks drew to a close. Pleasantly tired. Comfortably replete. And hoping for better weather in the walks to come.
David Haslam
