February

George B.

Kirkharle Craft Centre – Kirkwhelpington – West Whitehill – Horncastle - Kirkharle.

Much better than forecast. Occasional showers and cloud. Several sunny periods becoming more prolonged in the afternoon.

George B, Evelyn, Michael, Michelle, Ashley, Ron.

Michelle - on call.

Carol - in Lincoln.

Sandy - recovering from a migraine.

Bernie - returning from the Lake District

Comments

The first “walkie talkie” walk. Only Ron did not have a walkie talkie with him. The ground was desperately muddy and boggy.

It was the first visit for many of us to Kirkwhelpington. We wandered around St Bartholomew’s Church, which dates from Norman times. It has an ancient sundial over the entrance and zigzag mouldings inside One of Ron’s ancestors is buried in the knave with a very pious and effusive epitaph on his grave.

Lunch was taken beside the bus stop, where we found a very long green bench, which could accommodate all of us with room to spare. Regardless of this, Ashley sat in the bus shelter because he had forgotten his sit mat and the bench was damp. We had an in-depth discussion on evolution.

We discovered the secret of Ron’s clean boots. He polishes them with ordinary shoe polish then sprays them with Pledge (TM) furniture polish. We saw two sunken cattle grids and an enormous blue overturned farm trailer. There was a shoe tree near Ray Burn, hung with trainers, wellies, walking boots, ugg-boots, flip-flops, gold slippers and several others.

Evelyn, Michael and Michelle took the shorter route from Kirkwhelpington back to Kirkharle as Michelle’s ankle was painful. The rest of us continued on as planned but this soon had to be abandoned because the leader had entered the wrong grid letters for waypoints. On the return leg we encountered a fearsomely huge brown bull having a good scratch against a tree. He turned out to be very docile, as were the cows further down the path.

Afternoon tea at Kirkharle Craft Centre was a highlight - wonderful scones, delicious fruit crumble. Michael was nearly stabbed in the leg when the waitress dropped a knife.

Wildlife/Flora/Animals:

Birds: Skylark, buzzard, chaffinches, bluetits, robin, crows and pheasants.

Mammals/others: Two hares, a big brown soft bull and his harem of cows and a very small black calf. A lot of brown sheep with white faces, known as mules, a cross between a blue faced Leicester father and a Blackface / Swaledale mother.

Although the walk was postponed for a week due to bad weather, Ashley, Evelyn, George, Michael and Michelle met for a meal on the original date at the Keelman in Newburn. After the walk itself, Evelyn, George, Ron and Sandy had a meal in the Badger in Ponteland.

January walkers

Work of Art

Keeping a respectful distance

Mules

Approaching Kirkwhelpington

Snowdrops

Kirkwhelpington

Church

Sundial

Zag Zigs

Wit's End

Lunch

Seat

Single file

Mud

Shoe tree

I'm watching you

Rainbow

Stairway to heaven