London Loop: Section 4 from Addington to Hamsey Green, Section 5 Hamsey Green to Coulsdon South, Section 6 Coulsdon South to Banstead Downs
Sitting here in the warm hospitality of Mario and Klea and Andrew, Nadia and Demos with the rain thundering on the windows outside we almost forget what a miserable day today was for walking. Klea has just cooked a wonderful reviving meal and all the gloom that had built up by 5pm has now evaporated. We are enthusiastically looking forward to tomorrow morning and a better day ahead.
The start today was pleasant enough. A bit of sun and blue sky for the first few miles. Today's sections feature our first challenging hills with some steep inclines making us realise we will need to get a lot fitter for Offa's Dyke. I am itching for my second cup of tea having taken two hours to get to the start at Banstead Station. I have to wait until we have completed four miles but the wait is worth it at Ozzi's BIG BREAKFAST in Hamsey Green.
As we go in Rob has drawn attention to us by asking me to pose outside the cafe as I enter. He loves the name and look of the place. It does not disappoint. As we enter Anthony from Wolverhampton asks us what we are up to. When we tell him he kindly insists on buying us a cup of tea and makes a contribution to the cause. He has an interesting occupation buying and selling old Rolls Royces and Bentleys. He has just delivered a 1950's Bentley to a customer near by. 
Business is good with lots of interest from Europeans, particularly Polish, with the strength of the Euro. The tea is top. Builders best and at 60 pence a mug and the place is spotlessly clean and full of smiles.We carry on to Coulsden and on the way bump in to Alex from Stoke Newington. Walking alone he tells us he has walked the London Loop at least twenty times. We are impressed. He tells us we face mud and hills ahead and the toughest conditions for the Loop. We walk along and talk for a while. He talks about the beauty of the Loop and for him how he can leave the house with 10p in his pocket, walk all day and end up with 10p in his pocket in the evening. I wonder how he does this via the pub he is about to visit but maybe that was another day.
Further on we come upon a Downlands Project carrying out coppicing in Kenley woods. We talked with Graham who explained how they were clearing views within the trees to introduce new wildlife and new views for walkers. A mixture of volunteers, the Downlands Project and local workers are busy at work in an organised way.The weather is now declining as we enter Happy Valley. Rob says this is probably quite nice on a sunny day.
On Farthingdown ridge with what would be great views on a sunny day we catch up with the Croydon Retirement Walking Group. A group of ladies who are just finishing a 4 mile walk and doing so with lots of smiles and happy chatter.
Lunch at the Pembroke in Coulsdon which I am grateful we make without incident. On the way in Rob does his usual wandering in the road expecting all traffic to drive round him as if he were in a Cypriot village. One angry driver hoots and aims at him as if to say here in England roads are for cars not for Greeks. Rob resists the meat pies, burgers and fries and settles on a lasagna.
As we leave the Pembroke Rob says how lucky we have been to miss the rain. Within five paces the first spots fall. Rob with his optimistic manner tells me we are still lucky cos it is light rain.
Ten paces later it is a torrential downpoor which gets heavier and heavier and the sky greyer and greyer and the mud thicker and slippier and the puddles deeper and deeper. This section was thoroughly miserable and ends with us covered in , wet inside and outside and long faces. In we go to the welcome of Klea and Mario looking after us tonight and saving us 140 mile round trips to tomorrows start within half an hour and a shower we are revived and like yachtsmen after a stormy sea telling tales of how great the day was.
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