London Loop: Section 3 Petts Wood to West Wickham Common, Section 4 West Wickham Common to Addington.
Even counting sheep could not save us from snore shortened sleep as we took it in turns to disturb each others recuperative rest. Our first time sharing a room on our walks and we both hope our last. Sleep is going to be one of the most important ingredients of success in our 1000 mile, 2 million footstep endeavor. Rain is threatened again as we leave at 7am to start but apart from a few spots at the start there is none.
We start with an amazing coincidence at Petts Wood Station. We need batteries for our GPS device so wander over to the Station newsagent. First thing we notice is the Daily Mirror Headline 'Ashley begs forgiveness from Cheryl from his clinic'. We couldn't possibly buy a copy so have to wait until later in the day when we will come across a left over copy in one of our watering holes. What clinic could it be, is Ashley a cad and a bounder, should Cheryl forgive him, will they get back together. So much fodder for our first few miles. At the newsagent Tony is serving and sells us our batteries and always welcome first cup of tea. He asks where we are walking and we tell him our 1000 mile tale. He is very impressed and says it makes his effort in May seem insignificant. He tells us he is 'only' cycling down to the Med via the Massive Central. We tell him that is amazing and wish him well with his venture. He is doing it for the Multiple Sclerosis Society and helping his friend Phil whose wife had MS. Good luck Tony and we hope you get lots of support from all those commuters passing your way in Petts Wood. Send us details of your effort. The MS fight is a big one and we need as many armies as we can get to find ways of fighting the terrible tortures it targets on its victims.
We take on our biggest climb yet up to Holwood. Not only steep but a slushy slippery muddy path all the way to the top making for strenuous and slow progress. The view is worth it and we are also in for a surprise not mentioned in the loop literature. This is the spot where Lord Wilberforce stopped on a walk in 1788 prior to the steep descent to the Vale of Keston, after a conversation with Mr Pitt under an oak at his estate, sat on a bench surveying this same view and took the decision to go to the Commons and abolish slavery. I am struck by this history and try to imagine the moment. The horrors mankind can unleash on each other and moments when people realise the massive wrongs being done and intervene to stop it. We can't believe the loop literature makes no mention of such a historic moment. We descend in to the Vale of Keston and down to Keston ponds where a number or fishermen are fishing and failing.
Rob asks in a bemused way what they do with the fish they catch (when they do catch one) and is told they throw them back - he looks at the fishermen and says 'I don't get it'. A couple of guys have really up market mini tents with a full size bed and provisions parked next to their rods all alarmed for a catch. They were up last night in the torrential rain which must have been quite a noise inside the tent and all for one fish caught between them. 
We work our way through Wickam Common and stop to ask three ladies on horseback where we could get a good lunch. They make some suggestions. Eventually we find the Omega Cafe in West Wickam and grab it as our bird in the hand versus possibilities that may or may not exist in the next five miles. A perfect cafe where we get a sandwich and a drink each all for a fiver and then your cheapest tea at 50p a cup. But most important of all we find copies of the Mirror and Star and discover Ashley's clinic is not a sex clinic a la Tiger Woods but a sports clinic for his injury. 
We brief ourselves on the Cole's or (Tweedie and Cole?) and the latest on the Bridge Terry affair so we can continue our dialogue after lunch. This ends up with a wager as we walk on. I have bet Rob £5 that Cherly will be back with Ashley before we finish Offa's Dyke in May. Rob is confident Cheryl is too smart to let this happen. We both agree that if she does go back to him he will misbehave again before we complete our 1000 miles.
Today has felt much easier with some sun on our backs and no rain. We arrive back for more welcoming hospitality with Klea and Mario in Purley looking forward to yet more fine dining, good conversation followed by seperate rooms and a good long sleep. Tomorrow we finish the 150 miles of the London Loop.
No comments:
Post a Comment