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After a short break for a collection of bad coughs and colds,
this was set to be an awful day. When I got to the church
I honestly didn't expect anybody to be there. What a surprise!
This set a new record, with 24 explorers: Abbie, Adrian, Alasdair,
Allan, Benjamin, Carol-Anne, Charlie, Chloe, Donald, Edward,
Eilish, Fionn, James Strachan, Jamie, JD, John Donaldson,
Katie, Katy Townsend, Lucy, Rebecca, Robin, Sarah, Toby and
Thomas; ten adults: Ann, Ann Marie, Craig, John Dove, John
Evans, Maria, Pamela, Peter, Philippa and Sandra; with two
dogs, Bruce and Stan, ready to pick up any sticks which might
have been dropped.
It took quite a time to organise the parking before we could
get down onto the beach, but once there, the more experienced
explorers were happy to point out the clay deposit on the
beach and how easy it was to get stuck in it. At last we were
all together and out of the mud and we went around the shore
looking at some odd piles of stones and some places where
people had been working on the beach in days gone by. At one
point we were struck by a howling blizzard and had to shelter
beside some rocks, but everyone survived.
Then we left the beach and crossed an old pasture to two areas
of broken rocks which have been a puzzle for ages. Everyone
had an idea or two and no firm decisions were reached. From
the rocks we followed an old path up the hill towards the
power lines where we saw a probable Iron Age house site. Then
back down the hill to the wood boundary wall and along it
to see an old house near the road.
Crossing the road we found another track leading up the hill
and we followed this to a point where many of the explorers
found a refreshing stream to drink from. We climbed over the
last hill and had our wafers as we were battered by yet another
snow shower. Some of the explorers found a good hill to roll
down, but some others were starting to feel the cold and wet,
so we crossed the valley to an alder wood and had a quick
look at one of James Cameron's fence strainer posts before
getting back to the cars and a warm-up at the Pantry. John Dye
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