1st April : Bus stops to Stockwood and the Avon

Fickle weather (it was the 1st of April) provided a bright Spring Day for local exploration.


We took the 54 bus almost to the end of the line in Stockwood. Past Horse World and across pastures to Queen Charlton, then Keynsham for lunch by the river, and back along the River Avon trail, up to the Ring Road and to Hicks Gate for a 339 back into Bristol.


God (and Mr Cameron)  bless the Bus Pass !

4 March 2012 : Barbury Castle

A great walk along the Ridgeway with rather more exposure to the vagaries of  climate change than we would have liked. Horizontal snow before lunch and blue skies in the afternoon -evidence below.

Thank goodness for the lunch break and alcoholic resuscitation...still the pheasant had a swift dispatch.

Memorable day all round ! 

Can you recognise anybody in that gear?


Bit of Hockney in the afternoon ?

January 8 Bristol City Centre

Following a sculpture trail around the city centre of Bristol provided a lively walk in sunny January to start the year.

Judith and Stephen provided welcome hot soup and home made bread which somehow transmuted into a party event . A memorable day.

Day on the Dart in the Sun: 2nd October

After all the preparations, planning for rain and planning to make the complicated itinerary work, Diana and David met up with the 21 strollers at Bristol Temple Meads in the morning s u n. The train carried us past stunning coastal scenery to Totnes; the walkers set off  for 8 miles along the Dart towards Dittisham,  with time for a drink stop and a picnic lunch, time to find chanterelle mushrooms and time to get sunburnt (in October!). Others,  with sunhats and plenty of sunscreen
.took the beautiful ferry trip down the Dart and saw a seal on the way.Some then preferred to cross over to Greenway while others walked to the castle beach for a swim and a view of the open sea.



(John captures picnic     All were in time to meet up at    John catches the style
- spot the kingfisher!)    Greenway Hard.

  
  And everything stops for tea 
and more tea!

 

                                                     the view from Agatha Christie's deckchair

On-time and timely the trains home gave us a chance to explore a new mystery -'Death on the Dart' or who killed the ferryman? The incentive was a bottle of Sharpham wine and quiches from Saveur's.

With weather so perfect and company so friendly, a good time seems to have been had by all.
Report from David and Diana


Red sails in the evening light                                    Final delight from Dartmouth's
                                                                                   magic Patisserie - Saveur's

East Quantoxhead 18/09/11

This was a great walk, thank you Ray, but the weather forecasters were wrong and we weren't prepared for the cold and the rain. Thank good ness the rain was less persistent when we got to the beach at Kilve, where we found fossils galore! Jeff

Agatha Mystery Tour

Now less mysterious:

David and Diana's Day Out on Sunday 2nd October to the River Dart


FULLY BOOKED - preparations continue 

Punts, Canoes, Skiffs or Scives

Many thanks to Sylvia and Barry for organising a great day on the river Avon near Bath. The weather was, as they say, a bit challenging but excellent for ducks, swans and strollers.
More or less (me) expert punters, super competent rowers and canoeists enjoyed a tough pull against the stream to a rain free river-side picnic and a sheltering pub. Umbrellas did feature on the way back but so did kingfishers and strange 'Tai-Chi' like ball players (no photo); the Holbourne Museum provided a completely dry alternative to the river!