Saturday 13 October 2018

Walk of life

A year or so ago, I wrote a post about keeping fit with a particular emphasis on walking. I described a desire I had to walk the North Downs Way, seeing this as the logical follow on to the South Downs Way; a walk  I completed nearly 10 years ago. I  bought a guide and had it all mapped out in my head but, as is so often the case, life gets in the way of our dreams, and conspired to stop me - for this year at least!

Fortunately the North Downs Way was only a minor goal in the general scheme of things, and certainly in comparison to those I have achieved this year. The most notable of  achievements have been my visit to the United States, via Iceland, and once in North America, my Amtrak train journey across one third of the continent. (The ultimate goal is to complete the journey, travelling westwards from Chicago to the Pacific Coast, but that’s for several years in the future).


Back to the walking, where the main problem has not been lacking the will, but rather having insufficient annual leave left after taking two foreign holidays, one domestic  vacation and time off from work to help with Mrs PBT’s recuperation from a particularly nasty illness.

Fortunately, for both my levels of fitness and my sanity,  I work in a very pleasant rural location,  where there are ample opportunities to get out in the fresh air at lunchtime and enjoy a walk in the lovely Kent countryside. I’ve spent over 12 years in my current position, and virtually every weekday, come rain or shine, I’m out walking for between 35 and 40 minutes; a period of time  which still allows me to enjoy my sandwiches and a cup of tea, when I get back to my desk.

I said virtually every lunchtime, as there are the odd occasions when a visit to the pub intervenes – today being such an occasion. In addition, sometimes the weather is so inclement, that even I don’t venture out. I’m talking about torrential rain here, as I quite like walking in snow; even when it’s ankle deep!


It’s nice and relaxing and being outside allows any stress that has built up during the day, to disperse, but what I really enjoy about these walks is experiencing the changing of the seasons. Watching the newly born lambs skipping about on a cold, but bright late February afternoon, or seeing the snowdrops poking through the snow. Slightly later in the year, one can see the primroses coming into bloom on a south-facing bank.

I don’t see many bluebells whilst out walking, as my routes are almost exclusively through open countryside, although I do notice them on my drive in to work, as the road passes through a couple of areas of woodland.

Come August and September, there are plenty of blackberries amongst the hedgerows, so I'm often tempted to stop and pick a handful to eat on my way round. When winter comes upon us, the landscape takes on a much bleaker appearance, and on my usual route I can see across to the line of hills formed by the Greensand Ridge in the distance.

At this time of year, the wind really whistles across the most exposed part of my walk, especially when it is coming from the east. Then it is biting and cold, piling the snow up into drifts, and I am sometimes tempted to call in at the local pub; especially if I know they've got Larkin's Porter on tap.

I have a standard circular route, which I can add to if time allows, and I am not in a hurry to get back. I describe the walk as circular, but when viewed on a map, the route is more triangular in shape. The walks vary in length, from between 1.25 to 1.75 miles. I know this from the "Map my Walk App" which I have on my phone. The App also conveniently estimates the number of calories burned off during the walk, and these range from 200 - 300 Kcal.

Whichever direction I set off in, my route takes me across the old  Penshurst airfield; an airfield which was  in operation between 1916–36 and 1940–46. Although initially developed as a military airfield, after the First World War it was used as an alternate destination to Croydon Airport, with some civil flying taking place. The airfield closed following a fatal crash at an air display in 1936, and was converted to a polo ground.


It re-opened during the Second World War as an Emergency Landing Ground, RAF Penshurst. As well as serving in this role, it was mainly used by Air Observation squadrons of the RAF. The airfield finally closed in May 1946, but evidence of is former military role can be seen in the form of a couple of concrete pill boxes, built to guard its perimeter.

Today, the western boundary of the site is crossed by a handy tarmac path, which means my route is an all weather one, with no need to get my work shoes covered in mud. The latter is important, as whilst I could change into a pair of walking boots, for going cross-country, that would eat into my one hour lunch break.

There are some alternative routes that I walk, that do involve crossing fields or following footpaths, and these are obviously fine during the summer months, when there have  been spells of dry weather, but at other times of the year the footpath options are out of the question.


There is another route I sometimes take, which involves crossing the railway at nearby Penshurst station, and then following the road which leads to the station from the south. I can then either double back or, if I'm feeling brave/foolhardy, I can follow another road back up the hill to the village church. However, given the way that many motorists treat country roads as racetracks, I'm not a fan of the latter option. 

I mentioned earlier an addition to my normal route, and this involves a loop around the tiny hamlet of Charcott. The latter is home to the Greyhound pub, now lovingly restored following a lengthy period of uncertainty and indeed closure, and is the perfect place to call in for a pint, should I desire.

Not far from Charcott and the former Penshurst airfield, is another relic of conflict, this time from the Cold War, in the shape of a nuclear bunker. I'd been aware of the existence of  this structure, from a work colleague who live locally, but in January 2017, a group of us saw the bunker for ourselves, during  a walk to the Greyhound. 

We came across a volunteer who was carrying out some restoration work, and it turned out he belonged to a preservation group which had bought the bunker, when they were all sold off by the M.O.D at the end of the Cold War. I took a few photos, including one looking down the quite deep entrance shaft. I’m not sure that I fancied climbing down there, but as it happened, we weren’t offered the opportunity.

I realise I am fortunate to be able to undertake these sort of walks, in the middle of the working day, and accept I am doubly fortunate to work in such a pleasant rural location. I am not alone in doing these lunchtime walks, as several of my colleagues do the same thing, but as we all walk at a different pace, as well as setting off at different times, we tend to walk alone.

To me, this individual form of exercise is far preferable to the physical stretching and similar activities which employees at our Japanese parent company are "encouraged " to participate in at the start of the working day. Fortunately, I can't see it catching on over here!

7 comments:

Etu said...

Ah, softly, softly, or maybe not so, we're all being "encouraged" to do and to think all sorts of things, aren't we?

Tony Benn was spot-on about the BBC. It's what they *don't* say.

Cheers,

E

Paul Bailey said...

Etu, I deliberately highlighted the word “encouraged”. Japanese society is very conformist, and individuals who stand out are not just noticed, but are often discouraged. There’s a lot of the “You’re letting the team down”, if you refuse to participate.

Not quite sure where the BBC comes in to this, but if you’re implying they’re spoon feeding us with all sorts of spurious nonsense, surely that’s the job of government!

Etu said...

Well, the BBC, the most highly-resourced news organisation in Europe, would seem to have us believe, that the preposterous position that this country is in is somehow an everyday, normal part of British life.

It also went completely with the grain from the IEA, that DB occupational pensions were "unaffordable". Never once did it report how it was, that they are apparently quite affordable in other EU countries, nor how they manage to run cheap, excellent trains too. The list of such "failures" is endless. Nay, they are scrupulous avoidances, I claim.

And of course, the BBC is signally outstanding, at propagating the "no safe level of alcohol intake" mantra.

Sadly, it still seems to have a vice like grip, on the collective consciousness of the nation. People are too trusting, as the nice tend to be.

Paul Bailey said...

Etu, whilst I agree with much of what you are saying here – particularly with regard to the BBC’s biased and appalling pro-government stance on Brexit, I would like to bring the conversation back to the subject of the original post; namely walking in the countryside.

Just being outside and walking this lunchtime, taking in the rapidly changing colours of the trees, as we head into autumn, was enough to take my mind off the sh*t that is happening in both the UK and the world today. To me, this is some of the best therapy going, and I thoroughly recommend it.

Final word though on Brexit, as this coming Saturday I shall be walking in a totally different environment, by joining tens of thousands of people as they march through Central London, in support of a People’s Vote on any final deal.

I took part in a similar march, back in June and stood in Parliament Square, on a scorching hot day, listening to speaker after speaker denouncing the way this country is being sold down the river, and how the British people will be stripped of the many rights they currently enjoy as EU Citizens, should Brexit go ahead.

I say “should”, because there is every chance that this disastrous “own goal” can be halted.

Etu said...

Paul, I'm sorry that my on-topic remark was a bit oblique, and that in explaining it I've had to digress.

I too for some years was often a solitary wanderer, and I relate closely to what you say, especially about the changing seasons. Oddly enough, my last job involved a lot of driving, and I never thought that I would miss that, but I do, and for similar reasons.

Sadly, I've resolved that what has happened to this once-great country is not reparable in my lifetime. The issue is no longer whether or not it is in the EU for me, since it is clearly hopelessly divided, and could not foreseeably be a reliable member again anyway. Not only that, but whatever arrangements might be made with the EU will surely serve as fodder for dog-whistle politics, by the usual suspects, on a "vote-for-us-and-we-will-kick-Johnny-Foreigner-even-harder" basis.

I wish the EU twenty-seven the very best, and I hope that they are able to minimise the damage done by this now-apology-for-a-country, to the most civilised, enlightened project that the world has ever seen.

Maybe we'll bump into you on the march.

All the very best,

E

Paul Bailey said...

Etu, “Call me Dave” has a lot to answer for, along with the rest of his Bullingdon Club cronies. The man who allowed his arrogance and over-inflated ego to preside over his flawed intellect, has sadly left behind a very dis-United Kingdom as his legacy.

It is of little comfort that he will at least go down as one of the worst Prime Ministers in history; although his successor is trying her hardest to run him a close second.

Still onwards and upwards. I might see you on Saturday and, were it not for the fact that I’m rostered to do a stint behind the bar at our local Spa Valley Railway Beer Festival in the evening, I would have suggested meeting up for a drink.

Another time, perhaps?

Best wishes, Paul.

Etu said...

Yes, good shout, Paul, I'm hoping to be in Kent again late winter 2019.

I'll PM you nearer the time.

Cheers,

E