Another Story… - Part 1
Following some requests for the episode of “but that’s another story..” (See The Camping Expedition) here it is.
A lovely leisurely walk across the cliffs from Lulworth Cove to Tyneham Village in Dorset, was planned. The weather was perfect, warm with blue skies and a lovely refreshing breeze, we had a picnic and a rough idea of the route – just keep going until you get there! – and off we set.
It is probably a good idea at this stage to explain that Nev is not a great one for hills, with a set of very dodgy knees that have seen more operations than squash courts (his great un-doing!) in recent years, he prefers the gentle slopes of the Sussex coast. But on my assurance that there would be one steep hill to set us off and then a fairly level 5 mile stroll to our destination his concerns were calmed and even, I may say reversed into enthusiasm.
How wrong can you be.
The walk was undoubtedly one of the most scenically beautiful and breathtaking that we have untaken – following the Range Walk route high above the coast with the sea on one side and the tank training camp on the other. Our son was fascinated by the lines of tanks dotted about and lost himself in a world of ambush and attack – lucky really as he didn’t seem to notice how we were going up, up up, and then dizzyingly down, down down.
Up up up, down down down…… and so it went on.
It did slowly dawn on me that we had seen not a single other child, only walkers, kitted out in boots and stout sticks; but in fairness our children did not moan or whinge once. I did hear a few sighs and we did have a few water breaks and my most generous offer of an ice cream on completion of the trek subject to no one moaning – and that did include Nev – was warmly greeted with enthusiastic striding forward to the next sign post. Tyneham 2 miles.
I must admit my flip flops were starting to rub a few prize corns, but there was no way I could utter a single negative note, so with a jolly hockey-sticks approach I marched on, declaring we were almost there now…..give or take a couple of miles!
It was at this point we walked over the brow of the cliff to a gaspingly steep and very deep drop. Steps had been cut out of the rock face (well, that’s a bit of an exaggeration actually – it was a mud face) and we felt quite giddy looking down to the tiny beach at the bottom. Nev declared it unsafe, we were going back….at which point Ellie took the matter into her own hands - or is that paws, lay on her tummy like a sausage, with her paws out in front, her legs behind and continued to slide all the way down the hill, causing roars of delight to the few walkers she passed.
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