The Cambridge Society, Berkshire Branch weekend visit to Chepstow

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We went with the Berkshire branch of the Cambridge Society to Chepstow. Arrived there on Friday evening for a pretty good meal in the hotel.

In the morning we walked from Chepstow to Tintan abbey where we had a pub lunch and a guided tour of the abbey by a bloke dressed as a monk.

Coach back to Chepstow and a tour of the castle just before it closed evening meal and then a concert with harp, vocals and pipes.

Sunday morning we took the coach to Caerleon, a very important Roman fort on the borders of Wales. Again had a guided tour of the site, amphitheatre, barracks and Roman baths. Sunday lunch at the Priory hotel.

Next into Cardiff, missing the Norwich/Birmingham football match traffic, to see the renovated docks and the barrage, with views of Penarth in the background.

Back home. Visit this site in a few weeks for a full write up and pictures

Beating The Bounds

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Today both Rosemary and I took the day off to Beat the Bounds. We met up with fellow beaters at Gallows hill at 9.00 am. There were 63 of us, and all 63 completed the 15-mile walk.

We followed the boundary fairly accurately, resulting in us climbing over many fences and going through peoples gardens where their property was on the parish border. There was one farm where only 6 people followed the actual boundary, this was the result of a confrontation with the farmer seven years before, where he appeared with a shot gun.

On the way round we re-vitalised the cross marks on various trees with an axe. We beat with a spade various people in the group, and various school children from the local school (who naturally insisted their headmaster got beaten, which was done).

It was a magnificent walk, the sun shone, the company was good. I saw places in and around Grendon Underwood I have never seen before. Magnificent bluebell woods, oak trees and views of the Vale. On the way around we saw MonkJack, Foxes, and a Badger Set.

There will be pictures of the walk posted here within a month.

Welsh match

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Up and out early to catch the coach to Wales for the clay match against Saint Bride’s Major. We arrived and had a 75 target shoot in the quarry. I was quite pleased with my 40. It was better than most of the true Kingswood club members.

Unfortunately the Welsh beat us. Their high gun, shot 59, seemingly getting all the difficult shots but dropping some easier shots. 

They had their usual pair of birds across the top of the quarry. Most of us have real difficulty with this stand. It makes for an interesting shoot being very different to our own shoots.

Back to the pub at 2.30 for beer and roast beef lunch. And what a surprise, I have never heard some many positive comments about the price of the beer, £1.50 for a pint (20 fluid ounce, a little over 500 ml) .

Paragliding at Combe Hill

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Today I went Paragliding at Combe Hill near to Newbury. The wind was not ideal because it was a North East wind. This site should easily take a North East wind, but for some reason it can be quite rough when blowing from that direction.

There were very few people there, probably because of the wind, the football and the competition in Wales. I had three flights, two short flights when the wind was light resulting in me doing a couple of side landings.

The final flight was 20 minutes, when there was plenty of lift. It was quite rough and I did not enjoy parts of the flight. The wing had a couple of small asymmetric tucks while I was flying. I bottom landed in the end to get out of the rough air.

I did not fly again, because the wind was stronger and everyone who flew after did not enjoy their flights much.

Cressex Katie

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Went to see Cressex Katie today. She did not go out for a canter like the other horses because she is running at Wolverhampton on Monday. Took a few pictures of her and the other horse in the yard. They should be up on the site in a couple of weeks.

Paragliding Coombe Gibbet

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The mobile phone started to text message me with wind warnings at Coombe Gibbet. Yes the wind was blowing from the North West, so it was a Coombe day. I dithered around all day wondering whether to go. Eventually I left work at 3.15, and arrived at Coombe at around 4.45, to find about 20 paragliders at the site.

There had been flying, but the wind had gone further round to the West and now it seemed unflyable to me. I did see some gliders do a little flight, but with the liklyhood of no thermals at the end of the day, and the wind not on the hill at all, I decided the trip had been a waste of time.

The moral.

Make you mind up early and go and fly, don’t wait till the end of the day. 

Take note of the forcast, this did show the wind moving to the West at the end of the day. This made Dunstable flyable late on, so I should have gone there and not Coombe.

Saint Georges day

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The local pub was having a special Saint Georges day celebration with cheap London Pride, and G&T’s. Rosemary and I had booked and we arrived for our meal. We were placed at the table of the usual evening drinking crowd (George and Annie, the local Mazda car dealer, Peter the retired farmer who’s son farms 2000 acres near Westcott, Graham and Fran (he has done pretty well everything), Tony the guy who made our windows.

I had Steak and Kidney Pudding with bubble and squeak, while Rosemary had faggots. Very Traditional English fare. A few pints of beer and wine were had. Spotted Dick for afters.

Rosemary left at about 10.30 and I stayed on till midnight leaving last. A bit of a sore head the next day.

The tickets for the Golden Jubilee celebration are selling well, I have not bought mine yet. Must do it on Thursday otherwise as an organiser it would look bad not being there for the meal. The rope of the tug of war has been acquired.

Marlborough and white horses

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We canned our planned trip to Wales because of the weather forecast. So instead we headed to Withshire. First we drove on on the B4057 and stopped off at the Uffington White Horse. This is the highest spot in Oxfordshire.

The we drove to Marlborough where we had lunch at Pollys. I had an excellent Smoked Salmon Pate, While Rosemary had a Brie Salad. Looked at the shops, all selling expensive things that I don’t want.

Next a quick trip round to Milk Hill, Rybury, them back past Avebury and on to Swindon. On the way home stopped at a Landrover garage and looked at the Freelanders.

The complete word of God

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We went out!!! Rosemary was back in time from work, so went into the local town and had a quick bite to eat at the Noodle Bar. Really quite good for a quick filling meal of noodles. It has been there a few weeks and I heard about it from a man I met in the P&A.

Next we went to watch the complete word of God put on by the Reduced Shakespeare Company. This was very funny, with the three actors acting out the complete old and new testament in 90 minutes. My daughter and I had previously seen the complete works of Shakespeare by the same actors.