Saturday 6th March and the plan is to walk a trail around Bradworthy. A good choice, we think, due to the possibility of stopping for a pub lunch halfway through.
A spanner in the works though – Adam has the chance of a flying lesson at Eaglescott. He has waited all through the winter for this opportunity and due to the exceptionally bad weather has not been able to realise his dream of taking flying lessons – until today! Therefore a hastily restructured plan is hatched – a turn about the woods (Halsdon).
The morning is beautifully clear and warm(ish). We set off and soon it is apparent that certain members of the party would rather be anywhere than walking around the countryside. Alice is acting like a prima donna and is creating the biggest fuss about going across a small stream. Unfortunately my lack of parenting skills show through at this point – my only emotion is one of anger that she is being so pathetic about stepping over the stream – I try the gruff approach with her and tell her to get on with it, but to no avail. Adam is infinitely more patient and does his best to persuade Alice that to cross the stream is very easy, but in the end we must find an alternative route which involves a little trespass.
We continue in to the woods, nobody feeling their happiest. When we reach the River Torridge (a mere half mile or so from the entrance), Alice has had enough and tells us that her feet hurt. I despair and probably rant at her for a while, along the lines of “You will never be able to walk 15 miles or so on Offa’s Dyke day after day if you cannot manage to do the training”, “You committed to doing this when we bought the walking boots and whatnot, so you have to carry on”, etc etc. In the end I give up and ring for a taxi (Richard). This means we have to escort her back to the start of the woods, by which time our hearts aren’t really in it and so we complete a very shortened walk.
Well, at least we did some walking!