SATURDAY 22ND APRIL 2006

STRIDING SUMMARY

Route: Winchester to Farnham via Alresford and Alton - A pilgrimage that officialy resulted in the start of summer, a ritual that unfortunately required nightstrider Ben to be sacrificed and go on a journey of discovery and contemplation.

Distance: Officially 55km but due to technical problems ended up being 57km

Nightstriders present: Aimee, Ben (in spirit), Ian, Isobel

Weather: Due to early sacrifice..... blinding!

Synopsis: An early start, a spiritual connection with our nightstriding forefathers, regrouping after the loss of our leam teader and official photographer, alot of stiles and going over half way!

Kilometre: 0 Time: 7.15am Location: The train to Winchester Description: Ben envokes the start of summer ritual by consuming the last hot cross bun left in Britain

Kilometre: 0 Time: 7.16am Location: The very same train to Winchester Description: While Aimee and Isobel proudly show off their lucious Fairtrade striding wares, Ian only pretends. He's clearly more interested in the morsel of not-so-hot cross bun he's spied on the floor.

Kilometre: 0.21 Time: 7.37am Location: Entry to Ben's passage - a dark and damp place Description: The second stage of the ritual involves Ben entering his own passage. This was the last we saw of Ben this day..... or was it?

Kilometre: 0 Time: 7.45am Location: Winchester Cathedral Description: With Ben surely and sadly gone, it's down to the team of three to form a huddle outside a Cathedral before beginning the mammooth adventure.

Kilometre: 0 Time: 7.46am Location: Ajourning Winchester Cathedral Description: Yet Aimee is clearly unhappy with the course plotted by routemaster Ian.

Kilometre: 0 Time: 7.47am Location: Shoe Heaven Description: Though her tootsies are feeling the beat with such a new shoed treat upon her feet.

Kilometre: 0.3 Time: 7.50am Location: A Winchester street with something lurking in the shadows Description: At the very start of the walk Aimee, Ian and Isobel experience a strange crouching force behind them (almost as if this strange phenomenon had been secretly tailing them for 0.3 km), causing a bit of chortle break-outage. This strange leam teadery force then left to go catch a train home whilst the brave three began the day apace.

Kilometre: 0.8km Time: 7.52am Location: Bar Forrester Description: The writing was on the wall early for Aimee.



Kilometre: 1.8 Time: 8.03am Location: Winchester Flood Plain Description: Aimee and Ian hit the floor as Isobel shouts out 'Duck!'



Kilometre: 4.13km Time: 8.34am Location: Underneath Kingsworthy Description: We carry on searching for Ben down every available passage.......is that the start of summer I can see at the end?



Kilometre: 7.2km Time: 9.10am Location: The barn that gave birth to summer Description: The pace increased as we passed this barn, all we could hear was shrieks and then there was a bright light!



Kilometre: 8.5km Time: 9.27am Location: A field Description: We seemed to connect with this cow, it was almost like he was urging us on......hang on......does he remind you of anyone? We, for no reason in particular, called him Ben.



Kilometre: 14 Time: 10.30am Location: Itchen Stoke Description: summer was never very far away, I wish she would stop following me!



Kilometre: 21.49 Time: 12.02pm Location: Ropley Description: It was almost like someone was showing us the way, unfortunately we did not arrive at the emerald city, nor meet a talking lion, tin-man or scarecrow.



Kilometre: 23 Time: 12.21pm Location: Hammonds Lane Description: Although Ben was not with us his influence was never far away and the locals told us he slept here last night.



Kilometre: 25 Time: 12.50pm Location: Four Marks Description: As requested by the summer gods, Isobel styled it up with some very fashionable cycling shorts!



Kilometre: 26.32 Time: 1.09pm Location: Upper Woodside Farm Description: I always feel it is rude not to try the local delicacy when out and about and today was no exception.



Kilometre: 30.33 Time: 2.11pm Location: The road to Chawton Description: No need to be clever just enjoy the viewwwwwwwwww!



Kilometre: 37.3 Time: 4.06pm Location:Upper Froyle Description: With Ben unavailable it was up to Ian to log the day's nightstriding.



Kilometre: 39.19 Time: 4.38pm Location: College Farm Description: We seemed to connect with this horse, it was almost like he was urging us on......hang on......does he remind you of anyone? We, for no reason in particular, called him Ben.



Kilometre: 48 Time: 5.59pm Location: St Marys Church Description: After causing a 2km diversion Ian is referred to a bunch of cocks.



Kilometre: 48.5 Time: 6.09pm Location: Bentley Description: Our shadows lengthen as the first day of summer draws to a close.



Kilometre: 49 Time: 6.15pm Location: A cross roads Description: The end is in sight!



Kilometre: 52.54 Time: 6.59pm Location: Dippenhall Description: After looking behind every blade of grass, Aimee concludes that Ben is not among them.



Kilometre: 56.2 Time: 7.32pm Location: Outskirts of Farnham Description: As the sun sets on the longest Nightstrider adventure to date, our thoughts turn to Ben, he may have brought summer to us but will he ever be the same again? check back in 2 weeks time to see if he even managed to turn up for walk 10 - The Pilgrims' Trail.