SUNDAY 18th June 2006

STRIDING SUMMARY

Route: From (a place beginning with H), near the very source of the river Lea, to Hereford.

Distance: 30km

Nightstriders present: Ben and Isobel

Weather: Nicely sunny

Synopsis: A five-hour afternoon sprint, from 2 until 7 we charged. It turned out to be rather lovely, too... up north the river is small and twisty and turny: lots of adventure and off-towpathing to be had here...

Kilometre: Time: Location: Description: The light at the end of the tunnel. The signs were good early on.

Kilometre: Time: Location: Description: But the signs soon turned to HORROR. Isobel and Ben soon realised they had to cross this cascading chasm of gushing water to continue their valiant striding...

Kilometre: Time: Location: Description: The rapids CRASH into the stepping stones, a tumultuously, cacophonously DANGEROUS experience for all the senses. Isobel was TRAPPED, scared and shaking. But she made it across, the small child in the pushchair came back to HELP.

Kilometre: Time: Location: Description: Next Isobel has to negotiate the pit of fuming stench (the same one as in Labyrinth. It's fallen on hard times and is now plying it's trade near Luton.)

Kilometre: Time: Location: Description: A lovely horse.

Kilometre: Time: Location: Description: Ooops, how did this picture get in here. Nothing to do with us, this tandem bike, nothing at all.

Kilometre: Time: Location: Description: In Hertford there aren't any bike lanes, the cyclists have to use rivers.

Kilometre: Time: Location: Description: By this time, we were feeling a little horse.

Kilometre: Time: Location: Description: Every walk, we play the tractor game. Basically, the first person to see a tractor shouts 'tractor!' and wins a point. You get more points for a tractor-in-action. If you think you see a tractor, shout 'tractor!' but it's in fact not a tractor (usually it's a JCB or something), you get a point taken away. Ben was very pleased to spot this tractor-in-action amongst the hay. Don't all rush out and start playing the game, will you...

Kilometre: Time: Location: Description: Just when you think the signmakers have forgotten to put up any signs for 20 kilometres, along come way too many.

Kilometre: Time: Location: Description: A really lovely house.

Kilometre: Time: Location: Description: I'm not sure those signmakers got it right, either. This walk led us straight through a golf course. Here a lady was in the middle of her swing as we passed (out).

Kilometre: Time: Location: Description: The experience left us dazed. Next thing we took a wrong turn into Smallville.

Kilometre: Time: Location: Description: A very well-used park. Can you spot the man sitting on nothing but air?

Kilometre: Time: Location: Description: The brow of a hill, as if we were the only soles for miles, and the barren heather our only companion...

Kilometre: Time: Location: Description: Dazed and very confused, we pose for a photo as we stand on a pipe spanning the burgeoning river.

Kilometre: Time: Location: Description: A lovely viaduct.

Kilometre: Time: Location: Description: Everyone seemed to be helping us today...

Kilometre: Time: Location: Description: Just before the end of the walk, Ben drank a can of Dr Pepper. He threw it away only half-finished, as he tasted it but didn't love it. Hey, what's the worst that could happen?