Birthday Boy

Sat 12 September. DH, RW, PCL, Ralph & Scrumpy

We were a bit short on numbers available today so I selected a route around Stalbridge that I knew Rich and Phil had not done before. Initially Ralph was going to give this week a miss, but with his birthday on Sunday, after a quick conversation with his mother about what he might be missing he decided to join us. And so with Ralph and myself picked up in Wincanton, we all arrived at the Sidings trading estate and following a brief discussion about the amount of clothing required today, we put our boots on and prepared to set of.

When I asked if everyone was ready and had their sticks, there were three positive responses but Ralph spoke up and said ‘but I haven’t got one’. In the preceding week I had prepared a Hazel stick at home and wrapped into in some cardboard tube and Spider-Man birthday paper, so offered him this to use. He was a bit shocked, but delighted when he unwrapped it and saw his name on a nicely (even if I say so myself) varnished stick with attached rope loop. His smiling face was a picture! So with it proudly attached to his wrist we set off southwards along the old S & D railway line and into an area of grass and tress, now designated as the Stalbridge Nature Reserve. Looking fo the track into the nearby housing estate, we initially turned early and when we couldn’t find a route through had to retrace our steps before eventually finding the correct path, which lead west to join Jarvis Way.

At the end we crossed onto a small track to the rear of houses and close to a large new residential development. It wasn’t too long before we were out into the countryside and walk around the edge of a large field heading towards Bibberne Farm. In the corner of the field and partially hidden by the hedge and undergrowth, we spotted a small wooden bridge over a dry stream bed. On the far side we followed a hedge line, crossed a bit of a dodgy stile and then headed diagonally across a large field to a hedgerow corner. The last time I walked this route we did it the opposite way around, so in Kew we had to go close to a large property, but mistook the first one I saw for the one we needed to go by. As such we wasted a good few minutes looking for a suitable crossing point, when we should have passed over another wooden bridge and then a couple of hundred metres further on, go around the edge of the right property. Eventually we were back on track and keeping an eye on a four large rams behind an electric fence as we headed out to the A357 at Poolestown.

We crossed the bridge over Bibbern Brook and had a brief discussion about cutting the previous route a bit shorter this week, so walked about 25 metres up a farm track before taking a small path through the hedgerow. Ralph was keen to use his stick but bash down the nettles, but a bit more cautious this time than he was ten minutes earlier when he swung his stick hard, and whacked himself on the head! The path up the slope was directly through the middle of the field but as it was a cut maize field we decided to go around the edge rather than trip our way through all the stumps. There then followed a brief debate, led by our Maths correspondent, as to which was the shorter way around the field, but I took the executive decision that we go away from the road, thereby going in a clockwise direction.

As we reached the corner by a large horse chestnut tree we realised there would actually not have been much in it either way. Ralph not too interested in the outcome was more fixed on gathering himself a few conkers, and was delighted when he found a twin set still in their out case, although he did take them out of it before stuffing all eleven of them into his pockets. As we crossed the next field we paused for the group photo before taking a path through a short section of Ten Acre Plantation and out onto a minor road.

In the absence of Deryck, Ralph very kindly offered around some chewy fruit sweets which were well received. With the village getting ever closer, we turned right and dropped down the hill into a small residential close. It was on the leg that Richard revealed the details of his fort encounter with AI, when he used Chat GTP to summarise a document for a local working group. Who would have guessed it would be that easy?

Crossing the A357, we paused to look at one of the two old hand pumps on the large village green, although I’m not sure that Ralph believed us when we told him that this was how a household would have to get its water only one hundred years or so ago. From here we took a small cul de sac and then followed a footpath which cut through the housing estate, past the play area and back out onto the old railway track to the cafe.

It was a good job we had shortened the route as by the time I stopped the clock, we had covered a good 3.85 miles in just under two hours and we all ready for a sit down. Initially we looked to sit outside but soon changed to an inside table as we placed and paid for our orders. There was a bit of a drama with the coffee machine not heating enough water for three pots of tea, so we shared the two we had between us. Ralph was served his sausage roll with a big birthday candle, although we did refrain from embarrassing him anymore by not singing Happy Birthday to him, although I’m sure the group of eight women at a seperate table would have joined in if we had.

Phil had opted to splash out and go mega large this week, Rich a more conservative size and as my stomach was not feeling too good I just went for two slices of toast which was eventually served with apricot with jam as they couldn’t find any marmalade to serve, despite there being jars of it on shelf’s for sale in the cafe! The cooked breakfast were soon served and for the first time that I can remember the sausage was actually a sausage meat patty, which was very good by all accounts. Ralph enjoyed it that much he said that next time he comes here, he’ll consider having it without tomato sauce.

Even though hot coffees were now coming out to other tables, we never received our third pot of tea, although we did get a cash refunded, which we then donated to the Birthday Boy. A one happy chap all round! Happy 7th birthday Ralph.