Utup Sat 9th Nov

Just me and JTE this morning. Here he is!

 

 

 

We managed to avoid the worst of the weather. He took me on the Tuesday evening route he does with his other ladies. So today it was Pike, 2 Lads, Quarry near Matchmoor, Winter Hill trig, Noon Hill (very wet) and down via Sheeps Back to the barn. A very enjoyable couple of hours. En-route we bumped in to Derek Kay's son and JTY.

 

Given the poor light for photos I thought I'd do a bit of reminiscing with you all via a few pictures.

 

A fortnight ago I headed down Cambridge way for a little trip down memory lane with a couple of orienteering events thrown in. I'd not be back to see the family home for over 10years, my parents had moved in 2002 to Tenerife. I think I was expecting a big change but the only discernable difference was that the trees were taller. Every thing was more or less as I remember.

 

So first view as you arrive in the village is the School

 

 

 

Village pond on the left. It froze over in December '78, we were snowed in, great for skating on.

 

We lived next to the village school (left side as you look at the photo), but me and my brother were kept at our previous school (in the nearest town - Saffron Walden) as there was a bus service for the kids going to nearest 'big' school. Here's the house at the end of the gravel (we had tarmac) drive. The house in front was only one storey when we lived there, so not sure how they got planning permission, I'm sure my Dad would have said 'no'.

 

 

 

There's a footpath between us and the School which will in a roundabout way take you down to the village parish church.

 

 

13th Century. Couple of additions to the graveyard since last visit! My route then followed the popular Xmas day walk and led me to the little building in the woods that I always wanted to live in

 

 

Not as big as I remember it, just one room.

 



Back to the far end of the village down a little lane called Rook End and there's this little gem (shame about the flagpole spoiling the photo)

 

 

 

Walking back down 'High Street'

 

 

 

My friend used to live in this house 'The Forge'. We travelled to secondary school in Bishop Stortford (via taxi/train) every day for 7 years. She went to the catholic school, I was at the CofE. All paid for by Essex County Council.

 

 

A couple more notable village houses. There would be more but there was a big fire in 1907 caused by someone mistakenly throwing some oil on a stove and destroyed at least 12 properties.

 

 

 

In our day this next building was one of the village pubs. Directly opposite our house, not frequented much by the younger occupants of 'Lucerne' until they reached legal drinking age! Can't ever remember the parents going in.

 

Used to be called the 'White Hart', it's now an Asian restaurant called Yuva. Centre of the photo and pride of the village is the village pump. Purely decorative now.

The following day was spent running round the city of Cambridge. It's not often I get to the end of an orienteering event feeling disappointed I'd finished, because I was enjoying it so much.

Not sure if I'm out next week. Will keep you posted.

TF