Sunday 23rd June 2013

Fat chance of me reaching Banstead by 0900 so I settled for an 11s rendezvous at Godstone though I shouldn't have tried the very muddy (for the time of year) Banstead Heath.

Just four (Ed, Dave, Helene, me) climbed Tilburstow to encounter not one but two events (a road race and a sportif) near Crowhurst. From Edenbridge, we headed towards Four Elms and then it was upwards. The climb felt harder than anyone could recall; at the top all was revealed - we were at Toy's Hill (100 feet higher than the intended Ide Hill)! But it was one o'clock and The Fox And Hounds was both close and eager to feed us.

A long after lunch downhill brought us to Brasted and then it was upwards again along the Pilgrims Way. By White Lane it was my chance to lead the others astray though we retraced from near Beaver World. Thankfully four miles later we were at Farleigh Church for double helpings of cakes.

Cloudy, very windy, occasionally drizzly - not at all weather to grace the longest Sunday of the year. Around 70 miles door-to-door.