Everything has gone west these days, it seems to me, so I thought the C & M had better head east to buck the trend! Brian, Steph, and Niall joined us for a very pleasant elevenses at Morden Hall Park and went their own ways from there, while, if I have it right, Chris H, Andy, Simon, Lilian, Diane, Martina, Christina, Linda, Keith joined me and ducked and dived around the inner city of Croydon, before ploughing through the leafy, south-eastern outer surburbs of London. At last at St Mary Cray, the semi's and retail parks magically gave way to fields of ripening wheat, fruit farms, and quaint villages! Alas, the climbs became also more pronounced and the traffic became more congested!
We eventually made it into the picturesque Darent valley. It is lovely, but a bit of sunshine might have made it lovelier still (and inspired a few photos)! After meandering along dodging cars and walkers we arrived at Lullingstone Country Park and joined the meandering queue for food!
At length all did get their lunch orders. The plan was to return by train but Andy gamely offered to lead a ride home, resurrecting an old C & M route back to Croydon. Talk of a flat route persuaded all but me to join him! They stopped for tea at Coombe Wood, once a regular C & M haunt, but these days no longer run by the 'abacus man'!
Thanks to all for your company and for putting up with it all, and particularly to Andy without whom it wouldn't have been possible.
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