B Group Sept 29th

After lunch Bernard very thoughtfully arranged for a visit to church so that we could kneel and pray for our safe return. Steph

A small group at North Cheam and an even smaller group for Redhill – eight to be precise. I suppose with so many members living west it’s not surprising. Or maybe it’s the hills, in metres I noticed 45, 170, 100, 190, 85. We managed to make a mistake on the way to Redhill, I blame Ed who said he knew the route “intimately” but wasn’t at the front. We got there in the end and eight of us set out from Redhill. Not the same eight, we were Brian, Christine, Ed, François, Frank, John G, Stephanie and yours truly. We were en route to Rusper. All went well until I took the wrong turning out of Charlwood, one thing led to another and soon we were in the suburbs of Crawley. After a U-turn in a shopping centre we then explored the extensive and fascinating industrial estates on the west side of Crawley. By now I’d given up with the map and was just using my compass! We got to The Star Inn in Rusper (built in 1486) at about 1.30 after 23 miles from coffee. The food was pretty good, Christine had a steak and kidney pudding that was intended for a family of four while Stephanie was consuming a gigantic pudding. We then had some easy miles to Newdigate, Rusper is the highest village in Sussex so it was gently downhill and with the wind behind us. We stopped and had a quick look at St Peter’s Newdigate parts of which are 12th and 13th century. On to Brockham, across the golf course and tea at Denbies vineyard. Just as we arrived the rain started – the forecast had been dire but we had stayed dry, even a few bits of hazy sun – but the tea was good after which we went our several ways. 50 miles from North Cheam.
Regards
Bernard