A Blustery Day: A Group 28 November

Winnie-the-Pooh woke up feeling strangely excited.  Then he remembered: it was Wednesday, and he was going on an Expotition with his friends.  As he left Pooh Corner, there were flurries of leaves.  It was a Blustery Day.

At Kingston, Pooh couldn’t help feeling a little peckish as he looked at all the lovely cakes on offer, but he said to himself “No, Pooh Bear, you have only ridden four miles”, and he reluctantly waited till lunch.  He was pleased to see all his friends.   Rabbit asked where they were going. “Rabbit, We are going on an Expotition to the North Pole”, said Pooh, proudly.  But Rabbit said “We already went there in September.  Silly old bear.”  Pooh sighed. He was a bear of very little brain, and now he would have to think of another Expotition. 

“I know” he exclaimed.  “We will go on an Expotition to the South Pole instead!”  And so Pooh, Kanga, Tigger, Roo, Piglet, Eeyore and Rabbit, with all his friends and relations, set off to the South Pole.  On the way, they went through mini-Holland, and Roo was very excited.  “Will we see lots of windmills?” he said.    “No, dear” said Kanga, gently.  “What do you expect from Kingston Council?” said Eeyore, gloomily.

Piglet nervously asked “Will there be h-h-h-hills?”  Pooh looked at Piglet sternly.  “Do bears Pooh in the woods, Piglet?  This is the A Group.”  On they went, past beautiful lakes and village greens, and a few road works.  Eeyore was looking at the leaden sky.  “It’s going to pour down at about twelve o’clock” he grumbled.  Roo asked “Are we nearly there yet?”.  “Not yet, darling” said Kanga, in her kind and gentle voice.

The group of friends passed through Cobham and headed up Downside Bridge Road.  Tigger rushed up to Pooh and said “We’re riding straight into the wind, up a hill, and it’s almost drizzling!  This is not the kind of ride that Tiggers like!”  Meanwhile Pooh was feeling a bit despondent.  Some of Rabbit's friends and relations were muttering about how far it was to lunch, and he was feeling a bit, well, empty inside.  “Are we nearly there yet?” said Roo.  “Shut up and keep pedalling” said Kanga, in a rather less kind and gentle voice.  Eeyore announced “With all this wind, it’s a wonder nobody has been blown into a ditch”, to no-one in particular.

As they neared East Horsley, Pooh had a brainwave.  “Sod this” he said.  “The South Pole is into a headwind all the way.  We’ll go to Send Marsh instead.  They have pies there.”  Piglet squeaked anxiously “What kind of p-p-pies are they, Pooh?  Do they have p-p-p-pork p-p-pies?”.  Pooh replied “I don’t think so, Piglet”.  So Pooh Bear, Kanga, Eeyore, Roo, Piglet, Rabbit, and all his friends and relations turned right at The Drift, negotiating all the Heffalump Traps towards Long Reach.  Now they were heading downhill with a following wind.  Tigger bounded up to Pooh Bear to exclaim “This is the kind of ride that Tiggers like!”  And as Pooh and Tigger chatted about this and that, Pooh Bear missed a turning, which was just as well because it was a muddy track and Pooh would have been very unpopular.  Pooh didn’t tell all his friends about this mistake, and they all arrived at The Saddlers Arms none the wiser, and still before one o’clock.

Pooh made sure that Piglet wasn’t nearby and ordered a sausage sandwich, which nearly filled the empty space inside him.  Soon all the friends had eaten their fill and it was time to leave. Eeyore was sure that it would be raining when they left the pub, but there were still only a few spots.  The ramshackle group of friends set off again, in a roundabout way to get to Pyrford, where Rabbit and all his friends and relations turned off to head for home.  The wind was even more blustery now, but the much reduced Expotition was riding downwind and even Eeyore was almost enjoying himself.  Pooh was still feeling a little hankering for something filling, and when they arrived at the Walton Riverhouse Barn he was greeted by the largest piece of Victoria Sponge that he’d ever seen.  He rode home a little slower, with a warm glow in his tummy.  It had been a truly exciting Expotition.

Many thanks to David W for the photo, to Mike B for back-marking, and Peter B for taking over after Pyrford.   Grateful apologies also to A.A.Milne.