Singing in tunnel below M23 in Surrey in December 2020 . ( NB Social distancing )
Nearing finish in evening sunshine in Merstham , Surrey had eaten . Once we were stopped on the grounds that the pub did not have a music licence . Far more often we were welcomed and our ultimate accolade came when a diner put £ 50 behind the bar to sustain our singing ( and drinking ).
In the past 13 years we have notched around 150 walks . Our longest was eight miles : seven walkers completed it , while five remained in the halfway pub and commissioned a cab to take them to the finish . We have walked in all weathers , from heatwaves to drenching rain . It is worth observing , however , that not once have we achieved the full winter conditions of our very first outing – a clear token , I feel , of the effects of global warming . We had to pause our walks when Covid arrived , but resumed as soon as we were permitted . We observed the limit of six people per group , sometimes arranging ourselves in two groups which set off five minutes apart .
In 13 years we have suffered two accidents . In 2015 one walker who was wearing inappropriate footwear slipped in a muddy slope and fractured his ankle . There was a dramatic rescue by a team of paramedics who stretchered him to an ambulance and then to hospital , where he was detained over Christmas . That was on December 22 and we have staged a memorial winter solstice memorial walk ever since .
The second , whisper it , befell the author of this article . In 2018 I was negotiating a muddy uphill slope when I slipped and grabbed a barbed wire fence . I too was taken to hospital and had three stitches inserted in my right hand , but was discharged in time to join the survivors for the evening meal . Since then the walking section of our choir ’ s website has carried a disclaimer to the effect that choir members participate at their risk and the choir assumes no responsibility etc , etc , etc .
The walking section has continued to thrive this year . At 81 , I am not even the oldest member : a tenor of 82 takes that prize ( and he is fitter than me ). As for the choir , there are at least six members older than us . We are both determined to continue walking and singing for as long as the fates permit .
outdoor focus / summer 2023 7