Saturday 20th February 2016

Friday

And, my friends, we have made it to the end of another working week. Well done well and all. And for me, there is the usual end of week tying up the odds and ends of the working week; booking in working hours, making sure that the open points list is up to date. And by nine, I was up to date. Phew.

Outside there is the most glorious of mornings; wonderful sunrise, followed by the rays of the rising sun pouring into our kitchen, illuminating everything in a most wonderful golden light. I had some fruit for breakfast, followed quite quickly by a warm buttered roll. This is a fine way to end the working week for sure. Jools had left for work, taking the car. So, I had breakfast, washed up, played and brushed the cats. This was as well as the usual work stuff, or course.

The morning progressed, the sun continued to shine, and I had the desire to go for a wander. Just as well that that afternoon there was a beer festival in Walmer. This means that I can have a long three hour walk upto the cliffs then along to Kingsdown and Walmer to The Berry, at which point I could quench my thirst with a few of the 14 beers and ales on offer.

Friday arrives, and it is nearly time to relax. But it is the weekend of the Winter Ales Festival at The Berry in Walmer. So I decide to take an early stack; I have worked hard this week after all, and set off north towards Walmer.

Over the fields and down the lane down the dip and up the other side.....

Along the road at the top, then taking the path over the downs, where I was rewarded with views of huge banks of rainclouds massing over France, giving the landscape such drama.

Instead of making for the monument, I take the lesser-traveled path towards Kingsdown and the be-Pringled on the golf course.

The ground underfoot was testing to say the least, both earth and chalk had the consistency of porridge, porridge that had too little milk (or water) so stuck to my boots, filling the treads, in most complete way, so that I was walking with two mud footballs on the end of my legs, slithering instead of walking.

I did not fall over this time, came close a couple of times, but kept going.

But after half an hour or so, I arrived at the cliffs at the edge of Kingsdown.

I walk along the cliff edge, except where they had been some recent cliff falls. In fact in once place it would seem that the public land between St Margaret's and Kingsdown will soon be at the bottom of the cliffs, and there will be no way along the cliffs. But we shall see.

I come to the end of the cliffs and have the fine view of the beach at Kingsdown with the coast running to Deal behind.

From there to Walmer, the footpath was clogged with people. People with families, people with dogs, walking, dawdling, clogging up the path in my way. But, I push on, getting to where the path opens out onto a large green. I reduce the distance to the pub by crossing over the green, before cutting through some Georgian houses, crossing the main road then walking, nay, staggering u Canada Road to the warming doorway of The Berry.

I sample a few beers from down in the basement. I stand at the bar drinking, then sit at a table drinking. Thankfully, Jools rescues me from this beery hell just before five, sipping on the half pint of ginger cider I had bought for her

. Jools goes out for a Chinese later. I think I eat it. With another beer. As you do. But it is a very, very good day indeed. I am full of the glow of a wonderful week spent at home, and having achieved lots at work. I can certainly drink to that. We watch another old TOTP, an ancient edition of The Good Old Days, of which I now have an understanding of how important the music hall was culturally. But by nine, we are both pooped. So, we give up on TV with Soft Cell banging out Tainted Love, and in doing so I really listened to the words really for the first time.