Ramblers
"It is never boring and you can be sure of good company!"
“It all started in October 2004 when I attended a short ‘Walking for Health’ course, in Carew Manor, Sutton. There were just four of us in the class and our friendly Scottish tutor, Kevan Samwells, gave us each lots of handouts about the benefits of walking and a pedometer. For three weeks we would stroll around Beddington Park for an hour’s gentle walking, with a 20-minute spurt of faster walking in between to get the heart rate going! When the course finished my class-mates and I decided to continue with our weekly walks, but as we were usually busy chatting we soon dispensed with the 20-minutes of fast walking!
We are still walking today and we have been joined by many new walkers over the years. Beddington Park has many walks to choose from. The gardens around the Grange are particularly beautiful at different times of the year. We sometimes explore Carew Manor Wetland, a little known area right on the Wandle hidden away behind the manor. There are particularly good blackberry bushes along the path so in August and September our walks are more about blackberry picking than walking! We have also planted two young rowan trees and daffodil bulbs in a few different places, so it is always fun to watch them come up in the spring.
It is never boring and you can be sure of good company! There is no roll-call and there are no warming-up or down exercises! However, there is lots of chatting and pleasant strolling as we observe the changing seasons and the nature all around us.
This walk is open to all ages. Our most senior walker is 88-years old and uses two buses to get to the start of the walk, and we are shortly hoping to welcome a two-year old boy who he will become our youngest walker. Finally, and the most important point to mention: after our walk on the last Friday of the month we enjoy tea, coffee and excellent home-made cakes!
Do come along and join us on any Friday morning at 10am, on the wall in front of Carew Manor or in the porch of St Mary’s Church if the weather is wet or blustery.”
