The Hikers:
Graham Beevor
Peter Cox
Graham Hicks *
Martin Hime *
Simon Hime *
Phil Knowles *
Laurie Noble
Drew Rush
Malcolm Rush
Brian Shaw
Geoff Wright
* Day 2 & Day 3 only
Having spent many years carefully avoiding any involvement whatsoever in the planning of the Winter Hike (I just turn up, walk and moan a bit), I felt it only fair to repay my debt to society by agreeing to write this year’s report. Apart from my two relatives in the party (brother and brother-in-law) I only meet the Hikers once a year, so I appreciate this opportunity to record the event. I should point out that my memory is very poor so I’m relying on someone else for route details and place names….
Day 1
Seven of us arrived at the Strawberry Fair Hotel in Paignton on Thursday evening and sat down at breakfast the following day to compare notes and catch up. This revealed a mixture of reassuring certainties (no tomatoes or beans for Graham B), technological advances (Peter’s waterproof socks) and complete surprises (Brian gave up smoking a month ago). Once Brian had found the toilet, which was in his room, we set off. The drive took longer than we’d hoped because of the traffic in Totnes but eventually we arrived at a car park in the middle of nowhere and set off. It was a glorious day – cold, sunny and crisp. After some ups and downs, some detours and some black ice we arrived for lunch at the Rugglestone Inn at Widdecombe, which was very picturesque. The pub was warm and welcoming and after looking at Brian’s holiday snaps of the sailfish he’d caught in Kenya I went to sleep in the corner.
After lunch we left the pub with its free-range chickens, cats and Dartmoor pony and walked uphill out of the village to Hollow Tor and then High Tor, admiring the views and the rock formations. Taking my job seriously, I asked the other members of the party for their thoughts and was rewarded with a couple of quotes: “Thirty Nicorettes for £20” and “It’s all downhill from now on”. We got back to the cars without incident, returned to the hotel, met up with Graham H, Phil, Martin and Simon and set off for the Honeymoon Chinese restaurant, where the help-yourself buffet proved popular. After more catching up and many returns to the buffet most of the party went on to the pub. I maintained my reputation for anti-social behaviour and went to bed.
Distance hiked: About 7 miles (?)
Nature Notes: Sheep, ponies, raven, buzzard, nuthatch.
Day 2
At breakfast the conversation centred on snoring and the Egg Question. Should they be fried or poached? And if fried, should they be turned? And if turned, in which direction? Then it was a 45 minute drive to Shipley Bridge where we parked at a derelict site which had once been a Naphtha works manufacturing flammable liquid from peat. At this point some idiot realised they had left their boots at the hotel. Fortunately I was able to borrow a spare pair from Martin, who obviously remembers the Scout Motto better than I do. It was another cold clear day with plenty of ice about and thick frost/light snow on the tops. Our route took us up past the Avon reservoir, over the stone Clapper bridge where we could see the circular outlines of ancient settlements on the far side of the valley and then up again over a tussocky hillside that would have been boggy if it hadn’t been mostly frozen. As there was no path each made his own way over the difficult ground until we converged on our lunchtime stop at Red Tarn, an old China Clay works with spoil tip and lakes, two of which were frozen over. An impromptu curling match followed – at least, we did the bit involving throwing stones but not the bit with the brooms. Stones skittering across ice make a very eerie sound. The tarn is high up and we could see a long way in every deserted direction. Glorious isolation. Lunch was a feast involving Cup-a-soup, Big Baps from the eponymous shop, Mrs Hime’s sandwiches, almond slice and fruit cake (Happy Birthday Graham’s Dad), followed by a choice of hip flasks.
Then we were off again along the route of the old tram way across the moor, past Petre’s Cross, tin workings and Eastern White Barrow and eventually downhill (with protests from Graham B’s knee) back to the cars. As we had finished fairly early we stopped at Dartington on the way back for a selection of cream teas and a controversial suggestion form Peter that Winter Hikes should include a bit more to look at, by taking in more villages and places of interest and less desolate moor and mountain. The idea met with a mixed response but the seed had been sown, so we’ll see if it germinates.
Back at the hotel we showered and snoozed before meeting up in the Ship Inn next door where an improvised game of shove ha’penny resulted in a tie between the two Grahams. Then on to Cilento Evolved Indian Restaurant, where we discovered that despite our having booked they were still taken by surprise when we ordered some food. Brian had a cocktail with a Chilli in it. Others had beer, lassi or water. They offered to sell us some pappadums, which we didn’t want. They offered to sell us some more drinks, which (most of us) didn’t want. We sang Happy Birthday for someone in another party. We grew restless. Eventually after an hour and a half our food arrived with many apologies for the delay. Verdict: food very good, service awful. Peter left early. Most of the party went on to the pub. I went to bed.
Distance hiked: about 6 miles (?)
Nature Notes: Sheep, ponies, raven, buzzards, mallards
Day 3
At breakfast we were amused, but not surprised, to learn that Phil’s snoring could be heard from the floor above. More Feng Shui with eggs, then upstairs to pack and downstairs again to load cars and pay bills. The hotel proprietor happily agreed to take a group photo but then realised that he had to stand in the middle of the road to do it. And that we had several different cameras. We gave him our thanks, set off and drove out of Paignton, through Torquay to Labrador Bay. The weather was a little overcast but still no sign of rain. We had been lucky. Our route took us inland where we discovered a track that was in places completely covered in water and ice. Most of us got round this by climbing the bank that ran along the edge of the path and walking along the top, but for some reason, Laurie decided to stay on the track… After we had waited for him to take his boots off and wring out his socks, we set off again towards Teignmouth where we walked along the front for a bit and then back along the coast path, which included some steep ups and downs. At one point we said our goodbyes and split up as some of the hikers decided to take a short cut along the road. It turned out to be less of a short cut than they had hoped and we all met up again back at the car park. We said our goodbyes again and set off for home, pausing only for lunch in the Atmospheric Railway Inn at Starcross where Geoff was designated Keeper of the Leftover Kitty and entrusted with £23.10 to carry forward to next year.
Distance hiked: About 3 miles (?)
Nature Notes: Fox, kestrel, mute swan, black swan, turnstones
Malcolm Rush