LOWDOWN Summer 2015 page 19
✏WALK from GILL’S LAP CAR PARK ☆ Ashdown Forest:
Sunday 12th April 2015
Another lovely, spring morning greeted members and hounds as we gathered at this popular walk venue. I was quite surprised to see so many cars and enthusiastic occupants turn into the car park.
The group was enhanced by new members, including two guys who had journeyed all the way from deepest, darkest, Cambridge. They brought along parents from Brighton, with whom they were staying, and they all seemed to enjoy the experience.
They were all made very welcome, especially as with them they had an absolutely gorgeous ten-week old puppy called Mildred - ‘Millie’, a companion to George. She instantly found herself passed around admiring members and looked very much at home.
Unfortunately for us, Jill and Brian had to leave us as the walk began as they had a family birthday lunch to attend.
Rudderless, the rest of us started along the wide pathways which led from the car park and onto to the Forest.
Little Millie seemed fascinated to be surrounded by all these strange and differently sized Basset Hounds. She did the whole walk, but spent most of the time rightly being carried in the arms of her owners and members who couldn’t resist giving her a cuddle.
We made our way down the steep rutted pathway, splitting into smaller groups, until at the bottom we re-grouped and had our photograph taken by Frankie. From here we rested for a while and admired the Forest views. The hounds also took advantage and lay in the shade of the trees. They behaved well, even when three ladies came riding by, stopping only briefly to admire the ‘pack’.
After a short time resting at this location, we followed at the main trackway back. This mostly involved level terrain and a few parts where we made occasional steep climbs.
On a sunny warm day like this, the inclines took it out of both man and hound; and when eventually we reached the car park I am sure we all felt well exercised and all the better for spending time with like-minded friends and thirty-five wonderful hounds.
Well done, everyone, this is exactly what the BHOC is all about.
Another lovely, spring morning greeted members and hounds as we gathered at this popular walk venue. I was quite surprised to see so many cars and enthusiastic occupants turn into the car park.
The group was enhanced by new members, including two guys who had journeyed all the way from deepest, darkest, Cambridge. They brought along parents from Brighton, with whom they were staying, and they all seemed to enjoy the experience.
They were all made very welcome, especially as with them they had an absolutely gorgeous ten-week old puppy called Mildred - ‘Millie’, a companion to George. She instantly found herself passed around admiring members and looked very much at home.
Unfortunately for us, Jill and Brian had to leave us as the walk began as they had a family birthday lunch to attend.
Rudderless, the rest of us started along the wide pathways which led from the car park and onto to the Forest.
Little Millie seemed fascinated to be surrounded by all these strange and differently sized Basset Hounds. She did the whole walk, but spent most of the time rightly being carried in the arms of her owners and members who couldn’t resist giving her a cuddle.
We made our way down the steep rutted pathway, splitting into smaller groups, until at the bottom we re-grouped and had our photograph taken by Frankie. From here we rested for a while and admired the Forest views. The hounds also took advantage and lay in the shade of the trees. They behaved well, even when three ladies came riding by, stopping only briefly to admire the ‘pack’.
After a short time resting at this location, we followed at the main trackway back. This mostly involved level terrain and a few parts where we made occasional steep climbs.
On a sunny warm day like this, the inclines took it out of both man and hound; and when eventually we reached the car park I am sure we all felt well exercised and all the better for spending time with like-minded friends and thirty-five wonderful hounds.
Well done, everyone, this is exactly what the BHOC is all about.
