It was on this wet and suitably gloomy Rememberance Sunday that a hardy group of nineteen hounds and their owners met at The Dumps.

Jean, our Walks Organiser arrived for the first time driving her Bassetmobile - Cassius and Annie enjoying riding in style in the back, and Frankie navigating (!!!).

At eleven, Brian rang Dusty’s Bell and we observed a minute’s silence in the gentle rain.

The group then set off, the hounds eager to be released from leads and properly greet each other. The rain didn’t affect the hounds one little bit, especially several who were sporting rather fetching new dog coats.

It was very muddy and slippery under foot, as poor Sally King displayed in a series of balllet movements which resulted in her finishing flat on her back. Clara and Rolf watched in wonderment - Sally’s daughters looked on in hysterics.

We followed a circuitous and not always a direct path, Chris, Derek and I consulted at length with each other and realised none of us could remember for sure the usual route. But the group, as ever, was forgiving of this lack of leadership and we trudged onwards.

The Basset pack behaved themselves throughout the walk, though at one stage Mollie with Nico in tow spotted a fawn in a wooded area and gave chase - disappearing into the undergrowth. After losing this contest, they returned when called - well, they returned.

On returning to the car park I took a photograph of this wet, but happy, group.

I drove home through heavy downpours and the prospect of arriving home to a roaring fire in the woodburner and a slow-roasting leg of lamb in the oven seeming a perfect reward for this enjoyable outing. Well done, to everyone who attended!