Whatever happens, I will still carry a handbag!

It’s only when I’m showing Corinne some of the photos on my camera that I realise we’ve already done a lot of walking this year. And we haven’t even been put off by the weather. I stand accused of not looking like a handbag walker!

However, the ‘new social group’* also do a lot of walking. There are details in their newsletter about the rambles, and initially I was quite interested. It was when I read on, and saw that they classed 11 miles as a ‘short stroll’, that I got a bit scared. Talking to them, they all seem to regularly walk about 10 miles, and they also *horror* talk about ‘packed lunches’! Where’s the fun in that? Who wants to be halfway up a hill eating a soggy sandwich?

Yesterday, I went walking with the ladies group from a few weeks ago. We did about 5 miles around Ripley. As I’d done the walk this time last year, and, more importantly, I had the book, I became walk leader. The blustery sunny day turned to a blustery cloudy one, and it started to sleet, just as we turned into the wind. Hard, face stinging sleet. I had to put my hood up, and fasten the jacket up across the lower half of my face. My pashmina got soaking wet, and it rained into my handbag! But we laughed, and headed for the tea shop to warm up and dry out, and to plan our next walk. We all felt very intrepid, and I think I’ve found my level.

*at the moment, I’m still going to call them that. They seem a friendly bunch.