9. Kirtling, Newmarket.

Details:- Lynne & I just did this circular competition walk organised by the Long Distance Walkers Association, Norfolk and Suffolk Branch. We started at at the village hall in Kirtling, south east of Newmarket, and we meandered around West Suffolk, between Newmarket and the Stour Valley. We had our entry cards marked at three checkpoints along the way. Distance:- 19 miles. Going:- almost effortless, since it was a wonderful sunny spring day, and we talked most of the way round (hence so few pics), and so we barely noticed the clicks ticking over. Map:- OS Explorer 210; Progress:- Walked 107 - 393 to go.

Photographs Hyperlink.

The Daffodil Dawdle.....

.....is one of four walks organised by the LDWA Norfolk & Suffolk Branch.

The programme this year is:-

Daffodil Dawdle (Kirtling) - 25 March 2007 - 18 or 26 miles.

Poppyline Marathon (Sheringham) - 10 June 2007 - approx 17.3 or 26.8 miles.

Poppyline Fifty (Sheringham) - 4/5 August 2007 - approx 52.7 miles.

Flower of Suffolk (Dunwich) - 7 October 2007 - 16.3 or 26.0 miles.

Walking the tramlines....

....you can't see them here, but there were about a hundred and twenty walkers and runners doing this event. Along the way and at checkpoints we talked to a number of them; they were from as far afield as Blackheath and Hertfordshire. The man from Blackheath was sixty eight, and was running with some friends from his running club. He told us that he does three marathon runs a month, all over the country! Impressive, but we wondered what his wife, if he had one, might have to say about it - not something you can actually ask!

Kirtling Village Hall....

.....where secretary Chris is running off 'sustificates' for those who completed the course. At each checkpoint refreshments are laid on, and there is a hot food at the end. We passed up on the hot food in favour of our favourite end of walk refreshment - a cup of tea and a cheese scone!

PS - we came in tenth and eleventh out of 22 the entrants for the short walk. Lynne was well chuffed - it was her first competition walk.