East and West Hendred are a pair of disarmingly lovely villages, albeit with a dark and mystical secret. So secret I cannot divulge more without incurring the wrath of the local Guardians - the infamous Hendred Owls. These, seemingly static, creatures ring East Hendred with their wooden gaze, protecting the homes and hearths of the village population. They may seem harmless enough during the day but beware nightfall . . . So it was with some relief we had experienced guides to lead us safely through the landscape; Ronnie and Gladys, aka Bonnie and Clyde. Like their alter egos, these two rascals led us a merry dance up and down dale, through streams, under woods, over hills and through labyrinths of tiny lanes and tracks. Gladys (Bonnie) is most assuredly the mischievous ringleader - eager to dash off into the unknown in the eternal hope of cornering a squirrel. Ronnie plays the muscle, cleverly hanging back until his services are required. Well, this was our second time with R and G and we lasted several hours before losing our first sock to the ravages of canine teeth ! These two have character to spare and use their unavoidable charms to 'encourage' us on walks, to fetch grub, or deliver cuddles. How can we resist the appeal of Gladys greeting us in the morning with sandal in her maw ? A subtle hint methinks . . . We thought we had covered most of the local tracks on our last visit but, to our delight and wonder, discovered a handful of new routes and, especially, the wonders of the woods. Christopher, Ardington and Sawdust Woods were all planted 30 years hence and are a beguiling square mile of the most gorgeous mixed arborea. To our amazement we came across a large open space featuring a model of the solar system and a series of stones to mark the passage of the sun, a la Stonehenge, complete with instructions ! And finishing up with a swift half at the Boars Head in Ardington made a couple of hours weaving back and forth through this forested maze even more of an event. One to be repeated we hope. Beyond the local villages highlights included the DISH at the Harwell Research Campus - a collection of pop-up fooderies serving up street food from several countries. And when we went on a Saturday afternoon, the delights of a little classic car show. Gosh, those MGBs and Triumphs took us back to our misspent youth. It amazes me that back in the day you could actually access an engine. Today I'm lucky if I can top the windscreen washer up without having to remove the entire contraption. Other jaunts included the Wilts and Berks Canal (being very slowly restored), overland to Wantage and a bus back with the pooches, and through Ginge to the Ridgeway and back down around the gallops. In the mornings and evenings local wanders were the order of the day - to admire the village allotments (we do miss ours so much), running the gauntlet of the mad horsewoman of the apocalypse (she does not like dogs anywhere near her steed) and the perils of Black Cow Gate. Bobby is not a bovine enthusiast and we had to turn around en-route to Steventon as our path was blocked by a herd of rambunctious bullocks. Oddly, we've never actually met Ronnie and Glady's family - arrival and departure times have never quite synchronised. But they were generous to a fault having pre-booked a brace of the best pizzas we've tasted for some time (the neighbour runs a wood-fired pizza company) along with a bottle of bubbly ! Oooh, I could do that again. And that's not including several of the owner's indulgent brownies (see the JollyGoodBrownies company for mail order). It was with much sadness we had to say goodbye - we've learned not to prolong departures lest the hound's long faces keep us rooted in place. Moist eyes in the car home then and an hour poring through our photos whilst devouring a late dinner near Cheddar on the way home to Somerset. Hope we see you again R and G - in any case you owe us a sock !
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'23 Adventures
January 2024
photosby Bobby ! |