Walderton Walk and Skittles on 22nd february 2023

February Extravaganza on 22nd February 2023

We decided to push the boat out and combine a walk, buffet, skittles competition and our annual raffle all in one day to finish mid-afternoon. After a bit of debate we went for it! The walkers assembled early in the car park of The Barley Mow, Walderton who helpfully opened up early especially for us, the heavens had unobligingly opened for us overnight and we caught the tail end of it. Jay and Lindsay led the short walk of 3 miles controlling the pace and timing to perfection. We headed east towards the centre of Walderton, the River Elm was higher than we have seen it before where we left the road starting the gentle climb across the fields. The driveway to Watergate and the main road were crossed with Watergate in view. A short rise at the base of Watergate Hanger took us into woods before crossing back to the north of Watergate when we stopped for our damp coffee break with misty views south towards Thorney Island and Hayling. Refreshed, we passed through and skirted the Woodbarn woods before picking up the Monarch Way at the edge of Inholmes Woods. Turning right, we crossed fields and made our way back to the hostelry bang on time.

Meanwhile, reinforcements had arrived to bolster the afternoon, deliver the raffle prizes and bring the wounded. The excellent Barley Mow buffet was consumed while the more competitive eyed up the skittle alley. Each player bowled three balls to knock down as many of the nine pins as possible with each ball. Techniques varied from the Barnes Wallis ‘bouncing bomb’, bowling the ball past the pins to bounce off the back wall, scooping it up right handed when it returned having selected a second ball in the left hand and then delivering both balls together. Luckily, nobody adopted an overarm technique. Our superior bowing skills were demonstrated by no single nine pin strike with one ball! Two rounds later the winner was declared with many joint second and third place winners confirmed how close the competition was. The finale was meant to be the annual raffle with fifteen prizes all a result of the generosity of the walking group members in donating and buying raffle tickets and Pauline and Tim’s hard work. The whole event went so quickly and with great humour that we had enough time left to have another skittles round where Sally won the pineapple prize.