27.12.15
Walking with; Dad, Geej, Duska, Miller, Sonny and the Sykes family
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After the gluttony of Christmas what better way to exorcise the ghost of Turkeys past than a muddy wander through the woods which I have known since childhood. After assembling a motley crew of walkers from my brother’s house we set off across the waterlogged fields towards the borders of the RSPB reserve Forewood. Weeks of inclement weather had left the paths a quagmire but we ploughed on undaunted through welly deep through the mud! We passed the pond (where in childhood we would have crept out across the frozen surface to test our nerve) and carried on through the Hornbeam and Sweet Chestnut woodland enlivening our route with games of hide and seek! We eventually reached the ghyll to the North of the wood and then slipped and slithered our way back to a warming cup of coffee and one of the season’s last mince pies.
I don’t get out on many woodland walks and this one was loaded with nostalgia. I spent many happy years playing and adventuring in these woods. My Mum and Dad taught me about the birds, butterflies and wild flowers and this sparked an enduring interest that has lasted through my adult life given me the enthusiasm to turn the outdoors into a career. It was lovely to be able to share this walk with three generations of my family and hopefully help to instil a love of the outdoors in future generations of Howellses!!
