TGOC 2013 - J.A.S Training Day 2

Monday 1st April

Harry Manx - Dew On Roses
I never said I wouldn't autoplay them again.

If you liked that this is just as good
Harry Manx - Coat of Mail

YESTERDAY I took the 2nd wave of 4 recruits on another trip.

We had planned a bike ride.

BUT timing and lack of helmets meant that we went for another outing with the dogs to Fulbourn Fen, and then up to Fleam Dyke to partake of some history, and what for round here counts
as some pretty bloody serious elevation, I can tell you.

We gathered in the car while I got things ready.

A few simple instructions were read out.

Yellow's younger brother was towing the line, and quite rightly so after what happened on Saturday.
Lessons learnt.

Preliminary Instructions

Soon we had set of round the side of the Nature reserve and then off to the start of the Fleam Dyke path.
It was damned windy and few could stand on their own two feet.

Only Orange managed to stay standing.
Purple (1) had already been blown over the edge.
Luckily landing in some weeds.

At the top we learned about the building of the Dyke.

Purple 1 had sustained some facial damage in the fall but was still up for it.

We headed off along the Dyke at a goodly pace.

Half way along there is a drop down to a gate that takes you to the end of the first section

See the NO Cycling Sign

It beggars belief looking at this sign, that not only do people still cycle along it.
But you may remember last year, I encountered 3 middle age, probably middle management,
arse-brained F***ing halfwits riding trials bikes along it.
May they rot in hell the tossers.

Anyway, we carried on the end of the first section before the A11.
I normally go over, but small puppy hound is not yet ready for footbridges over major roads, so we stopped by the barrow.

The squad bathed in the Sun.

We looked at the scenery, although the team were horrified to see that some bunch of psuedo Green money making Hooligans had built a load of those Turbine things in full view.
Another spoilt landscape.

It was all too much for Purple 1
What with the injury from the earlier fall.
He committed SEPPUKU.

We buried him in the Barrow before moving off again

The drawing of the burial mound as it may have appeared

The view now

I say buried.
That's what I told the other members of the party, and his family.
In all honesty, I ate him.

So we headed back along the Dyke in glorious sunshine, and a rather bitingly cold wind

Fleam Dyke Path near the A11

The path the other side is really nice as well, and works its way through some nice woods.
At only 6 miles long (12 miles out and back) it is a nice walk.

Before heading off I had a quick look back at one of my favourite tree views

Even with that ****ing Turbine in the picture.

Back at the Nature Reserve we decided to do a bit of a lap.
It is a bit early for the Orchids to be out, but still some lovely walking.

At the entry to the Reserve there was a bit of a disaster

Orange was standing on the bridge when a gust of wind threw him over the edge to his doom
in the icy waters beneath

You can just about see his emaciated corpse at the foot of the tree

We tried to save him, but alas, he remains there even now, gradually dissolving

So we headed off over the old Moat and site of the original Manor House.
No hose there now, but the Moat remains.

Purple and Yellow thought it would be a wizard prank to get into the picture board of the old Moat house.

Fun over, it was time for a brief rest by the old fallen stump in the middle of the Moat

Shortly after this, Purple 2 was sacrificed for the needs of the many (ME)

We headed back to the car.

The sun was still high in the sky, I so much prefer the longer days and later nights.

The Nature Reserve

We headed back through the woods and to the car.
Hamish the Pupster doing his long winded thing until we got back to the car and he reappeared.

***Nuts OFF Day is Thursday!  I have NOT told him! :-(

Back at the Car, Yellow was given a debrief.

He didn't make it out of the car park area.

There are going to be some heavy heavy losses on the TGOC in May.