I quite enjoy walking but - by Dave Page

Maria von Trapp once sang “The hills are alive with music”, she obviously had never been on one of our walks. I imagine she had been driven to the top of the hill by a friendly farmer in his land rover.

All I ever hear is the sound of puffing and panting (mostly me) and people saying I must stop to look at the wonderful view when they are really saying “I’m knackered, let me have a break”

I must admit in the past I have stood at the top of hills and enjoyed the wonderful countryside all around me, I think that the hills look lovely from below, from a distance and from the top but people that enjoy climbing them must have slight masochistic tendencies.
It must be marvellous to be a walker in Norfolk with all those flat walks and a mole hill looks too high to climb over. It may be a bit of a drive to start a walk but I think it might be worth it, we could leave Monday lunch time and be back in time for Countdown on Wednesday.

Some strange things happen at the tops of hills, people lose their inhibitions and regress back to their childhood and so the Prats Annual Conker Competition was born in 1995 near the Jack and Jill windmills above Ditchling. We attracted a lot of strange looks that day from people in the car park watching a dozen slightly elderly teenagers having a good time.

Although I now try to convince my fellow walkers that hills are bad I am still willing to have a go as long as they are not too steep and too long but I have made a vow that I will never, ever walk the Seven Sisters again as long as as I live.

A nostalgic trip by Bob Milton

During my recent holiday in Switzerland, I re-visited a small village across the Lauterbrunnen valley called Murren. It is overlooked by the Jungfrau, Monch and Eiger mountains.

Access to Murren is by cableway and Swiss mountain railway. It is also connected by a cableway to the Schilthorn, which featured in a James Bond film. Sir Alfred Lunn (of Lunn Poly) was involved in the beginning of downhill ski racing from the Schilthorn to Murren. Murren became a favourite for European royal families and the other rich people of those times.

Long before then, in October 1916 there was an influx of vastly different visitors. They were British ex-prisoners of war from Germany. The Swiss Red Cross had an arrangement with the warring countries, where they took unfit prisoners of war from both sides, into Switzerland and interned them there These internees were put in the care of doctors, to improve their health. When they were fit enough, but not fit for further military service they were re-patriated to their own countries. At Murren there was about 400 British ex-prisoners. Among them was my Dad, (second from right) He had been wounded and captured in France on the 14th September 1914. He was imprisoned in Germany until Oct. 1916. Later the Red Cross took some of the wives from England to Murren.)

Arrival of wives at Murren 1917 -among them was my Mum (in centre with white hat)

Mum & Dad on right, Hotel Regina also on right- one of the hotels Dad was in.

As you can see the hotel looks a lot different today.

The Tee shirt wearer strikes again, it's me, hoping to be recognised on the slopes of the Jungfrau

Another good day out by Roy Peacock

The LAWS walk on 12th June 2007

Our BT PRATS walks are usually very enjoyable so I tend to repeat them when I lead my wife Jill’s, LAWS (Ladies Afternoon Wednesdays Society) group walks. Their last walk on the 12th June was no exception. I decided to do the Ditchling to Plumpton Green circular we had done for our June walk because it was so scenic and easy going, and the drinks, food and hospitality at the Winning Post pub had been good.
We set off from Eastbourne in good time for a 10.15 start only to be subjected to extensive delay due to the road works at Beddingham unlike on the 5th June when I had a good clear run. On arriving at the village car park the recycling lorry was present so again we were delayed from parking while several cars were held in a queue unable to move. When it was possible to move all spaces had been either taken or were too small for my wagon except thankfully the place on the exit drive where I had parked before. I will leave you to ponder where I went first!
Boots on and mobile, first aid, sunglasses, drink and hat, clobber in pockets/ rucksacks on, we set off at 10.45. When out in the open country, where I had a mobile signal I rang the pub, and spoke to Nicole who remembered our PRATS visit. She was pleased to hear we were on our way but told me that they had no power. (Not again I thought. This had happened on a recce when calling at the Halfway House). EDF had promised the supply would be on again by 11.45 so Nicole thought that we should be OK for hot meals. We did not share her optimism!
Shortly after leaving the bridleway through the woods (Yes Alan, I again remembered where to turn off) in an open area, we met a rather dispersed group of walkers trying to find the way out for their return route to Ditchling. Needless to say I was able to help as they were intending to return over the route we had just covered. They were a mixed group from Chichester and Brighton with a guest walker (ex-Sussex) from Australia. I mentioned that we too had had an Australian along with us and also two ex-pats from Canada, last year. In conversation with them several remembered meeting some of the PRATS at High Hurstwood because of the “tee shirts”. It just goes to show that we get noticed if not for our behaviour, for our tee shirts.
On arrival at the pub at 12 50, we were greeted with the news of still no power. The latest forecast was 14.00. So we had a limited choice of hot meals to be cooked on a calor gas hob. They did us proud again. No complaints and definitely worth a return visit in the not too distant future. The group we had met are regulars to the Winning Post. They enjoy it very much and regard their prices as very reasonable. On leaving at 14.20, EDF were promising reconnection of supply at 15.00.

During the return trip we were treated to a hay turning and hay baling display, a challenging flock of sheep and lambs, a friendly pair of mare and foal and several other encounters with horses. All this with the sun at its brightest and the temperature high made for a tiring stint but one to be remembered.

The air conditioned car was most welcome and with no hold ups this time, those falling asleep got a shock on reaching home!