The Hook Norton Village Newsletter
June 2004 Series 29 No 3

Village Affairs



NEWSLETTER TEAM


Directory: Diana Barber
Advertising: Judi Leader
Distribution: Bunty Reid
Postal Services: Mrs M Padbury
Proof reading: Nigel Lehmann
IT/Web Support: Martin Baxter
Treasurer: John Stratford


FROM THE EDITORS
The Newsletter Box contained £46.10 this month. Thank you.
Enjoy the summer. There's certainly plenty of things going on including; a play, live music and the beer festival between now and the next newsletter

Sadly, we record the death of Rosemary Elizabeth (Betty) Beale aged 70 years (formerly of Hook Norton) and Monica Porter aged 80 years. On behalf of the village, we send our condolences to their families and friends.


Andy Horne Helen Foster
hooknorton.news@btopenworld.com helen@monivea.freeserve.co.uk

The views expressed in the Newsletter are not necessarily those of the Editorial Team.

RATES – CHEQUES PAYABLE TO 'HOOK NORTON NEWSLETTER'
Text & advertising copy deadline THURSDAY, 15th JULY 2004
Text for Village activities Free (a small donation is welcome)
Inserts for Village Activities On request from Judi Leader
Commercial Advertising £22 per page & pro rata per issue
Commercial Inserts £20 per issue
Donations can be put in the Newsletter Box in the Post Office or posted to; Newsletter, c/o Hook Norton Post Office, Chapel Street, Hook Norton, Oxon.


WELCOME CLUB
Our annual coach trip will be on August 13th to SLIMBRIDGE (The Wildfowl Centre) in Gloucestershire. Adults £12, Children £10. Seats are available, please contact the webmaster for further details (All are Welcome)
Future meetings:
June 4th Visit to Herb Centre September 10th  
  18th Summer Lunch   24th Visit a Garden Centre
July 2nd   October 8th  
  16th Strawberry Tea   22nd Birthday Lunch
  30th   November 5th  
August 13th Slimbridge   19th  
  27th   December 3rd Christmas Lunch
        17th  


TRANSPORT - 488 BUS
Further to my note in the last issue, the County has confirmed that the 0723 bus on the 488 service into Banbury will continue to run until at least June 2005, when all subsidised services in the Banbury area will be reviewed. Intending passengers should check before travelling after 4 July, as the bus will run a few minutes earlier from that date. I will put a note on the notice boards when/if I get details. It appears however, that residents of Hooky do not use this bus, as nobody reacted to the possibility of its withdrawal. A County officer who travelled on it on a Friday in March found that 4 people boarded in Chipping Norton, but none here or anywhere else until the bus reached Milcombe so it might as well have gone along the main road.
Shopping services. More support is needed for the Parish Council shoppers' bus, which runs every other Thursday morning into Banbury, leaving The Bourne at 9.50 and the Church at 10.00. The fare is only £1 return. What a bargain! Dates on the back page. A minibus also runs to Banbury every Wednesday at 10.00 from the Church: fare £2.80, or half with Cherwell bus card. Both also pick up at The Green and Austin's Way. Anyone wishing to visit Moreton-in-Marsh on market day can use the Bakers bus, which picks up here at about 10.00 every Tuesday.
Peter Fry


BAPTIST CHURCH
Call My Bluff evening - I will leave you to draw your own conclusions as to who proved to be the best liars of the two churches, suffice to say that the contest was won by St. Peters! The evening was a truly hilarious occasion and several members of both teams revealed hidden talents. So successful was the event that there promises to be a rematch, watch this space for details.
Our building work continues and we hope that groups using the hall are not too inconvenienced. Whilst we long to see the project finished, we know that patience is needed. The work is already slightly behind schedule but as with anything worthwhile, we are prepared to watch and pray. What a good job that Jesus shows such patience with us, as the potter he moulds us, the clay, with such gentleness and creativity as he seeks to turn us into a work of great beauty. During this time of waiting, we pray that we will indeed grow in patience and trust in Him.
Julie Warren


HOOK NORTON LOCAL HISTORY GROUP
Mrs Juliet Phipps visited us on 6th April to tell us the history of Buscot Park. An Australian who had made his fortune in the Gold Rush and whose aim in England was to become a successful Victorian gentleman, bought Buscot, built more cottages for his workers and planned to create a distillery. Experts were brought from France to advise on his Brandy venture. All was going well until the Franco-Prussian War erupted in 1870; the experts returned home to fight and the export markets vanished. That is why we don't have Buscot Brandy!
On 4th May Derek Potter, realistically potty about the beautiful route of the Cotswold line running from Hereford to Paddington, revealed how enthusiastic and dedicated railway travellers can, without rancour, change the ideas of those planners who wished by neglect, to turn the line into no more than a shuttle service. It is a thriving line now, the tunnel stayed open, stations have reopened and so have tea rooms, the service is frequent and there are express trains to Paddington without having to change at Oxford. All through peaceful negotiations.
Future dates; Everyone: Please keep an eye on Tom's noticeboard for further details or ring the number above.
Sheila Terry


HOOK NORTON MUSEUM and ARCHIVE - MEMORY LANE
There is much interest at the moment in the national newspapers about the sixtieth anniversary of the D-day landings in Normandy in 1944. In Hook Norton during the months before the invasion, American troops were stationed in the area. but not, we believe, actually in Hook Norton. It would seem that segregation of white and black troops took place, each having their own dance halls which they could frequent. Black American GIs came in trucks to Hook Norton to dance in our Memorial Hall. On 8th April 1944, there was a 'riotous disturbance' outside the Hall. Some one hundred and fifty men were in an agitated state because of a rumour which turned out to be false. An incident had occurred in Chipping Norton a few days previously which caused them to believe that one of their comrades had been killed by a white American officer. This turned out to be untrue, but unaware of this, many of the men were set on marching to Chipping Norton to avenge the rumoured killing. They were eventually dissuaded. The Hook Norton Archive has in its possession a copy of the American Army's later tribunal on the incident. There were about six men who were charged and received sentences, up to eight years. These seem quite fierce but riotous behaviour in that war was regarded as something extremely serious. It's a long shot but are there any memories of this incident - probably a lot of continued noise rather than anything else. We would love to know more. Did Hook Norton set up the dance and provide the band, for instance? Who else attended? There is no mention of any local disturbance. Many thanks for the names of the bell ringers which were sent in following the last issue. We still have a few to find.
Barbara Hicks: Co-Archivist


HOOK NORTON GARDEN CLUB
The annual club outing this year to the Spring Show at Malvern on 9 May was a great success. In spite of the unpromising start, by the time, we arrived at the Three Counties Showground the mist was rising and the beautiful backdrop of the Malvern Hills gradually appeared and the sun shone for the rest of the day. June and July are the months when we obtain inspiration from Wednesday evening visits to gardens-9 June to Wyatts Nursery for a guided tour and light refreshments, 30 June to Whichford Pottery and 14 July to May Gleed's garden at Edge Hill. On each occasion, meet outside the Sun Inn at 7pm for car sharing.
Do come and join us.
Have a good summer and prepare your entries for the Autumn Show on 4 September. The subjects for the photography classes are :-a Tree (4 photos on one mount), a Building site and Tools and for children, a Party.
Verity Calderan


MACMILLAN COFFEE MORNING
A reminder for your diary. The "Biggest Coffee Morning in the World" will be held on Friday 24th September 2004. This year, as other years, I shall be holding the coffee morning in the Study Centre attached to the Primary School, from 9am-11.30am. I very much hope that you will put the date in your diaries and nearer the time, I will be asking for donations of cakes, raffle prizes etc and offers of help.
Julie Wood


WI
Members were treated to a wonderful exhibition of miniature rooms, all made, displayed and explained by Mr and Mrs Stubbs. These included different shops, one of which was a flower shop. There was a marquee all ready for a wedding reception as well as an Orangery.
Mr and Mrs Stubbs will be having an open day at 21 Lychgate Close, Burbage, Hinkley from 11am to 4pm on 6th June. Admission will be £1.50 including refreshments and there will be a 'bring and buy' stall. All the proceeds will be donated to the Parkinson's Disease Society.
The competition of 'An arrangement of Garden Spring Flowers in an amusing container' was won by Sheila Lilley who had arranged her flowers in a colander.
Meetings, as usual, are held at 2pm in the Baptist Hall on the third Tuesday of each month. At the May meeting, we discussed this year's resolutions and listened to a short talk about the Campaign for the Preservation of Rural England. The competition at this meeting was a 'holiday photograph'.
The June meeting will be a talk on 'Elgar, the other women in his life and the music they inspired.' The competition will be of musical note. New members and guests are always welcome.
Teresa Forrest


LETTER RECEIVED FROM MARION ROBERTS
'I have just been re-reading the April Newsletter and having nostalgic thoughts of Hooky and all my friends in the village, and would like to say a belated 'Cheerio' to all those I didn't get around to seeing before my departure to the North at the beginning of April. This is a gorgeous village in the Teesdale Valley; smaller than Hooky, with a village green and just a short stroll to the bubbling River Tees. The countryside is stunning with banks of wood anemones, primroses, wild garlic and bluebells. I can sit on a seat by the river, talk to the ducks, and meditate! They and all the birds have a northern accent – but I'm getting used to it!
Two ducks – Mr and Mrs – visit me most days and often waddle into my kitchen for scraps. Everyone here is very friendly and I've met lots of Hooky 'lookalikes'!
Cotherstone is famous for its cheese, so I just need some good old Hooky Ale to wash it down! It is lovely to be near all my family – eight grandchildren and assorted cats and dogs.
I have a poem written by dear old George Dumbleton who many will remember as 'The Violet Man'. He wrote a poem for every occasion. This is the end of the last one he wrote before he died aged 91 in 1993.
“I have lived in and loved in this old village, Goodbye dear old Hooky, Goodbye”.
I hope though that I will return for a visit one day and anyone who is rambling through the North Pennines and Dales will be very welcome to call in for a cuppa, a piece of local plumcake and a slice of Cotherstone cheese.
Best wishes to everyone.'
Marion Roberts


ST. PETER'S CHURCH
Spring is a wonderful time of year, and with the Easter celebrations now over, we have so many additional wonders to be thankful for, as new life abounds (and, indeed, bounds around) in our fields, farms and gardens.
The least we can do is to pass some of our good fortune on to those who struggle in life, through our support of some of the many worthwhile charities that can change people's lives. Thank you especially to all those in the Benefice who helped raise a whopping £2,700 for the African Send-a-Cow appeal. The money will enable the charity to send more than a whole farmyard of animals, trees and seeds to families across Africa, and pay for the training that will these people perhaps their only chance to be self-sufficient.
The Easter services at St. Peter's were particularly memorable, with much positive feedback passed to our hardworking Ministry team of John, Christopher, Janet and Wendy. The service on Rogation Sunday (16th May) at Tom and Mary Powell's barn was also such a special occasion. All the adults and children – and even some animals – enjoyed a wonderful service, followed by lunch and a walk through Tom and Mary's beautiful fields. The collection raised £195 for the Lawrence Home nursing team, so thank you to all those who gave so generously. A memorable Ascension Day breakfast on 20th May was followed by Pentecost Praise on Whitsunday morning (29th May), a service complete with banners and a drama.

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We are extremely grateful to David and Bridget Shepley-Cuthbert at Moors House (Station Road) for the forthcoming use of their beautiful garden for a Petertide and Fund-Raising Day on Saturday 26th June (2-6pm). The garden comprises about five acres, developed over the past seven years with the help of Robert Adams, a landscape architect with a love for water gardens. From the terrace, with its herbaceous borders, the view is over a pond and bog garden. Giant gunnerars, bamboos, dogwoods and rheums are complemented by a backdrop of shrubs, specimen trees and the woods. The bog garden leads to a woodland walk along the stream, planted with various shrubs and trees. A sight to behold indeed! (See additional details in this Newsletter). Scone-making volunteers please contact Pam Horne!!

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Pupils of Hooky School will be able to enjoy a new after-school youth club, resourced jointly by the Anglican and Baptist churches in the village. Starting on June 9th, the club will run on Wednesdays at the school, from 3.15-4.15 pm, and each afternoon of interactive fun will be open to all non-nursery KS1 and KS2 children (Please contact the school for more info).
Confirmation classes are now under way in advance of the forthcoming Confirmation Service on St. Peter's Day (29th June) with the Rt. Rev'd Colin Fletcher. Service at 7.30 pm preceded by Tea at 6.30pm. Parish Prayer Meetings are held every third Wednesday of the month. (See posters for details.)  Wheelers & Squealers continues for our younger members and their carers on the first Tuesday of each month, and June 20th sees the first 'Men's Breakfast' at the Pear Tree Inn. (Please contact John Acreman on 737223 for details). The next Alpha course is due to start in the Autumn (Details from Janet Collins).
Sophia Fox Sophiafox1@aol.com


ST PETER'S CHURCH BELL RINGERS
The Bell ringers of St. Peter's played hosts to over 100 other bell ringers from all over the Oxford Diocese on the May Bank Holiday Monday afternoon. The occasion was the annual Diocese bell striking competition which is designed to improve the quality of the Sunday Service bell ringing. There were 10 teams of 8 ringers together with some supporters so that we were called upon to provide over 90 teas of sandwiches, sausages, sausage rolls, scones, cakes and we rose to the occasion to the satisfaction of all concerned. Apart from the serious technicalities of bell ringing and the competitive spirit of the contestants it proved to be a great social occasion and the best of the ringers had the opportunity to compete on what are generally considered to be the best ring of eight bells in the diocese.


HOOK NORTON PRE-SCHOOL PLAYGROUP
We have had a number of new children start at Playgroup this term and now have over 60 children attending Playgroup. We still have some places for both morning and afternoon sessions as well as for the After School Club. Please call Julie for further details.
Thank you to everyone who supported our Easter Draw – we raised over £300.
Finally, we would like to welcome Maggie Hiatt who joined the team at the end of last term and also Jane Newton and Maria Smith who are now working with us.
Lisa Nottingham – Vice Chair, Playgroup Committee


FRIENDS OF HOOK NORTON SCHOOL (FOHNS)
With Summer coming, it's time to make some plans. Time for the men to dig out old jeans and checked shirts – those summer dresses for the ladies – and make sure that the 12 June is marked in your diary for the Hook Norton Barn Dance and Pig Roast. Always great fun with great food, it's an event not to be missed if you fancy a bit of midsummer madness. Starts 7.30pm till 11.45pm with Apricot Pie providing the music. BYO drink. Tickets at £12.50 each are available from the school office. Any offers of help please to Jenny Mead.
Do you have a promise you would like to make that could be auctioned to raise funds for the school? It could be as little as the offer of a pound of sausages or as impressive as a week in a caravan, a day paragliding, a trip in a balloon or a case of wine. The weirder, the more wonderful, the better. FOHNS is planning an Auction of Promises in Spring 2005 and is anxious to hear from anyone willing to put their offer under the hammer. It's in a great cause so please let Hazel Hope in the school office know any proposals.
One other date for your diary: Friday 16 July, Family BBQ – as a farewell to the end of the academic year and to celebrate the coming of the summer holidays, the Friends have decided to organise a family BBQ at school. This will be an opportunity to have great food and a chat with your friends before we all go off on holiday. More information to follow.
Meanwhile, thanks to everyone who attended the annual Quiz Night at the school on Saturday 28 February. It was great fun and raised more than £200. Likewise, thanks to all those who bought from our Plant Sale, which raised £150.
Remember that if you ever wish to donate even a small sum, be sure to drop by the school office and fill in a Gift Aid form which ensures that the school can also reclaim tax on your donation.
Sue Wood, FOHNS chair woodees@btopenworld.com


BRICK HILL
Last May I was knocked off my bike by a car while I was turning left out of my drive on Brick Hill. I spent most of the summer in a wheelchair and most of the rest of the year on crutches .I am now waiting for my third operation.
This year my sister's arm was also hit by a car's wing mirror on Brick Hill.
Now I do not feel safe coming out of my drive or walking to the shop
Cars and lorries go too fast for the width of the road and there is no pavement. The speed limit is 30 miles an hour but the police agree it is too fast.
PLEASE when you are driving up and down Brick Hill, for all the children, SLOW DOWN before there is another accident like mine.
Chris Elliott (age 11)


CHERWELL DIVISION CAMP 2004 7th – 9th MAY

The guide leaders in the Cherwell Division decided 6 months ago to organise a division camp for the guides, rangers, young leaders and guiders in this area. Last weekend, 125 girls and 15 leaders gathered at Horley Scout Camp for an activity weekend. We had a great time, all be it the weather was not kind to us on Saturday morning but once the girls had got dressed in their waterproof gear and hats, they were fine.
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Click for larger image 		The activities that we organised for them were:- archery, zip wire, assault course, orienteering, backwoods cooking and fun outdoor activities. All the food that the girls ate was prepared for them on a fire and they certainly didn't go hungry!
The Saturday evening ended with a great campfire. Luckily, we were able to strike the tents when they were dry on the Sunday. Overall, the weekend gave the girls a taster of camping outside their normal guide unit camps and we are looking forward to the big county camp next year.
Julie Wood
Are you 13 or older?
Looking for something to do?

*Flying*Gliding*Sports*
*Expeditions*Qualifications*
 		www.136ATC.com

136 (Chipping Norton) Squadron ATC

Come and see us any Tuesday or Thursday
from 7.30 to 9.00 pm
 		Burford Road
Chipping Norton 01608 646599

 



Broadband has arrived in Hook Norton

Have you seen the TV ads for Broadband? You know; the ones that tell you how great it is to have high speed access to the internet so you can download films, TV and radio programmes and enjoy instant e-mailing and all the other benefits.

Hook Norton Community Broadband is doing it now!
The Community Network is aiming to provide a Broadband service that is faster than anything now available from any other source, at a comparable price.
It also provides a local network within the village for file transfer, gaming, whatever you make happen on your network.

How does it work?
As your internet service provider (ISP), Hook Norton Community Broadband leases a direct connection to the Internet and you connect to that via a wireless “Mesh” network. All you need is a small transmitter/receiver connected to your computer and the software to drive the system.
We install them both for you!
The service is currently available in the north of Hook Norton, from Ironstone Hollow to along the Bourne.
Just 20 households connected are needed to make it viable.
For more information and to register your interest without obligation log on to:
www.hook-norton.net
The network will expand to other areas of the village and beyond when there is enough interest.

Investment opportunity too!
The Network has been set up as a co-operative financed by local people for the benefit of the whole community. If you would like to invest in Hook Norton Community Broadband, e-mail Jem Hayward on: jem@briksdal.co.uk

Hook Norton Community Broadband

Bringing a community network & broadband internet access to Hook Norton


WILDLIFE NOTEBOOK - MID MARCH - MID MAY
Paul Pickering saw a Whinchat on the drystone wall between Hook Norton and Great Rollright behind Court Farm on 15th and 16th March. Stella Taylor in Watery Lane saw a Brambling in her garden for the first time on 23rd March and then twice more soon after. Interestingly, Betty White in Scotland Bungalow also saw a Brambling in her garden briefly in the evening of 30th March and again on 1st April. A Buzzard was seen over East End on 23rd March, then seen being chased by two Crows on the 1st April. On the 2nd April, a Buzzard was seen being chased by one Crow over Ironstone Hollow. On 16th April, a Buzzard was seen flying over St. Peter's Church, over East End on the 17th and two displaying on the 22nd.
Roger Cooke at The Cottage, Bell Hill has 7 bird feeders, a coconut, a bird house and sweetcorn for the squirrels in his garden. The squirrel comes regularly but prefers the nuts to the sweetcorn. The birdfeeders are a hive of activity with plenty of Sparrows in the hedge feasting, a fat Robin, a pair of Blue Tits, a number of Greenfinches and a pair of Goldfinches visited for the few days before the 26th March. Roger said it was a job keeping the feeders topped up but worth it! Also on 26th Martin Madge heard a Woodpecker drilling in the trees at the end of Stanleys Old Railway embankment. Marianne Joyce saw many Canada Geese on 29th March.
The first Swallow was seen by Tim Burchell on 2nd April. Other early sightings of Swallows were by Cheryl Woodward on 7th in the middle of the village and on 10th over Austins Way; Doug Marshall saw one at 4.00pm on 7th which sat in exactly the same spot on the wire as in the last 5 years. It has nested in the next door neighbours porch for the last 4 years. We saw our first Swallow on 16th April and Helen Foster saw her first Swallow on 17th April. A Swallow was seen at Park Farm on 22nd and on 29th Robert Murray saw a Swallow over Ironstone Hollow.
The first person to hear the Cuckoo was a very excited Clare Curtis at 6.30am on 16th April at the back of Ironstone Hollow. My husband, Ian heard the Cuckoo at 7.30am on 16th Graham Woodward heard the call the same evening. Gladys Ford heard a Cuckoo twice on 22nd near the Gate Hangs High, once in the morning and once at tea time. At 6.35am on 26th Pam Morris was out running and near The Firs going towards Sibford Gower, heard her first Cuckoo and the very loud call went on for ages. Cate Whitehead heard the Cuckoo in East End on 27th and Alex Dawson on 28th.
On a windy, rainy morning at 6.18am on the 28th the Cuckoo was heard in East End calling for about one and a half hours. Cheryl Woodward saw two Great Spotted Woodpeckers, a Nuthatch and Goldcrests in their garden and Helen Foster saw for the first time a pair of Blackcaps feeding for much of the day on fruit trees in their garden. On the morning of 11th May Ann Faulkner was driving down Ropeway and in the road was a Sparrowhawk which was mantled over a male Blackbird. The Sparrowhawk eventually flew off over a high hedge with its prey. In her garden in Beanacre a Great Spotted Woodpecker has been for a drink in the birdbath on 10th and 11th May.
Please keep contacting me - I really do enjoy hearing from you all.
Geraldine Moore Tel: email: geraldine.moore1@btinternet.com


FAMILY SEARCH - GEORGE FRENCH & HIS GRANDMOTHER ANN FRENCH
We have received a request from Steve Proud in Swansea who is looking for information about his family and writes;
'I am currently tracing our family tree using the internet to gather as much information as possible. My great grandfather, George Nelson French - then aged 14, was resident at Milewash or Milstone Road (the census print isn't very clear) in 1891 with his widowed grandmother, Ann French - aged 71. Would any of your readers be likely to have any information on the French family, which seems to have had many members in the area in the 1800's? I would be very grateful if any information were available.'
Steve Proud, Swansea sjrp@briarwood-26.fsnet.co.uk


ANNOUNCEMENTS


Lia Lani daughter of Paul and Julie Durno (formerly of Hook Norton) was baptised at St Peter's Church on 24th April 2004


Eloise Lauren daughter of Martyn and Lyn Stowe (formerly Shillam) was baptised at St Peter's Church on 25th April 2004


Unwin May Jameson daughter of David and Bronwen of Bladon was baptised at St Peter's Church on 1st May 2004


Phoebe daughter of Darren and Nicola Samways of Milcombe was baptised at St Peter's Church on 10th May 2004




David Edwin Jameson and Bronwen Sara Phillips of Bladon were married at St Peter's Church on 1st May 2004


Gary Hicks and Allison Painter were married at Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada on 7th April 2004



A memorial service for Tom and Paddy Newman was held at St Peter's Church on 20th March 2004



FOOD SAFETY
With the air temperature rising again for another summer food poisoning micro-organisms are present and thriving everywhere. Ensure that food is carefully protected as they may get into the food you are about to eat. Once the food is contaminated with bacteria or viruses, under certain conditions of heat and moisture they will multiply. Either the microbes themselves or poisons they produce can cause the gut to become disturbed.


MARINATED CHICKEN KEBABS
Ingredients

3/4 chicken breasts
100g Natural Bio Yoghurt
1 large clove of garlic
2 cm of fresh ginger.

Serves 4
Grill set at medium.
  1. Finely chop the garlic and ginger and place into a shallow bowl.
  2. Cut the chicken into 2cm cubes and add to the bowl.
  3. Pour over the yoghurt and mix the ingredients really well.
  4. Cover the dish with cling film and place in the fridge (on the lowest shelf) overnight.
  5. Distribute the meat amongst four skewers.
  6. Place the kebabs under a grill (or on a BBQ) for 20 minutes and turn regularly. To test that the meat is cooked cut a piece in half, it should be white in colour all the way through.


Recipe courtesy of;
Apples Cookery School, Tuthill Park, Wardington, Banbury. OX17 1RY.
01295 750720 www.applescookery.co.uk



GREAT WALL OF CHINA TREK DIARY 2nd TO 9th MAY 2004

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Sunday 2nd May: 20 walkers with various backgrounds arrive at Beijing airport in the rain for the transfer to their hotel and first taste of Chinese life. They are all walking to raise funds for disabled students at the National Star College in the UK realise their full potential to live independent lives and will be starting the trek knowing that they have already raised over £30,000 for the college's capital projects fund.
Monday 3rd May: Mutianyu, 10km and an easy climb of 460 metres.
This is our warm up day with a relatively easy 400 metre climb up to the wall. But first, breakfast! Sour bean curd is not to western tastes and the first game of the day is to watch the late arrivals sample this Chinese delicacy! The Mutianyu section of the wall is popular with the day visitors from Beijing, except that they take the chairlift and we climbed the 400 metres to the wall. Once up on the wall, the walking is relatively easy along a restored section. At the end of the day, we are all convinced that they gave us a hard time on the first day and things will get easier. How wrong we were. Accommodation is now in lodges, no more hotel accommodation until we return to Beijing!
Tuesday 4th May: Black Dragon Paw Park, 18km with a 370 metre climb
Did I say yesterday was tough? Forget it, yesterday was a Sunday afternoon stroll. The morning was spent climbing a valley and over a ridge into a beautiful river gorge – suddenly full of Chinese visitors who were amused by the crazy English. Lunch was taken at the end of the gorge in full view of the steep 370 metre climb through dense undergrowth to a watchtower. The view was well worth the climb and soon the aches and pains were forgotten. However, as we looked over the Miyun reservoir below us, the extent of the drought and the demand for water in Beijing was very apparent. As if the views were not reward enough, the path down led to a very friendly karaoke bar for cold beers – and no English spoken, but that didn't seem to matter.

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Wednesday 5th May: Gubeikou, 12km with a 520 metre climb.
Forecast was for 27°C and clear skies. We load up with 3½ litres of water for the morning and set off. This is our first introduction to the “Wall Catchers” or “Body Snatchers” as we affectionately called them. We are now in the remote parts of the wall and these are local farmers who can earn twice as much (100 Yuan or £7) by carrying our day-packs as they can in the fields. We are greeted by them running towards our bus, hoping that we will buy their services. At first they are an irritation, but after a while they become friendly companions. I am doing this trek and don't need their help thank-you. Today we walk an unrestored section of the wall with steep drops either side. At the end of the day, we transfer to the Simatai Lodge and are greeted by a CD of bagpipes playing Amazing Grace! We are setting a fast pace compared to earlier groups and our rooms (!) are not ready so we make do with a cold beer – such hardship! Our reward is even hotter temperatures tomorrow.
Thursday 6th May: Jinshanling, 12km with a 500 metre climb.
Although the actual distances are not large, the walking is far from easy. For the last 3 days of the trek, we are walking on or beside unrestored sections of the wall where the best you can hope for is firm footholds on a near vertical climb or descent. My hope is that the wall stays this way and any preservation efforts concentrate on stabilising the existing structure and not restoring it to “perfect” condition. Our friends the wall catchers return and after 1 hour, I give in and allow one of them to carry my day sack. It did make climbing the hills easier and enjoyable. Just before lunch, we met a guard from an adjacent region who did not want the wall catchers to help us. So our friends simply left the wall and met up with us later on! Again, we are right out in the open away from any kind of civilisation. The remoteness just adds to the stunning scenery. Finally, we reach the suspension bridge at Simatai and the 100 metre descent via zip wire to the reservoir below and our lodge for the night. Tonight we have been promised karaoke in a local bar and we enjoy the wonderful Chinese hospitality.
Friday 7th May: Staircase to Heaven, Simatai, 8km with a 830 metre climb.
This is our last ½ day trek. When we first saw the staircase from a distance on Wednesday, none of us believed we could climb it – 1400 steps, 830 meters with no break. We did it in just over 1 hour! Tremendous 360° views. Further progress is barred as the wall is very narrow with vertical drops off the mountainside. We descend through a remote village where we are invited into a farmer's house. Three simple and spotlessly clean rooms and a satellite dish! At lunch, we rejoin our bus for the journey back into Beijing for a Chinese massage. Very painful, they found every ache and pain we had, but also very relaxing and just what we needed for the next 2 days sightseeing in Beijing.

Lasting Impressions
Final Totals
60 km of Great Wall walked over 4½ days. A net total of 2640 metres climbed (plus the down and back up again sections). But, above all over £30,000 raised for a very good cause with more money coming in.
Thank you to all of you who have sponsored me – you have raised over £4,300 towards the total. If you want to add to the total, money can be paid to me at Garden Cottage, Park Hill (telephone 730 456), cheques payable to The National Star College please.
Keith Disney