Viva Lewes Issue #134 November 2017

COLUMN
Walkies
#9 Jolly Sportsman circular
Autumn, as my friend Miguel remarked the other
day, has taken off his coat and made himself at
home. Or perhaps he’s just lent it to Todd whose
magnificent fleece comes into its own at this time
of year after summer’s cooling short, back and sides.
Today we are off on a favourite jaunt, the Jolly
Sportsman circular. It has all the elements: woods,
fields, avenues of oak, ash and chestnut straddling
quiet country lanes. Not to mention one of the best
gourmet alehouses in Sussex to down a pint of cider
or six at journey’s end.
Before we head out, I happen to read an article
about how useless business meetings are for
brainstorming new ideas. The word among the hip,
young things is that going for a walk is much more
productive. The mind is released from its officebound
shackles and creative sparks fly.
This all assumes the boss buys into this counterintuitive
proposition. Happily mine thinks it’s a
great idea and suggests I throw in a boozy lunch as
well. He’s such a cool guy, always open to new ideas.
Probably something to do with the fact he only has
one employee. Himself.
I’m trying to come up with an idea for another kids’
book. I wrote one ten years ago and it still pays a
few bills, but the returns are diminishing. Almost
immediately, Todd’s ears seem to be doing the trick.
They flap, bounce, rebound, swing. How about a
flying dog? One that flies with its ears and gazes
longingly at you through frozen window panes on
Christmas Eve?
But then I get the feeling it’s kinda been done before.
By Raymond Briggs, Enid Blyton, Dr. Seuss,
Uncle Tom Cobley and every kids’ author that
ever laid pen to paper. And now the boss seems to
be getting twitchy and wants me back behind my
desk pronto.
Instead I try a bit of mindfulness. That’s better!
The scents are incredible. The leaves are
kaleidoscopes of colour. Todd is bounding around
in doggy heaven and I’ve just laid hands on the
perfect shiny conker.
Our walk takes us past the lovely old 13th Century
church at East Chiltington and on the return leg
we gaze south towards the Downs and the V-
shaped Middleton Plantation on Streat Hill planted
in 1887 to celebrate Victoria's Silver Jubilee.
Simon de Montfort’s rag-tag army also passed
this way en route to the Battle of Lewes in 1264.
Perhaps a historical yarn with a flying dog leading
Simon de Montfort’s troops into battle might do it?
And to think we haven’t even reached the pub yet...
Richard Madden
Map: OS Explorer: 122. Distance: 3.5 miles. Terrain:
Bumpy lanes and footpaths across fields. Directions:
At East Chiltington church follow footpath past
Stanton Farm before crossing Plumpton Lane and
on to Plumpton Wood. Loop back past Plumpton
Racecourse to the pub. Start/End: Jolly Sportsman
Pub, East Chiltington.
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