New Year's Day Walk, 2013

After a late (or to some - I suppose - quite early) return from a New Year party attended by quite a lot of EFOG members, the prospect of getting up for a 10am walk from Loughton Station was a bit daunting.

The bedside clock showed 7.30am when I looked, and I didn't need to leave until 8.55, but to ensure I didn't fall asleep again I got up and realised that if I were quick I could catch the first sunrise of the new year - albeit before I had my porridge. So it was up and out to a lovely day and a beautiful sunrise. It wasn't the glorious red colours of the following day, but instead a long, slow appearing of light in the south-east and the Sun proudly appearing across the lake and over the trees and houses bordering Wanstead Flats.

Sunrise over Wanstead Flats on New Year's DayOn such a beautiful day, and with such a wonderful sight, it's no surprise that I suddenly realised that if I weren't quick I'd have no breakfast or would miss the train.

I was joined on the train at Snaresbrook by one of our newer members, Marian, and by Jenefer - who had not been with us before. We three arrived at Loughton before the seventeen others who went on the walk, which was led by Peter.

We traversed the town, crossing the High Street and then uphill into the Forest to reach one of the main rides where we turned east and then more north to eventually reach the tea hut at High Beach. Keeping to the main rides was a sensible idea after so much recent rain, and plenty of others were doing the same thing. Surprisingly, hardly any horse-riders, though. The quality of the light was lovely, highlighting the grey trunks of the beeches and the whiter colours of the birches. Fallen leaves which could so easily have looked just messy were coppery.

The group pause in Epping ForestAfter a short stop for a snack at High Beach some of the group left us and the rest continued downhill to the biker's hut near the Robin Hood, for lunch. We then walked along the old road towards Whitehouse Plain, and it was just as we reached the plain that it was realised that Katie the greyhound wasn't with us. It seems everyone had assumed she was with someone else, whereas in reality she seems to have got confused as to who was who and taken up with some of the snackers at the tea hut! Sausages may have had something to do with it. Peter retrieved her and we continued, crossing the Epping New Road and making our way back towards Loughton Station. We we were having one of our-ten-green-bottle occasions, where gradually people were going off in different directions until eventually only five of us reached the vicinity of the station together. I mentioned to the extremely large rambling group that were just setting off that we'd started off like them, but had reduced.

Sunset over Wanstead FlatsBy Loughton, I'd received a call from friends saying they were just leaving Newbury Park station for Wanstead Park, and would I like to join them. I would, and the timing was perfect as I got off at Snaresbrook as they got off at Wanstead. We walked around the Ornamental lake in Wanstead Park - the paths of which were muddier than we'd encountered in the Forest, and for the first time in a very long time I noted that the Ornamental Waters was overflowing into the Roding. As we walked across Wanstead Flats towards the 'Golden Fleece' the sun was just setting, so I'd seen both ends of the day. The EFOG walk had been about 5.5 miles; the walk I did in Wanstead with Jenny and Garry was 3 miles. My feet were aching by the time we had a meal in the 'Fleece.

Sunrises, sunsets, trees, company and aching feet -  what a good start to the year!

Paul Ferris, 3 January 2013