Yes. it was wet and ultimate very windy!.
Seaford station ticket kiosk was closed. So usual old git struggles to work out R/T
to Cooksbridge. Train delayed by 6 mins. Thinking about a kraken in Steamworks
when El Almirante appeared looking decidedly wet and bedraggled,
quickly followed
by the Bish,
with tales of woe about passport and the entire contents of his fridge theft
from outta Hilary's bag in Lisbon. Their trip to Cabo Verde was consequently cut short.
Delayed train at Newhaven took on board Steve and we 4 met Harry on platform 2
as arranged. Stepping out at Cooksbridge into light but insistent rain.
Timed the
walk along the noisy road to 12 minutes to the Rainbow. [That is 5 miles per hour!]. Somehow I don't think
that this is anywhere near a mile (though it felt like it in days of yore).
So, table for 5 in the backroom together with another group of 13 at another table. Noisy
enough to out-shout usual Nerds volumes but not enough to be in the face as was the
last lot next to us in the Rights of Man for Charlie's 77th birthday ramble. All plumped for the carvery.
No wine, only Harveys and Long Man. And no dessert. Quick walk back and thence to Lewes.
Parted from Harry, who had grandad driving duties
as none of his family cared about the
fact that he was on a ramble, and as such the sacred "allowed all one could drink and excused
of all duties" adage went truly out the window! Not that Harry or any of us seemed to care anymore.
Missed Charlie and Paco and Matt. And had they came, we would have had the maximum attendance
of modern day Nerds, at 8. The cords have a similar maximum number, so we must count our blessings
for such modest maximum turnouts and not worry too much when the average attendance dips to 3/4.
Sadly Brian, I never once thought to take any pics. It wasn't the kind of ramble to encourage it. Sorry!
Froggy
