Once again we were blessed with nice weather which makes walking so enjoyable. Seventeen of us met at the start, Dell Quay in West Sussex, at 1.pm. It was nice to see six of the younger generation with us and enjoying themselves.
Setting off along the coast, past fields of sweetcorn, cabbages and lettuces on our left with the sea on the right, then through woods, it took us about twenty five minutes to reach Chichester Yacht Marina, where we stopped for our lunch break before tackling the Canal leg of the walk which runs from Chichester Basin down to the Marina.
Feeling refreshed we set off in line ahead through the marina, passing "I would guess" over £100,000,000 worth of yachts to reach the canal. The first stretch was very overgrown with rushes and reeds which is excellent for wild life, warblers, water rats, etc, well worth a visit in the spring when the warblers are in full song. On reaching the dredged part of the canal there were many water fowl to be seen, moorhens, coots, ducks etc, some with chicks, quite large at that time of year. On reaching the position where the Selsey Tram used to cross the Canal "bridge long gone" the field on the far side was full of rabbits who seemed to have no fear of the large group of people passing them by.
Leaving the waterway we had about half a mile to go to the Sussex Tram public house where all had a welcome drink, the children who had seemed to be running out of steam found a new lease of life in the children's playground. Feeling refreshed we set off on the next phase, which was across the fields to Appledram Church then down to the coast and back to Dell Quay.
May I say well done to the children as they had covered seven miles and were well behaved. I hope they enjoyed the countryside and exercise and will join us again. As long as my back holds out I hope to lead a walk through Winchester Water Meadows, while it is dry underfoot, not a mudbath as earlier in the year.
Christine Culley
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