Rebirth

If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it. So wrote the St Paul to his Corinthian friends a couple of thousand years ago. Over the past year or so I've definitely learned the truth of it.

Don't misunderstand me; I continue to be in reasonably good health, but back in March 2023 my beloved S- was found to be in need of a replacement hip joint. Over the following months our physical activity gradually waned, until all that could be attempted were gentle and not too hilly walks of about 4 miles, with coffee breaks half way round.

I could have gone for longer walks by myself, and in retrospect perhaps I should have, but was happy to accompany the one I love on modest rambles in the forest, where we live. Consequently, and almost imperceptibly, my own fitness declined and my weight inched upwards.

S- finally had surgery on the 25th of January, then embarked on the long road to recovery, walking as far as the 1st lamp post on day one... the second on day two... resuming a little work after eight weeks... longer walks after ten weeks.  Now we're back to six mile rambles (with no coffee breaks) and every prospect of hitting the Offa's Dyke trail again next year.

A couple of days ago Facebook reminded me of this post, written in May 2017 after a glorious Waterfall Walk from Pontneddfechan, written only a few months after hitting my Slimming World target of 11st:6lb. It would be good to look that slim - and that fit - again, so I've put myself back on the Slimming World plan, with the determination to lop a stone off my weight and get back to where I should be.  This time I think I can manage it without enrolling with Slimming World; I have S-, who has even more determination than I, to keep me on the straight and narrow.

Last Monday we drove to North Nibley, near Dursley, for a 6 mile walk that included a stiff climb onto the 'edge' beneath which lies Wotton-under-Edge. Here are a few photos.

Our walk book told us to look our for these Strip Lynchets, which are the remains of ancient hillside field systems. I'm grateful for the note, for otherwise I would have dismissed them as signs of natural erosion, or slippage of the topsoil. They're marked on the OS map.

This stand of trees on Wotton Hill was originally planted to celebrate victory at the Battle of Waterloo, then replanted in 1897 and 1952.

From Wotton Hill we joined the Cotswold Way to the Tindale Monument, which has featured in this blog before.  Follow this link if you're interested - https://aboutangiekay.blogspot.com/2019/02/across-water-tyndale-monument.html. From there it was a short, steep descent back to North Nibley.