RAMBLES

AFTER THE DANCE - A WALK IN THE WILD
By Brian Howe

From the Jigs and Reels, Rants and Hops many of the folk dancers and friends have, from time to time, shed their dancing shoes donned their heavier foot wear and humming "These boots were made for walking", have sallied forth to savour the sights, sounds, smells, beauty and history that dwells on our own backdoor step.

Our walks, all within eight miles of the Temple of Dance, have covered the wide variation of landscapes best known to those creatures, the true Essex Girls and Men.

Where have we been, what have we seen?

From Maldon, home port of the traditional Thames sailing barges and the site of the reclamation of sea salt, we have walked via Beeleigh Abbey to where the fresh water confluence of those mighty rivers the Chelmer, Can

and Blackwater cascade into the tidal salt waters of the sea. On this walk too we later witnessed the high spring tide flood the sea over the constraining walls along the promenade to turn the lower areas behind into enlarged boating ponds.

On a warm summer evening our legs moved us to the heights of Essex, by Danbury church, from where our eyes viewed the vistas of the lowlands of the county which encompassed the reservoir at Hanningfield, reminding many of us of our old friend Trevor in whose memory a day of dance was held at a near by pub and that modern architectural structure The Queen Elizabeth bridge which draws the eye as well as the traffic to that land on the other side of the Thames from whence we obtained those Kentish Hop dances.

Another jaunt took us again through the wooded areas of Danbury at bluebell time where the heady scent of those harbingers of summer excited the senses of the ramblers and brought back memories to some of spring walks in the woods in their earlier years.

One cold bright Boxing day morning a number of seasonal / seasoned dance walkers stepped out to cross the Wid valley from Stock to Ingatestone where those meagre diets of the previous day were supplemented by a delightful lunch before the intrepid travellers took another route back across the valley, this time passing the ancient wood shingled church of Margaretting which contains a carved symbol of a Green Man, the link between paganism and Christianity.

Although all walks are memorable some are not recalled for their comfort. A summer evening walk from Mill Green was a fine example of this when Thor decided to play his version of the Eighteen Twelve Overture and accompanied it with laser lights and cascades of the Niagara Falls. The dancers all fell back a double and dived into the nearest hedge to emerge 15 minutes later looking like sodden members of the SAS on patrol.

Not perturbed by the climate, those well rehearsed in nimble footwork ventured out on another delightful summer evening from Littley Green near the beer brewing hamlet of Hartford End. This walk took us past the historic Leez priory, now frequently used for wedding ceremonies and their following bun fights, then on past the expanse of water known as Leez Lakes, the haunt of those fishing folk who cast their files in the hope of tempting a prize beauty. This walk ended at the site of the Compasses where the energetic members of our longways set went into combat with HUFFAS- these of course were dispatched with speed.

Well that's just a taste of our rambles, so we will as the song says "Walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart and you'll never walk alone". ------- That is unless its raining.