The visit caused a great deal
of chatter at dinner that night and that led to some overindulgence, so the
next morning they were slow to surface and were sluggish and lethargic.
So after some reviving coffee
they set off for a walk, with the exception of Harry, who was spending as much
of the day as possible with the Vicar.
Their first port of call was
Beacon Farm where they picked up the rest of the walking dead and Hayley Stock
who was the only clear-headed member of the party as she didn’t drink.
Also visiting the island that
weekend was twenty-eight-year-old Peter White, who was staying on Long Lake
Farm with his family for the weekend, he was also from Sharpington, but he
arrived on the last ferry of the day on Friday.
He loved his family, and he
loved the island, but he knew from an early age that farming wasn’t for him,
and after a week at university he knew there was more to life than Beaumont
island, so after getting his degree in hospitality he got a job at the Seaview
Hotel where he was now the assistant manager.
On Sunday morning his brother
Jamie got a call from his girlfriend Hayley so he was walking over to meet up
with her so Peter said he would tag along with him as far as the river.
Roughly about two hours
before the party set off from Beacon Farm Kenny Woodward was leaving his
sister’s house in Manor Row with a packed lunch in his backpack and a crudely
drawn map courtesy of his sister Deborah.
They were supposed to be
walking together but she had been unexpectedly called in to the hospital at
stupid o’clock.
Before leaving the farm
George held a straw poll, to see where everyone wanted to go, and it appeared
no one had a particular preference, but no one fancied climbing anything.
So they settled on following
the river up towards the lake.
Katie Harrison had made
sandwiches for everyone and made sure everyone had plenty of water and then
they set off, leaving Katie’s sister Louise and her husband Neil and their
twins to hold the fort.
You could
not describe what they were doing as a yomp, it was more of a slow amble for
the nine of them, as the newbies to the island appreciated the woods and some
of the hidden treasures on view.
Hayley was
the only one who wanted to press on at pace, but that was because she was eager
to see Jamie, who she was meeting where the Beacon and
Spanish rivers meet.
When they eventually arrived, Hayley could see Jamie
and his brother on the far side of the river, but before she got there, there
were streams and rivulets to negotiate.
Jamie and Peter moved further upstream and crossed at
the widest point, using the boulders as steppingstones, while Hayley jumped
another stream and one by one the others jumped across the stream behind her.
George, the gentle giant leapt it with ease, then
Katie, Nikki, Sam, Molly, and
by the time Danny cleared the obstacle, Peter and Jamie White had reached the
party along with the Kenny Woodward, who had emerged from the woods and who the
Archer’s recognized as the guy who asked for directions on the ferry.
Then
Clarissa made her jump and got it wrong and ended up losing her footing on
landing and fell on her backside with one foot in the brook and got a bootie.
Pandora
laughed so much that when she jumped, she ended up in the water and got two
booties and all of them laughed.
“Come on
let’s get you out of there” Peter said reaching his hand out to Clarissa.
She took
it gladly as she looked up at the gorgeous raven-haired young man and he pulled
her effortlessly up to his level and she thought he was even more striking up
close.
“Thank you”
“Ok, your
turn” Kenny said and pulled Pandora up onto the bank.
“Thanks,
that was worth getting my feet wet for.”
she said
and giggled.
She and
Clarissa were still giggling as they sat on a rock and tipped the water from
their shoes.
“Well, I
think this is as good a place as any to have lunch” Katie said, and everyone
agreed.
After
lunch Hayley and Jamie went off on their own, and five minutes later Sam and
Nikki did the same, and the remaining 8 followed the path into Riverside Woods,
Danny and Molly were at the back holding hands and they watched the others as
they formed into pairs, the lithe Clarissa and her raven haired adonis and
curvaceous Pandora and her bearded rescuer, with gentle giant George and Katie
up front.
“There’s
definitely something about this island” Molly said and squeezed Danny’s hand. “Something
magical”
“You had
already worked your magic on me before we even got to the island” Danny pointed
out and she kissed him.
They
emerged from the wood by the bridge and Kenny said.
“This is
where I need to say goodbye.”
“So soon?”
Pandora said rather too fervently.
“I’m
afraid so” he replied, “My sister will be back from the hospital shortly.”
“We’re
only five minutes from the farm” Katie said, “Come back for a hot drink.”
“Yes,
please do” Pandora implored.
“I’ll run
you back up the road after” George said.
“Then you
I would love to” he replied.
About the same time Deborah
arrived home from the hospital and Stuart was working in his front garden and
he was pleased to see her and said “Hello”
“Hello Stuart” she replied, “Where
did you walk today?”
“I haven’t been,” he replied “it’s
more fun with company”
“Well if you’re up for it I’m
happy to do a walk” she offered “it’ll have to be a little one as I’ve had a
bit of a day”
“Well if you’re sure you
wouldn’t rather have a good soak in the bath” he said “I’ll just change my
shoes”
“Don’t worry I will have that
soak, but later will do” she said “Just give me five minutes and I’ll be with
you”
Five minutes later they did a
short walk down to Manor Cliff beach and
spent a pleasant hour walking along the wet sands before returning to the Cliff
Top and as they entered Manor Row at the Cliffs end, Kenny entered it from the
other.
“Hi Debs” he said
“Kenny! Meet Stuart”
“Stuart this is my kid
brother Kenny”
“Nice to meet you” Kenny said
shaking his hand
“Likewise” he replied and
then added “Well I’ll say goodbye, thanks for your company”
“Bye Stuart” she chirped
before addressing her brother
“How did you get on?”
“Great”
“And you didn’t get lost?”
she asked as she opened the front door
“No, far from it” he replied
“Tell me more” she said and closed the door
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