INSIDE THE WORLD OF MEETUP

  Halfway between Nottingham and Newark it was a bit of a trek but well worth it in the end. I initially thought we would be doing the ponds and canals but went in the opposite direction. We stopped off for a drink at the Cross Keys in Epperstone before heading back to the starting point.

  Under normal circumstances I wouldn't have travelled for a walk of just 4 miles. But it was a new group and I had nothing else going down that day. A cancelled but meant I had to walk from east midlands airport to Melbourne hall before we even started. Only 4 people turned up, but it was a scenic walk out past the ponds towards Breedon Hill. We thankfully took the less steep, shadier route to the top of the hill. It turned out that one of the organisers recently had heart surgery which was why the walk was only 4 miles. On the way back we stopped at the Bulls Head pub in Wilson, before heading back to the start. Thankfully the bus turned up. 

I'd not set foot in Abbey park during daylight hours for at least 30 years. So it was more than long overdue... We headed north out of the park doing a loop around Wolsey island before heading south along the canal. Leicester seems to be a strange contrast between the brand new apartment blocks and old abandoned factories with broken windows and pigeons flying out. We went past Frog island following the canal down towards Leicester castle. We stopped for a short break and headed back to Abbey park. 

  It was a simple one big lap of the park which I nearly missed thanks to mistiming the walk from the bus stop to the top edge of the park. It was a warm sunny day with a good turnout. For some reason we didn't see any deer but it was a good walk all the same. Stopped for coffee at the end and got invited to a birthday party later in the year. Bonus got a lift back to the airport.

  If you didn't care about the King's Coronation then walking with meetup was the best way to escape. About a dozen of us met at the park entrance and did the standard clockwise route around the park. It was strange being empty with the slight rain and thick fog. We walked to old John and walked back to the entrance. On the way back one of the girls slipped into a puddle. We stopped off at The Bradgate for a meal, I opted for just a drink.