On a cold, crisp December morning 37 members and friends of Pang Valley Ramblers set off for a day visit to Winchester, to visit the Christmas Markets and for a city walk.
The super luxury coach picked up 11 from Sonning Common and 26 from Pangbourne; everyone arrived on time and the coach was able to leave ahead of schedule! We arrived in Winchester just after 10.00am when the market was quiet with none of the crowds found there later. We wandered around the market sampling the free food: roasted chestnuts from Italy, chocolate wine from Yorkshire, Christmas pudding from Devon, pulled pork …etc.: this was a late breakfast for some of us. Many of us also went to The City Mill where they were milling flour and baking bread and small biscuits and cakes. More delicious sampling! The otter cam at the mill showed recordings of the daily visits of the otter family living beneath the mill; fascinating to watch. Just before 1.00 pm most of the group, 32 of us, met up to walk along the River Itchen to the Hospital of St Cross, a charity founded in 1132 where two Brothers of the Order had laid on a ploughman’s lunch just for PVR in the medieval “Hundred Men’s Hall”. We learnt about the Order, which is Britain’s oldest charitable institution, and had a delicious lunch. We continued our 3.5 mile walk and arrived back into Winchester just as it was getting dark and the Christmas lights were on; a band was playing carols and the whole scene looked magical. We left at 5.00pm and had a warm and comfortable journey back home in the flagship coach of their fleet!
The whole day went well and was very enjoyable. Everyone in the group met up in the right place at the right time; this group was so excellent that we are considering where we could go with them next year! Any suggestions? Wishing you all a Merry Christmas,
Susan & Peter