Walking The South Downs Way

My daughter was the catalyst for my passion for walking after I retired and moved to West Sussex from Somerset to be near her and my two sons. After the normal settling in process I was feeling restless and bored, wondering what to do with my new freedom, and with a niggling guilt that “I should be doing something”. She showed me an article in a magazine about a local ramblers group, saying “You would love this, Mum!”

- Susan Buchanan

My first reaction was, “No way, I don’t want to go out with a group of strangers!” However, after reading and re-reading the article, I decided to visit the ramblers’ website and look further into it.

I wasn’t used to doing activities by myself, or with people I didn’t know, so it was with a fair amount of trepidation that I joined the first walk. Although the ramblers offer three “trial” walks before you decide whether or not to join, I paid up before my first walk as a sort of fait accompli.

I didn’t know the area so I had to study the map and memorise the starting point. Seeing a group of people in the lay-by I thought about driving straight past, but I told myself not to be so stupid and parked my car.

At first I thought they all looked much older than me, but I soon realised that most of them were my age! I was warmly welcomed and immediately felt much better and quite excited. My next concern was whether I would be able to walk the eight miles, but it was no struggle at all. The walkers were all very friendly and chatty and, as with any group of walkers, I seemed to talk to quite a few of them as people go at different speeds or pause to take photographs or retie their shoelaces.

Over the next few months I went on every walk I could and built up quite a reputation as an avid walker. It was such a joy to walk in the Sussex countryside, up on the Downs and along the coast, getting to know the gorgeous villages and various footpaths. I soon appreciated all the advantages of the ramblers group: conversation, friendship, getting to know the area, enjoying the open spaces, woodlands, nature and wildlife. At the same time I was clocking up the miles, keeping fit and feeling great.