I packed my tent up on a sunny morning and set off on the walk to Bridgewater. I had a goodly supply of snacks with me as there were no cafes on route as it was a walk alongside the river Parrett.
I had to by pass the wildfowl reserve near Steart point in order not to disturb the flocks of birds wintering there.
I walked through the only village on my walk, Combwich, it was small quiet and devoid of pubs or cafes.
I was leaving it when I met a lady who after chatting about my walking asked if I was going for coffee in the village hall.
Combwich has a “coffee club” who meet every Friday morning she informed me. I didn’t need asking twice and she led me to the village hall and introduced me to assorted villagers and helpers and treated me to coffee and tea cakes.
The village hall at Combwich is a new and very plush. At noon the helpers started tidying the tables and chairs away and I prepared to leave.
Embarrassingly I notice a couple of ladies vigorously sweeping the floor ominously close to where I had been sitting. Even wiping my feet on the doormat I had managed to bring in a goodly amount of Somerset soil . People were now checking the shoes to check if it was them. Bearing in mind they had a walker in full gear with walking boots amongst them , I’d have thought I’d be the prime suspect but no.
The walk to Bridgewater passed uneventfully as I passed across farmland along the river bank.
The only thing of note was a totally incomprehensible sign from the Environment Agency about a diversion. I ignored it and carried on following the river. This got me to Bridgewater and another day off.