It was a wonderful drive to Upper Dean through Little Staughton to Pertenhall and then to our meeting place outside the church in the village.

On the way, at the side of the country roads,  several kestrels were sitting atop trees and at a bend near a bridge sat a buzzard.  I stopped the car to photograph the bird of prey but it stretched its wings and flew away before I could “snap it”.  Once we were all assembled we set off on the walk  and after an hour or so we had a “snack” stop in the ancient village of Swineshead.

Then we passed alongside the bluebell woods at Swineshead (we all agreed to walk that way again at Bluebell time in late spring) and then we carried on up the wide bridleway.

The walk took us across the fields and down a footpath back into Upper Dean.  A good start to the New Year with a thoroughly good group of friendly walkers.