Roxton on Friday with the U3A and Roxton today with the Rothsay Ramblers. Another sunny autumn day with a stop at the thatched Congregational church, where the caretaker offered to open the building so that we could take a look inside.

The church was licensed in 1808 and set up in a barn by the Metcalfe family who owned the house and park on which the church is sited.

Prior to the founding of the church, the Metcalfe farm workers had to walk to St Neots if they wished to join in non conformist worship. Today the house and land are owned and farmed by the Bath family and the church is independent of the landowners

We carried on walking towards the weir where we came upon a quartet of environment officers who were checking the water level and wondering if it was safe to get into the river to clear the weir of silt and debris. We left them wondering.

From the weir back to the start of the walk, I chatted with a lovely woman who had also lived in North London before she moved to Bedford. An avid Tottenham fan, we talked football, mourned the loss of old style clubs and players and somehow or another got onto the issue of begging and homelessness in Bedford. She told me about the Street Angels who go out onto the streets of the town on Saturday night to help those who are drunk or have taken mind altering substances and need some sympathy and guidance. In their kit bags they carry bottles of water and pairs of flip flops? The flip flops are to give to the young women who may have fallen over, inebriated, and broken the heels of their shoes. The flip flops save their feet from pavements strewn with broken glass! You live and learn. Bless the angels.

I was so busy talking to new people that I didn’t take notice of the route and would be unlikely to be able to lead a walk in Roxton in spite of being a regular rambler there!