The morning was very busy. I think there must’ve been a mother and toddler group going on close by. I still had enough room to get out, though. The walk around the village alerted me to the fact that the direct route out would be problematic. The road is narrow, with high walls and a dogleg bend on quite a hill. I chose the wider road that bypassed the village centre. Within a few minutes, we were on the road to Ardingly.
A series of lanes around Ardingly College leads one to a huge car park; certainly the largest I’ve used. I chose a spot that suited. I then realised that I had no mobile signal whatsoever; not internet, not telephone. I walked around the car park. Nothing. Not a bean. I tried up on the bank. Bingo. Albeit poor, but enough to deal with securing the motor insurance that was due.
I couldn’t do any internet work (i.e. blog), but could go for a walk. So, off I went. The information board showed that it is not possible to walk the entire circumference of the reservoir, but there is something called the Kingfisher trail which follows the bank along the eastern side.
Seeding Dandelions
The walk was pleasant and primarily mud free. I was also impressed by the number of litter bins along the route, which, surprisingly, kept the litter down.
The path wanders close to the bank for the most part,
affording great views across the reservoir.
Germander Speedwell
Basket Willow
Hemlock Water Dropwort
(aka Dead Man’s Fingers)
Common Horsetail
Wood Speedwell
Eventually, I reached the opposite end via a footpath alongside a road.
Black Poplar
Just then, the sky darkened. I decided that I needed to get back. It started to rain, then eased off as the cloud seemed to push to the western side of the reservoir. About halfway home, there was a sudden deluge. Within a minute or two I was soaked through to the skin. Torrents of water raced along the footpaths as I waded my way home. At home, I stripped off and dried myself. I replaced my clothing and had to rinse the water from all my drenched clothes and dry them before I could put them into my laundry bag. I removed my mobile from the protective case and dried both. At least the mobile was okay. Or at least, I thought it was. It wasn’t until later when I was going to write the draft of a blog post that I discovered that it wasn’t okay! Of course, what I should have done, is dump it into a jar of rice the minute I could, just in case. I might’ve been able to save it. Mind you, I didn’t think that those mobile devices would drown so easily in rain, even torrential rain. I know now!
Later that evening, a car pulled up and a security man knocked. He told me that he was here to inform me that there is no overnight parking allowed. I explained what I always do in these circumstances, that I am quiet, tidy, respectful, etc. and that I would be gone in the morning. Of course, I had to get to a town in the morning to find a repair shop, anyway. Goresh, the security man, agreed that he could see no harm in my staying put for the night. He had done his job in informing me of the rules. There is nothing more he can do. He took some photos and informed his office of the situation, stating that I had pledged to leave in the morning. We had a little bit of a chat and a bifter. He’s a nice, amenable fellow.