Post by Dave on Sept 13, 2010 18:00:47 GMT
So Sorry Carol, Aller Brook Walk
Well I got Carol and I into a real sticky situation this afternoon and Carol was not best pleased I can tell you , Me I never laughed so much for ages, on the way home I said to her, “you love coming for walks with me don’t you” she simply replied “ I used too”
I find it strange that I was born in Newton abbot and grew up there, yet had never walked where Carol and I did today, I think it was just the fact I was a Buckland boy and if we ever wanted to play by the river, we would go to Coombe Cellars.
Last Wednesday I parked by Jewsons on the Brunel industrial estate and noticed a path and a sign nearby said it went to the Aller Brook local nature reserve. Most of you will know the bridge over the river Teign you go over just before you get to Penn Inn on the A380, well I thought the walk would end up and finish near the marshes on the Kingsteignton side of the bridge, WRONG, we ended up not far from Coombe Cellars itself.
It is a lovely river walk and I loved going under the bridge and at that point things were going just fine and Carol was really enjoying the walk and was picking up sea shells as the river is tidal and flows up to Newton Abbot when the tide is coming in at Teignmouth and then the other way back toward Teignmouth when the tide is going out, that’s one of the reasons that Newton Abbot was badly flooded on the 27th December 1979.
We then came to a part on the bank that was very wide and in the middle was a large wet bit with birds feeding in the mud, I just wanted to get close and get some pictures and the mud on the left hand side and closest to the river looked solid enough.
Carol decided to go to the right and stick close to the bushes and trees etc and we were then a bout 75 feet apart from eachother. I never saw any sign honest; there was one at the other end I later discovered.
It was a case of not really knowing if to try and go back, or carry on, well I carried on and my feet were sinking deeper and deeper in the mud. I tired to run so I would not sink so much, only my left foot went too deep in the mud and it sucked me trainer off and as I was taking big steps I ended up five feet away from it.
I shouted help to Carol and to try and come around the other way and bring a big stick with her. When she got to me she thought being lighter she would try and get my trainer back, she got there and started sinking herself and as hard as she was pulling the trainer would not come out.
I was killing myself with laughter but Carol being the lady she is, did no appreciate her boots being covered in this dirty stinking mud and was even more unimpressed when she discovered the mud had pulled the soul off one of her boots.
It’s a good job she had some shoes in the car to change into when the walk was over and I have just said to her again” you love going for walks with me don’t you” she replied, “ I’ll let you know after the next one”
