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Guildford -> Godalming
I’ve done much of this walk a couple of times but today I extended it. It’s a really nice 5-mile stroll along the River Wey, ending up at the very pleasant town of Godalming. There’s a very good second-hand, charity bookshop (A Novel Idea) where I found three fiction and a non-fiction, all for £8!
No comments on Guildford -> Godalming -
It was my birthday
Well it wasn’t quite like the picture at the top but we did have a very nice time at a Lebanese restaurant in Teddington, followed by a manic game of The Traitors in which I played a dirty trick on my daughter at the finale.
An East-of-Greece lunch with the family -
Virginia Water
A day out with the family at Virginia Water near Windsor – but there are no pictures of the family or the water! There was an interesting shop (post office) at The Village (see the 4-mile marker on the map). The garden and toilets were closed to the public because too many people were using the toilets without patronising the shop!
I think it was nearer 8 miles! -
Epsom High Street
Epsom is beginning to look a bit like Sutton….
But there is this gem of a store…
and there is this rather impressive ceiling in the shopping precinct.
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Battersea Park, London
It was a warm, sunny day for a stroll around Battersea Park. It’s been quite a while since we last took a trip up to London.
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Knole Park, Kent
Our second visit (3rd?) to this large, open National Trust park and house. The trees looked dead but I’m sure they couldn’t have been. There are lots of deer. We did the longest of the suggested walks at about 4 miles – we wouldn’t recommend it because it tracked the path of a noisy road for a fair distance. But we did have a lovely day. There’s a bookshop, but not a second-hand bookshop (boo!). It took an hour driving there via a scenic route and 50 minutes returning via the M25/M23. It’s well worth a visit.
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North Downs walk
Starting at Westhumble Station this walk took me to the top of the North Downs before dropping down into Dorking. It’s a walk I’ve done a few times. Distinguished this time by the impressive church bell ringing (see videos below) at the St Barnabas Church on Ranmore Common, where I was cajoled into partaking in a coffee and cake from one of the church volunteers. When I re-joined my walk it dawned on me that the coffee and cake were probably intended for the bell ringers. Never mind, I made a donation to the church!
The garish images at the bottom were taken on the Dorking Station platform.
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How I choose books
- I buy new books, second-hand books and I borrow books from local libraries.
- I mainly read fiction. ChatGPT says I’m attracted to themes of “marriages under strain, grief, ageing, regret, moral compromise, quiet lives examined closely”, and that I gravitate toward “writers who are: subtle rather than showy, interested in character over plot, compassionate without being sentimental”.
- I do read non-fiction if the subject attracts my attention. ChatGPT says my non-fiction choices are around “democracy, media, technology, and truth, with an interest in how narratives are shaped and distorted”.
- I will buy/borrow books on recommendation, though I have a very limited exposure to book reviews.
- I ignore thick books and small books (anything smaller than the typical paperback size). I ignore hardbacks as they won’t fit in my coat pocket.
- I completely ignore science fiction, romance, spy and horror genres.
- The title on the spine has to grab my attention and I am favourable to authors whose books I have read and liked.
- I might avoid books with no recommendations on the back or inside, also books with lots of raves from individuals rather than organisations such as newspapers. I also avoid books with recommendations from people who always seem to be recommending books (eg Marian Keys).
- I avoid books if the blurb contains certain words (poetic, historical, magical, humorous) or phrases (coming of age) or subject matter (coping with illness, dealing with death. I sometimes makes exceptions with the latter).
- I sometimes ignore books on a shelf that are wedged in so tight that it’s very difficult to pull the book out and is likely going to be just as difficult to put back on the shelf should I decide not to keep it. My local libraries are frequently guilty of this but so also are some bookshops.
- I have a list of popular authors, too many to list, who I totally ignore. I’ve read one Richard Osman novel and won’t read another.
- Despite reading a lot of crime, there are so many crime novelists that I ignore most of them.
- I regularly look up my blog using my phone to see whether a book I’m considering is one I’ve read before. Reason? I have a shocking memory and I’ve read lots of books.
- Finally, the blurb on the back has to win me over.
Thank you for reading!
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I’ve done this walk before
Westhumble to Leatherhead. Five miles at a leisurely 2.6mph on a fabulous sunny morning
Bridge at Leatherhead 
What a great tree structure -
Painshill Park,
On a lovely sunny day a repeat visit to Painshill Park near Cobham, Surrey. (Entrance £15 / person with discounts available if booked online prior to the day of visit)
things change 