By: Blonde Two
My middle sister is lovely and last night she was sleeping in the summer house so that Mr Blonde Two and I could have her bedroom. To spoil her sleep pattern even more, I woke her up at five in the morning to go for a sunrise walk (told you she was lovely). We are in Malvern (pronounced Maul-Vern not Melvin) and Mum’s house looks up at the hills. The Worcestershire Beacon (highest hill) is only just mountain height if you choose your definition carefully but looks like a mountain from Mum’s windows. It certainly felt like a mountain at five o’clock this morning.
We had a lovely plod up the hill in the dark, not least because it wasn’t raining. The moon was full and very bright and we didn’t use our torches until we got to the top. The torches came in useful for signalling to Mum who we rang and woke up (sorry Mum). She could see us clearly and returned our secret signal by turning her bedroom light on and off. Parents are wonderfully tolerant creatures!
We had walked up very quietly but made a bit of a hullabaloo at the top in our excitement. This was unfortunate for the poor man who had decided to bivvie just below the trig point and whom we woke up. After a short chat and an apology, we found out that he was staying in Malvern with his in-laws and fancied a sleep out. Amazing what people will do to escape their in-laws at Christmas.
It was a lovely time and we sat and ate marmalade rolls (yummy) and drank sugary tea (cold – not at all yummy) while the sun rose, before heading back down to the valley for one Mum’s fabulous bacon and mushroom sandwiches and a hot cup of tea.
Oh yes I know that hill in Malvern! Every time I drive past I always wish that I could climb it as it does look like a mountain and looks so inviting! Its on my to do list and is not too far away from N Wales.
Do it, in fact, walk the ridge. It is lovely, especially on a summers day and you can drink water form the springs. I cut my walking teeth in Malvern (grew up here).
Brilliant – what Christmas time is all about! x