Please join us for a Thursday daytime walk on the beautiful South Downs prior to the opening of Wickham Festival 2019. It will be led by John Jones and the Reluctant Ramblers before they play a set later that evening. John Jones is the charismatic lead singer of the award-winning Oysterband who last performed at Wickham in 2017. What a great way to kick off our weekend!
********* JUNE UPDATE ***********
Start time is 9.45, meet in the car park opposite the Bucks Head. Aim is to arrive at the festival site by 4pm with a stop for lunch at the White Lion in Soberton at around 1.30. The afternoon walk is around 4 miles and mainly down the old railway line.
******* JUNE UPDATE END ********
For those that remember, John organised two walks back in 2014. A Wednesday circular walk across rolling Hampshire downland to the source of one of the iconic rivers in the Upper Meon Valley. Followed by a Thursday walk from Old Winchester Hill to the Wickham Festival.
It will be more of a stroll than a yomp and something for all ages and fitness levels. All are welcome and there is no fee and no need to book. This is a great addition to our Wickham History Society walks organised in previous years. John has been an avid walker for many years and this idea is all down to him…
“I had the crazy idea of walking to gigs a few years ago and somehow managed to persuade reluctant musicians and a smiling but sceptical agency to help. Rushing from gig to gig, crowded motorways, increased stress levels and time wasted staring out of tour bus windows at inviting hills rolling by just made me think: walking 20 miles, setting up in a pub, church, canalside…anywhere…was worth trying as a much-needed alternative. It caught people’s imagination…”
Who knows, if this proves popular we could make it an annual event for our early arrivals who set up camp on Wednesdays. As before camping will open 12 noon Wednesday with an extra free Wednesday evening concert at Wickham Community Centre for early arrivals. The walk will start around 10am Thursday 1st August. Full details will be confirmed via our Facebook page nearer the time but you won’t need to book and all will be welcome to join in. Click here to see or comment on our Facebook post.
