The best turn out for a ‘Cardew’s Canter’ assembled in the Blaythorne clubhouse resplendent in ‘Caribbean’ attire.

BEFORE PIC - note how clean Pete's shirt is.

A quick pose for a photo whilst waiting for ‘Brother’ Beresford and everyone was ready for the off.  Just to set the tone, the heavens opened for a quick, intense, cold downpour.

Barrie and the support/website reporting crew headed off down to Ramsgate to set up the first ‘treat’.  Charlotte and John had kindly let us use the garden of their cottage and soon Barrie was setting up the stalls.  Firstly, the runners would have to face the ‘Apple Dunker’ where they would plunge their heads into a vat of freezing water in order to retrieve an apple with their mouths.

"Oops, dropped that one!"

"This is how it's done, Chris"

With heads soaking, it was over to a tray of flour to do the same thing again but this time it was wine gums that had to be found.
Needless to say, the flour mixed well with wet faces and soon everyone was running around with white faces.

Barrie's been a bit liberal with the white paint again!

Ceri took down a good mouthful of the flour/water mixture, almost cricking her neck again in the process, and was gagging like Linda Lovelace!

Denise led the colourful group back onto the road and through Barripper and on towards Old Mill Lane passing many goggle-eyed Dog Walkers on the way!

Next stop was the culvert at the river bridge at the turning to Hood Lane.  The river was raging and looked freezing!  There are two tunnels that go under the road, mostly filled with river.  Once Barrie had completed the Risk Assessment and assessed that there was a 51/49 chance in favour of not drowning, he set the route. 

Up the one tunnel against the current and then back down the other, with the current.
Amazingly, not one person was lost and eventually everyone emerged from the tunnel, drenched but still breathing!

The next section was a two mile slog along the mudfest that is Old Mill Lane (this was still 3ft deep mud in the Summer of ’76 I’m told!).  This got everyone’s body temperatures back above zero before heading into fields near the railway at Gwinear Road.

A three-legged race along yet another muddy track followed. The group tryed to pair up with those of equal height and size although how Ian ended up with Chris B, we will never know. Soon the runners were caked from head to foot in mud before heading across a couple more fields for Barrie’s next installment!

The group had to carry one of their number across a field supported in a blanket-come-stretcher kindly supplied by Barrie.  Showing good teamwork they chose to carry Kensa as opposed to Chris B!  He shaved himself a Monk’s bald patch for the Fancy Dress run which still hadn’t grown back.  Even so, this weight saving trick still failed to get him the ride over little Kensa!!

AFTER PIC - note colour of Pete's shirt now!

Next up was a beer and chocolate feeding station at Barrie’s car, parked in the muddy lane near the Hood Viaduct.  This was to prepare spirits ready for the deepest stretch of water yet to be encountered.

The support crew recce’d the river and found (much to George’s delight) the section that looked the dodgy-est, and set the camera up!

The runners arrived and filed into the raging torrent.  There was a fracas at the tail end as the girls decided to get their own back on Pete H for being the chief mud-splatterer, Ali took a flying jump, landed on Pete's back and together with Denise attempted to wrestle him into the murky depths.  There was water everywhere, like a pack of Piranha attacking the club coach in revenge for all those ‘beastings’ he’s handed out over the years!

Finally after a few worrying minutes staggering down the deep and freezing river everyone clambered out to the safety of the bank.

Pete, still in shock after his attack.

"They were there when we left Blaythorne" comment Chris and Chris worryingly.

The bedraggled bunch headed down the muddy track past Hood Farm for the last river crossing before a long run up through the fields and the safety of the tarmac lane back to Blaythorne.

Those Hawaiian shirts, Pirate suits, bathing costumes, grass skirts etc that arrived back at the clubhouse were unrecognizable from the one’s that had lined up for the start ninety minutes earlier!!!

An excellent Cardew’s Canter.  The Best Ever….Probably!!

    Happy New Year.