Now 100% recovered from that pesky kidney stone business I am back with my JWalking partner hiking and stomping through the Hertfordshire woodlands. We are starting to build up the walks again as ten weeks of short outings takes it’s toll on your stamina but we’re getting there. The incredibly beautiful countryside all around us seriously helps though.
Tewin Woodland Walk
We can’t quite believe that less than ten minutes walk away finds you in quiet woodland and gentle rolling hills. Seems amazing. I think it’s probably because Welwyn Garden City was planned and designed rather than allowed to evolve. So the edge of the town is obvious and where the countryside begins. Brilliant.
After the Burnham Green Circuit last week (City of Trees) we headed off north to walk to the delightful village of Tewin. Past the impressive Digwell Viaduct through Digswell Water, up across Dawley Plantation to climb through Dawley Woods down to Margery Green and into Tewin.
Sunshine all the way and hardly another soul in any direction. Just us and the birds. Glorious.
Tewin dates back to Anglo-Saxon times and was mentioned in the Domesday Book as both Tewinge and Theinge. It’s a typical small English village with a village green, memorial hall, village shop, and of course a pub. Being so close to Welwyn it’s commutable to London so house prices are sky high but it’s absolutely lovely.
We explored a few footpaths before heading for the village stores and being the first people to sit in their covered garden ordering a cappuccino since the lockdown rules eased this very morning. Felt a bit weird sitting without masks on but it was a real treat. Must be six months since we’ve done anything like this.
Always take the weather
So a gentle wander across the village green and back onto the footpath in the sunshine before suddenly all hell let loose. The sky turned black! The wind appeared from nowhere! The temperature seemed to plunge! And then the rain came!
Within seconds it was torrential and we were soaked to the skin. Hardly having time to put our coats on and cover up and with no shade as we were in the middle of fields we just ploughed on. After a couple of minutes you get so wet that it really doesn’t matter anymore and we actually ‘sort of’ enjoyed it. No point in getting grumpy is there when there’s nothing you can do?
A fifteen minute walk took us back into woodland and a semblance of cover but as soon as we were there the rain stopped! Typical. Then the sun appeared again and the rest of the walk was nice although wet jeans and jackets left us feeling a little soggy.
Our nine mile walk started out overcast and cloudy, turning into a roasting hot blue-sky hike, before the wind arrived and brought the clouds back, resulting in torrential driving rain and darkness, and finally ending in a return of the sunshine and warmer temperatures. Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter all in a few hours.
How many years?
And finally, as the Two Ronnies always said, it was our wedding anniversary a couple of days ago. Thirty Nine years! Not too shabby eh? And hasn’t Jo done well to keep going for so long? We don’t really celebrate these days but next year may be the exception as it’s a real milestone. What do you think we should do?
Little did we know where life would lead us back then!
15/05/82 – 15/05/2021
JWalking 
Congratulations on #39. Dave and I will reach 38 this week. I think you will have more choices for celebration in the UK but however you celebrate huge congratulations. Also great news that the kidney stone business is behind you.
Your changeable weather seems very much like ours in Calgary. Good to be prepared for most anything.
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We didn’t celebrate at all really, no restaurants or pubs open. Starting to ease off the restrictions now but very slowly and carefully. Don’t mind the changing weather, makes every day an adventure.
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The tea rooms in the village store look very inviting and perfect for your re-introduction to dining in! Looks like there are plenty of attractive walks around Welwyn Garden City for you to enjoy. Marion
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Always love a relaxing coffee stop, not done it for so long. There is so much countryside all around here to explore, we were so surprised.
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Love the photo of the two of you. You have not changed a bit xx
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Jo looks exactly the same doesn’t she? I’m sure she’s been lying to me about her age!!
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The wearing of masks is a little more relaxed here too. Well, you can’t eat wearing one, can you? 🙂 🙂 Many congratulations, Jonno. Hopefully next year we’ll all have a different perspective. Too early to say!
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It is starting to ease off here and people seem to be relaxing a little. Gonna take time though. We just enjoyed stopping for coffee and cake.
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Congrats! Last week we did a lovely walk not too far from there, we started and finished at The Cricketers in Sarratt, near to Hemel Hempstead. Thankfully we dodged the rain, weather has been rubbish lately hasn’t it!
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Weather is so unpredictable at the moment, never know what to wear when we head out. Makes it more interesting I guess.
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Happy Anniversary you two! This year is our 40th in October and we are wrestling with the same question – what to do to celebrate? For our 30th we took a 15 night cruise through the Panama Canal on the Queen Victoria – just Lovely!!!! It was our first big taste of lots of Brits and we had a blast! We had dinner every night with 10 others and felt like we were sitting with Monty Python and Bennie Hill the entire cruise – so much fun! It will be hard to top that! Glad you are almost back up to speed and we wish you another exciting adventurous year of marital bliss!
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Thanks Chris. Your 30th sounds like a wonderful trip, the Panama Canal must be incredible. I don’t think overseas trips will be on the cards for a long time but we will almost certainly plan something local next year.
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Kidney stones really suck. 😦
I had them ten years ago, and for years, I carried the medicine I was prescribed around with me, out of constant fear of another kidney stone attack. But so far, nothing happened.
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Not much fun are they? I have no medicine to prevent more stones just a change in diet and drinking 3 litres a day.
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Oh, the medicine was not for preventing them. I think there is nothing like that. 😦
It was to take in an emergency to relieve the pain.
Ever since then, I have also made sure to drink a lot all the time.
What change in diet were you advised to make? Maybe I should also follow that.
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Well there are certain foods that should potentially be avoided like nuts, spinach, chocolate, peanuts, fizzy drinks etc.
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Oh. :O
(Because of chocolate and fizzy drinks.)
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I’m so pleased to hear your kidney stone has been sorted. Let’s hope that’s the end of that! And Happy Anniversary – you’re just a few months ahead of us.
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Thanks goodness the kidney stone is sorted, was pretty miserable for nine weeks or so. All sorted now though. All doing very well with this marriage business aren’t we?
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It seems such a long time but it’s gone by very fast.
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There is something very nice about walking in the rain, it’s quite therapeutic – if not wet! Congratulations! make next years a very big one!
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Once you get through the first few minutes of getting wet it’s quite nice to rain-walk. Contrary to what most people think we don’t get many rainy days here really.
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It just seems it!
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The top picture votes very familiar feelings in me. Just like a Scottish walk! Congratulations on 39 years. We had our 40th in March and, of course, nothing much happened. Well, we ordered in food so neither of us had to cook, and there might have been champagne, but we couldn’t go anywhere or celebrate with friends. I hope, surely to goodness, you will be luckier next year.
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Congratulations, not far behind you then. Takeaway and champagne sounds fairly good to me.
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If my maths is correct that must mean you wed in 1982 – snap, well not quite, we wed in September 82. I love that word – wed. It sounds so 1800s English. Anyway congratulations on both the anniversary, and the longish walk, and getting to the other side of Covid, the side where you can enjoy a coffee mask free.
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You’re right, we were ‘wed’ in May 82 just a few months ahead of you. Obviously a very good year!
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Congratulations and happy anniversary! Going for a pleasant walk sounds like a pretty perfect way to celebrate!
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Thanks Josy, the walk was a perfect way to celebrate.
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Like the look of the tea rooms Jon ☕️ Great to see you fully recovered from your kidney stone ordeal. And that’s a lovely picture of you and Jo back in the day. What a milestone 39 years!! Congratulations to you both. Yes, you must celebrate 40 years married. It’s such a massive achievement and a celebration of your lives together☺️💐
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Thanks so much Liz. We look so young but are still going strong. Hopefully be able to plan something a bit special for next year.
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Proper Crowded House weather Jon, 4 Seasons in One Day! We don’t really celebrate wedding anniversaries anymore just the usual 2 minutes silence!! It’ll 30 years for us in 2022 and also 30 years since Leeds last won the title. Not sure which I’m more excited about. Good to see you back to full JWalking duties.
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Perhaps you should both go to a Leeds match for your 30th. Cover both bases!
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Hooray! So glad to hear you are feeling better and back at it! Perfect timing with restriction being lifted there and the weather getting better (or it should be haha). Here’s to more walks and exploring in the months ahead. I hope we can follow suit here in Canada soon and start venturing a bit farther afield!
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Thanks Linda. Things are really starting to feel like they are returning to normal now, not quite there yet but close. Weather looks like it’s going to be good soon too .
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Congratulations guys, a forty mile walk perhaps?
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Sounds like a challenge. I’ll mention it to Jo and stand back!
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Happy belated anniversary! Sounds like your walk was very much like the one I just went on. Sunny skies interspersed with complete torrential downpours! It’ll be nice if it finally does warm up later this week.
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Thanks Jessica, it was a fabulous walk even with the extreme weather. Had our coats so not really a big deal. I think youre right about it warming up this week though, fingers crossed.
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