A day in the country -- Sunday June 2, 2013

Going into 'the big city' to take in all the sights and sounds it has to offer is something you HAVE to do while near London.  However, our hearts are in the countryside! We decided to take a break from London today.  Jane has some friends in Surrey, England who invited us to join them for a traditional Sunday lunch at one of their favorite Pubs.

The day started out a little cloudy but the sun started to shine brightly as Jane  navigated us to their home in Merrow.  The village of Merrow, in Surrey, England, lies on the north-east corner of Guildford. It is about two miles from the town centre, right on the edge of the ridge of hills that forms the North Downs. Walter and Jo Willcox have a lovely home in that country on a tucked away little lane where many of the houses are covered with Wisteria. 




The Volunteer Pub

We then all drove together to The Volunteer, a Pub in Sutton Abinger  where we met up with their daughter, Pip, and her dog, Bruce.  As we walk in, it was like going into Cheers.....everyone knew their name!  A great, old, comfortable English Pub!

The Volunteer is a traditional 16th Century English pub, situated in a beautiful valley next to the little hamlet of Sutton Abinger, near Dorking.  Inside, the pub has kept its original features such as the open fire and exposed beams, but the neutral decor adds a light and airy feel to the place. It's thought that the Volunteer received its name during the Napoleonic Wars - when soldiers signing up for the war were given a Kings Shilling.  The pub became the favourite place to volunteer as you then got to spend your shilling on alcohol!  As a tribute to this there is a mural of Nick (the current landlord) wearing full Napoleonic dress - quite a talking point!  Today the Volunteer is popular with walkers and mountain bikers alike, both drawn to the surrounding hills and countryside. 

Dinner was delicious and conversations even better!  After dinner, Walter and Ed decided to take a hike thru the woods with Bruce that would bring them about half way home.  The ladies all planned to go back to Jo's house for tea and wait for their call when they stop at another Pub after their walk!

Pip works at Oxford University where our daughter Pam went to school and she has offered to give us a personal tour when we are in that part of England later in our trip which we are really looking forward to.

It turns out that Walter is descendant from William Wilcoxson  .....and so is Ed!  Now I just have to work on the connection!  Small world, isn't it!

New English Friends

Once Ed & Walter finished their walk, we gathered once again for more tea and cakes.  Are you noticing how our day revolves around food?  And it's all delicious!  Who said food in England is terrible????  They are very wrong.