Yesterday, 16 December, I had a great circular walk from Napton on the Hill via Shuckburgh Park. However, I should let you know that a slim, lithe, tall young man did not call me "a f---ing pleb" but did angrily denounce me and all walkers as "f---ing walkers". He was young enough or, I am old enough, for him to be my grandson. He was not, I must hastily add!
From a distance, as I walked up the hill, I looked down as he drove up in his Land Rover, picked up a dead deer by its hind legs and swung it into the back of the pick up. I carried on into the wood thinking I was on the right of way. I soon was shouted at - something to the effect -
"Oy! What do you think you are doing? Get out of that wood. NOW!"
I turned round and saw the same young man, standing by his Land Rover. I immediately ran down the hill to him. He was wearing waterproof rubber overalls, the legs of which were bloodied and his bare hands were also covered in blood as he angrily waved them about!
"How would you like it if I wandered round your back garden", he demanded. "There are pheasants in that wood and you are disturbing them."
He asked for my address, that I meekly gave him and even invited him round to my place for coffee and cake! I said,
"Don't you have other walkers who wander off the public right of way because it is not clear where we are allowed to go and when we are trespassing?"
It was then that he called my ilk and me, "f---ing walkers".
I suggested "Get your boss to ask Warwickshire County Council to put in waymarking posts with yellow arrows and some signs".
However, such was his mood and hatred for walkers coming into his territory, I don't think he will want anything that would remind him of the hated walkers!
"How did the deer die?" I asked him.
"I shot it in the head", he replied.
Clearly, he's a marksman - and much else - but there was no rifle that he was brandishing while we were talking.
I went on my way, checked my Landranger map that did clearly show that the path kept out of the wood. And, I did, too.
For lack of the OS Explorer map and absence of signs and waymarking posts, I also wandered off the path by Halls Barn Farm and the Mr A Burgess, farmer, I read. In my youth, I helped out Worcestershire CC by putting in these posts - but, no more!
This was a great walk for the interesting features I saw - like collapsing towpath, ancient stocks (for trespassing pedestrians to get pelted with rotten eggs and tomatoes), an unusual walkers' gate and a sometimes fiery beacon - quite apart from the one, even more fascinating, human!
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