Once again Paddington was at a standstill - this time due to a trespasser on the line near Ealing Broadway. It took the railway police an age (and far too long) to catch the offender - so incoming trains were held outside EB for some two hours, and nothing initially left Paddington. I was joined on the London platform by five others - all CLOGies (two with dual "nationality" - SWC and CLOG) who opted for todays SWC walk. Hence I was in very strange, alien company but managed to hold my own as we waited patiently for any train to leave Paddington towards Maidenhead. Fun was had (not really) as we got on then off a number of 'Liz line trains which kept changing their destination - or being cancelled. Eventually a chocker block 'Liz line train departed with us on board and we reached Maidenhead horribly behind schedule. We opted not to wait forty minutes for the next Maidenhead to Marlow service but instead start our walk in Maidenhead. We joined the "Green Way" - a change to the Thames path - and enjoyed an easy, relaxing walk besides a stream then over fields, coming out in Cookham some 400 metres west of the town centre.

We had a reservation at the Kings Head and four of us enjoyed a very good lunch there, with excellent, friendly service. Our two sandwichers sat in the bar area and patiently waited for us diners to finish our meals. (Nice CLOG influence - SWCers would have pushed off without so much as a goodbye !). In the pub a group of four soon arrived, having driven to Cookham and waited at its railway station for our non-arrival before setting off on a version of today's posted walk - so we can report 10.

After our lunch the Paddington six set off on a return walk to Maidenhead, this time by the Thames path, passing Clivedon on the opposite bank. Reaching Maidenhead town centre we called in at the Bear 'Spoons pub on the High Street, where tea, coffee and beers were consumed before we proceeded to the railway station. A short wait for a 'Liz line train and we were soon back in London.

Weather report: very mild cloudy cum overcast dry with a gentle afternoon breeze

We managed to salvage a very pleasant day's walking following an inauspicious start and the CLOGies proved not to be too alien after all and half decent company ! But walks out of Paddington seem to be a lottery these days. My Oxford walk posted 'twixt Christmas-New Year was badly affected by a station standstill and there have been several other incidents in recent times which have spoilt walks out of Paddington. But good to read travel to and from the SWC Henley-Pangbourne walk the day before us was straightforward - lucky them !

There are countless problems with the lack of power supply in West London for the Elizabeth line and numerous walks missed trying to travel to walks. Check before you leave home with TFL. Apparently there are insufficient sub stations to power the number of scheduled trains which is even a problem for new housing developments. The infrastructure in West London is old and needs upgrading.

Marcus, thanks for posting. Will you and regulars be going for 3-course option?

Hi Anonymous, I expect most will opt for the a la carte menu, and order a main course, but by all means, if you have room for 3 courses after any Christmas excesses, go for it !

Hi, just wondering if anyone has a sense of how muddy this route is likely to be? Got an injury which means I can't wear boots for a bit but desperately want to do a New Year's day walk.

Thanks in advance

The 09.41 Elizabeth line train starts from Paddington main line platforms 11 or 12. (not the underground Elizabeth line platforms A or B). One could get an earlier Elizabeth Line service from central London to Heathrow and change on to this service at Ealing Broadway at 09.49 For further details see below

https://content.tfl.gov.uk/elizabeth-line-december-2022.pdf

We managed to salvage today's New Year's Day celebratory walk after a near disastrous start. I arrived at Paddington station early so took the Great Western service to Didcot Parkway as far as Maidenhead, leaving me plenty of time to wait for walking colleagues to arrive on the Elizabeth Line posted service some twenty minutes later. I became a little concerned when the train indicator board started to show the arrival time of the Elizabeth Line service being delayed by two minutes, then five, then ten. A service delayed message next appeared before an announcement came over the station tannoy advising the service was now cancelled. Apparently, the train had broken down at Slough and all passengers had to alight. What to do ? I didn't fancy lugging my two bottles of shampoo around the morning leg of the walk unopened, but I went ahead and caught the connection to Cookham, expecting to walk alone and do just that. At Cookham to my delight and relief there were three "car driver" walkers waiting for the arrival of the Marlow service, with a well behaved eighteen month old cocker spaniel, whose owner sensibly kept him on a lead for the entire walk. At this point I received a text from colleagues stranded at Slough, followed by a phone call from one of them. The fourteen SWC walkers at Slough decided to do a Taplow to Cookham walk, meaning they would arrive at the lunch pub in Cookham an hour before me. A quick conversation with the management of said pub, who were very accommodating and understanding of our situation, and all started to look well. And so it proved to be. The four of us on the walk proper had an enjoyable morning leg, and we stopped as planned on Winter Hill where we toasted in the New Year, relieving me of fifty percent of my bottle weight. Onwards then across some muddy fields to Cookham via the River Thames, where two of my companions stopped off at the riverside Bounty pub for lunch - I hope they had an enjoyable stop.. My companion with her dog said goodbye to me outside the Kings Arms pub and made for Cookham railway station where she had parked up. Inside the pub I found nine of the Taplow starters at a table for ten, very kindly leaving a place for me. Three of their sandwichers joined us for a drink, whilst the remaining two in their group had made for Cookham railway station and home for an early bath. To my relief, and pleasure, the Taplow walkers had enjoyed a champagne stop of their own on their walk - and they had some nice 'photos to prove it ! Our lunch at the Kings Arms was fine, the service friendly, and I even managed to recoup my deposit by some soft shoe shuffling when the bill arrived.

After lunch we split up. Some went to the Sir Stanley Spencer Gallery before returning home from Cookham. Three set off on a loop from the town to the river then back to Cookham station, whilst six of us headed for Marlow., on the Thames path before walking over some muddy fields. Our timing was fortunate - the light was failing as we entered the Marlow Donkey pub for a quick drink before heading the short distance to Marlow railway station to catch the 17-01 service. On the train we drank the second bottle of the shampoo I had lugged around all darn day, and anaesthetised, we alighted at Maidenhead to connect with a Great Western service to Paddington.

Today we mustered 18

As for the weather: it was overcast but very mild . The only rain we encountered arrived as the six of us approached Marlow. There was a lot of slippery mud on the main walk and the route to Marlow was also muddy. Conditions under foot were not too bad from Taplow to Cookham.

It was a nice way to start our SWC walking year - in delightful SWC company.

Finally, let me thank Sandy and Wednesday walkers for presenting me with a bottle of best Scottish Highland malt whiskey which I will enjoy on a winter's evening.

From me - it's over and out !

Just2 of us on the walk this week. Weather was warm and mostly overcast . We enjoyed the undulations in the morning and wondered why fields of potatoes were planted with lacy phacelia around the edges. We were intrigued to encounter a herd of cows having a paddle in the Thames. We went our separate ways as we approached Cookham, as one of us intended to do the shorter walk. However, a change of heart meant we met up again just outside Maidenhead and agreed we deserved an ice cream from Jenners Café. We opted to take the slightly longer route to the station via Guards Club Park and were back at the station in time to get the 15.55 home.

A nice day out and thanks to Marcus for posting.

20 set out. The weather was cloudy with sunny intervals Your correspondent was surprised to turn round and find 19 people following him. Like a bellwether with its flock. This giddy moment didn’t last and soon I was jockeying for position at the back.

On we went through a wood that has changed its name (was Bisham, now Quarry). Eventually, Cookham was reached, but not before I encountered a wild beast in the churchyard. A snake! Big as a house it was, with slavering jaws. Well, maybe not quite that big but a good 3 feet long. Near Stanley Spencer’s stone. A grass snake I think but it didn't hang around.It slid off at quite a lick, anxious to avoid this paparazzo’s attention. I managed to fire off a few shots before it disappeared under a tombstone.

Still shaking with excitement, I ventured into the Kings Arms and asked if they had any walkers in. Would you believe the barman started rummaging through the crisp packets!

I counted about 8 in there (walkers not crisps). They seemed to be enjoying their food. Some were ending the walk there, and one went to Taplow (pleasanter ending apparently). At least one went in the gallery. I went on to Maidenhead and I presume others did too.

The first leg of this section was better than I expected (I usually find walking by the Thames a bit dull) but this doesn’t last. The walk gets progressively urban, and stays urban for a long way before the station is reached, some of which is along a busy road.

http://www.cleavebooks.co.uk/grol/jerome/3men12.htm

From 'Three Men in a Boat',set near Maidenhead. The chapter where our heroes try to open a tin of pineapples.

Great snake-spotting Mr T, sorry to have missed that.

Six of us headed for Taplow after having lunch in the churchyard or just before. I thought the quiet section of the river just between Cookham and the beginning of Maidenhead was very nice. Route-finding through "Taplow Village" was a bit tricky owing to a closed bridge at grid ref SU905817, leaving us picking our way through a Stepfordesque new housing development.

We had a pint in a roadside pub which was not quite as near Taplow station as we thought, and had to dash for the 1538 train.

If only I'd known. I could have found this for them after I found their snake. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-58258647

Never mind fireworks over the London Eye, the best way to see in the New Year is always on Marcus’ New Year’s Day Walk, and so it proved once again this year. After the excitement of an electric train ride out of Paddington (“GWR Electrostar” - goodbye to noisy three car diesels!) we set off in cloud and occasional slight rain, but the skies brightened around lunchtime as we had our champagne on Winter Hill and thereafter we had at least some sun. Our festivities were fuelled, as per usual, by two bottles of bubbly manfully carried our walk poster, who thus earns triple brownie points with gold bars, and we also shared some nice nibbles and a fine view. There was then the pleasant walk down to and along the river to Cookham, only slightly marred by some slippery mud on the riverbank.

The idea of having a late lunch to give us time for the champers was a good one. Luckily the booking at the King’s Arms had been made for 12, the exact number on the walk. Very tasty food - including an all-vegan nut roast - and friendly and attentive service made for a convivial end to the day.

Most then took the train home but four of us set to walk in the moonlight to Cookham. It was a big bright full moon but unfortunately was still low enough in the sky to be hidden by the wooded ridge on the far side of the river. Having failed to persuade my companions to dawdle and wait for it to rise higher, I hung back and was rewarded by it peeping over the ridge about 20 minutes later. Another walker then joined me and we had more nice moonlight before sadly surrendering to the glaring lights of civilisation.

20 got off of the train and 3 more joined us at lunch so say 23 on the walk

Weather was cloud and occasoional spots of rain and maybe a few moments of sun

Nice walk which was flat and very little mud and an excellent lunch in the Kings Arms Cookham

Nice day really

or

Really nice day

Monika

I plan to go.