CAWDOR WOODS REVISITED

For March, the Marwicks marched the masses round the woods at Cawdor.

We had been there before, but there is no harm in revisiting places you've been before. So, in that spirit, they all turned up at the pub, where I'm sure they've all also been before.

Here they are with Little Boy Blue waiting impatiently for the doors to open.

Little Boy Blue - could there be a nursery rhyme theme here?

Hickory Dickory Dock, the mouse ran up the the clock.

Time seems to stand still when you are gasping for that first drink of the day.

Of course, I only know that through hearsay, I've never been in that kind of position myself.

In fact, it was enough to send them all round the bend, or was it the corner where Little Jack Horner was sitting?

Babes in the Wood.

There was a Crooked Pam....

If you go down to the woods today, you're sure of a big surprise.

Is that a troll underneath the bridge? It certainly looks like the Billy Goats Gruff on the bridge.

If you see a crocodile.....

...don't forget to scream.

If all the world were apple pie...

....and all the trees were bread and cheese

Maureen would still hand out sweets.

This next rhyme may get me into trouble, but I'll risk it. Besides, I can just put the words into Dave's mouth as he is the one in the photo with all the fine young ladies.

Old woman, old woman, old woman, say I,

Oh Whither, O whither, O whither so high?

The Grand Old Duke of York was not the commanding officer of the 107 Field Squadron of the Royal Engineers because they are based in Birkenhead.

They did a good job of building the bridge, though. I'm pretty sure they didn't build it up with wood and clay.

I am a big tree

These are my branches

And these are my leaves

These are my flowers

And these are my fruits.

I give my shade to birds and you.

Well, I would if it wasn't still winter really - no leaves, no flowers, no fruit and no shade, I'm still a tree, though.

Not as big as these ones.

There's a fork in the road ahead,

I don't know which way I'm gonna turn.

Actually, that's not from a nursery rhyme, it's from a Neil Young song called, yes, you've guessed it, A Fork in the Road.

I'm a big tree springs to mind again. There are not huge numbers of rhymes about trees, really. I mean, this is more than a little nut tree, isn't it. In fact you would say it is not even a nut tree. It looks like oak bark to me. That just complicates things, because acorns are actually nuts, so it is a nut tree, just not a little one.

I had a little nut tree

Nothing would it bear.

You get bears in the woods - that reminds me of one of Hugh's jokes.

I wish I hadn't started this.

A collection of Little MIsses Muffet sitting on tuffets. Better watch out for spiders.

And thus, when once, my little dears,

a whisper reaches itching ears....

.....Take my advice, restrain your tongue,

Remember what old Nurse has sung

of busy Lady Wind.

Here's the church

Here's the steeple.

What shall we do with a lazy Katie

Early in the morning.

Roll her on the bed and tickle her all over!

This is not a recommended course of action, you realise. I am merely reproducing a rhyme found on the internet.

I am told they all had lots of fun on the walk and did not sing a single nursery rhyme despite all the obvious choices.

Thanks are due to Dave and Sandra for organisation and to Hugh for the photos.