17/01/15 - Community Spirit

Distance - 5 Miles
Geocaches - 17 Found, 2xDNF
First Geocache

I think we have found the nicest village in Worcestershire.  I completed some initial research and learned that its doomsday mentioned, a former Royal Forest and the home of the BBC newsreader, Suzanne Virdee.  We find out additional information to push it up the league table of fine places to live in the West Midlands.

In an attempt to get to 1000 caches in 2015, I am walking a geocaching round once a month.  Could have been looking for sock filled booty in the Wrekin area, but we settle on this alternative on the outskirts of Redditch.

We follow the Saltway to the town.  Those Roman's knew how to build a road - arrow straight.  Park up in the free car park.

Information Board offers sound advice

The trail of cache allow the owner to show off some of the fine walking in the area.  The first couple of caches take us around some ancient earthworks to pick up an elevated path above Bow Brook.

Superb Iron Fingerposts

Nice Views from over Bow Brook back to the Village

I was expecting some caches out of the ordinary and the first multi of the day is certainly a little different.  I can't think of a time when I have had to take an item from the first place to the second to make get a smiley :-)

Cross the Saltway at an impressive old mill and head out into farm land that is fortunately firmer underfoot.  First DNF at number 5, where even with a smartphone to look up the meaning of the clue, we had no idea.

The walking and caching is expected (albeit with a superb classic for #6) as we make our way back to the town.

Sonia is ever vigilant and has noticed that the village stores also has a picture of a coffee cup on the side.  I am all for finding the clues to the #12 multi but she demands refreshment.  So we head in.  Indeed, they have a little coffee shop in the corner and we will remember the visit for as long as our assistant does.

He's made it to 75 without making a Mocha before.

Whilst he has a bash, he tells us all about the village and you can't fail to be impressed with what they have done.  Here are the highlights;

1. The villagers reopened the village stores as a voluntary concern
2. It is staffed by 70 people, who do a couple of hours each in the week
3. The deli counter if full of produce from the two pubs, providing another revenue stream for the village boozers
4. They have a Cinema that comes to the Village Hall
1. Saving Mr Banks and Mary Poppins Double Bill next, film fans
5. They have a strong Amateur Dramatic scene, with 5 productions per year
6. They can work out how to make a chocolate coffee hybrid drink, having previously never even heard of it.

Refreshed and informed, we head off through the town to collect the clues and every person - from the elderly gent off for a frappachino to the postman, gives us a cheery hello.

I like Feckenham and its collection of higgledy piggledy houses, friendly cultured locals and community entertainment.

Village Green 

With the muti worked out and in the bag, I just have to convince the newly refreshed Sonia that the remaining caches are worth the effort.

Its fortuitous that she didn't know about the mud down the sinisterly named Burial Lane otherwise I would have been faced with a much tougher proposition.

Buried - up to your Armpits in Mud

Its a good job we get the remainder.

Thinking ahead, we have bought changes of footwear, so we de-gaiter at the car and head to less gastro of the two pubs - The Rose and Crown.

It has everything we need - fine lunch (where sarnies come with unexpected soup or chips), real ale, roaring fire and the option of buying your cinema tickets.

Bad Marketing - Its actually Worcestershire Gold

Flicks in the Sticks

HKMHill - thanks, as always, for the caches.

Feckenham, thanks for the blueprint of how a village could conduct itself for the benefit of its population.