The Car Man by Matthew Bourne's New Adventures

Following our last two successful outings to see Matthew Bourne's innovative dance productions,  I am delighted to organise another trip to Sadler's Wells to see Matthew Bourne's award winning The Car Man.  

'Loosely based on Bizet’s ever-popular opera (Carmen),  The Car Man has one of the most thrilling and instantly recognisable scores in New Adventures’ repertoire.

The familiar 19th Century Spanish cigarette factory becomes a greasy 1950s garage-diner in the American Mid-West where the dreams and passions of a small-town are shattered by the arrival of a handsome and enigmatic stranger. Fuelled by heat and desire, the inhabitants are driven into an unstoppable spiral of greed, lust, betrayal and revenge.

Matthew Bourne’s vivid storytelling combines with one of the most passionately dramatic scores ever written, with music by Terry Davies featuring Rodion Shchedrin’s Carmen Suite (after Bizet’s Carmen), to create a dance thriller like no other.

The Car Man will ignite your senses and leave you breathless.'

Tickets from £15, to book, please click here.  At the moment, good availability for £15 seats, but I would advise book early as cheap seats are the first to go. 

Pre-show F&B will be at The Wilmington, 69 Rosebery Ave, EC1R 4RL,  a gastro pub near the theatre from 5:30pm.    

To assist easy co-ordination on the day,  there will be a Whatsapp group setup for the event.  If you wish to join the group,  please email your mobile number and your name to swcsocialATgmailDOT.com.  Note: I will not respond to request for personalised email communications for this event.   

 Note: you need to set your Whatsapp privacy setting to give me the permission to add you to the group.  I had a couple of incidences that I was unable to add people to the group.  My invitation did not reach the recipient either.  

Friday Walk - Nine Standards (Kirkby Stephen Circular or to Garsdale) [Carlisle Trip]

Length: 18.1 km (11.2 mi) or 29.3 km (18.2 mi) 

Ascent/Descent: 584m or 899/819m 

Net Walking Time: ca. 5 hours or 8 hours 

Toughness: 6 out of 10 or 9 out of 10

 

Take the 08.24 Leeds train from Carlisle, arrives Kirkby Stephen 09.20 (being an Off-Peak service, Senior Railcards are valid). 

Return trains from Kirkby Stephen: 15.02, 17.06, 18.32, 20.01. 

Return trains from Garsdale: 18.20, 19.49. Buy a Garsdale Return for the Garsdale Ending.

 

This is relatively short excursion up to a magnificent viewpoint at the top of Hartley Fell, overlooking the North Pennines and the Upper Eden Valley, also with views across to the Howgill Fells and the Lake District, despite only reaching the modest height of 660m above sea level. The top is graced by nine enigmatic differently shaped cairns up to four metres high, the Nine Standards. They are at least 500 years old and believed to be markers of the historic boundary between Westmorland and the North Riding of Yorkshire.

En route you experience an exciting stretch of the Eden River, where the water noisily tumbles over exposed rock slabs, down rock faces and a tight gorge, where water and gravel have created holes, cup-shaped incisions and mini-gorges in the river bed. Further along, you follow a narrow woodland path along the rushing Ladthwaite Beck, which speeds down a chute at the bottom of a high rock face and down a waterfall.
The route then joins the Coast to Coast Walk and heads to the top along a good track. The descent leads through some upland peat bog (on a decent path) before entering limestone country with shake holes and swallow holes and follows dry paths around the stunning Dukerdale and around or over Tailbridge Hill. The final descent down Nateby Common provides for fine views across a patchwork of pastures to heathery commons and into the Eden Valley, before passing a tea stop in Nateby, about 30 minutes before the end.

An Alternative Descent leads through Kirkby Stephen town, cutting out Dukerdale and Nateby Common. 

An Alternative Ending leads over exposed high ground along the British watershed to Garsdale Station.

For More Walk Options, see the webpage or the pdf.

Lunch: Picnic 

Tea: The Black Bull at Nateby, 2.3 km from the end of the walk. 

Numerous options in Kirkby Stephen on an alternative route from the top to and through the town. See the walk directions for details.

The Moorcock Inn on the Garsdale Ending is unlikely to be open when we get there.

 

For walk directions, maps, height profiles, photos and gpx/kml files click here. 

#2026-07-31T08:24 t=swc.416

Carlisle Trip - 5 nights, 5 walks (Hadrian's Wall and Eden Valley)

A Thursday to Tuesday trip with 5 walks:

Notes:

-  Only one of the walks below has been walked on the previous trip 3 years ago in the exact same way. Two others have not been walked at all, and the other two are different this time around (i.e. one is in reverse and with slightly different routing – and minus a rather famous tree; the other has a major option that nobody walked then)

-  Train and bus details are based on the current schedule, which may be different in summer.

-  In case of train strikes and/or track works this schedule will need to be altered, in the simplest case by using Bus Line 685 along Hadrian’s Wall instead of the train for the two Wall walks, or by shifting walks around if the Eden Valley Line is affected, or – in the worst case if there are no trains along the Eden Valley line at all – by walking other routes along the Wall, either repeats from the last trip or sections not covered by the SWC route (i.e. west towards the Sea from Carlisle, back by bus). 

 

Friday 31 July: 08.24 Leeds train, arrives Kirkby Stephen at 09.19.

Walk SWC Walk 416 Nine Standards (Kirkby Stephen Circular or to Garsdale): 18.1 km (11.2 mi) or 29.3 km (18.2 mi), with 584m or 899/819m ascent/descent. Not walked 3 years ago.

Walk Options: loads of variations of the main walk, several involving going through the lovely Kirkby Stephen village rather than straight to the station, but also a tough extension along the British watershed above the Mallerstang valley to Garsdale. 

Saturday 01 August: 09.33 Middlesbrough train to Bardon Mill, arrives 10.12. 

Walk SWC 413d Hadrian's Wall Core Section (Bardon Mill to Hexham). 28.6 km (17.8 mi) with 455/509m ascent/descent. Not walked 3 years ago.

Walk Options: bus shortcut by using Line AD122, which shadows this stretch of HW close-by (every 2 hours in each direction, for example from Walwick Farm last at 16.46 back to Haltwhistle and at 18.39 on to Hexham). 

Sunday 02 August: 09.23 Leeds train, arrives Appleby at 10.07.

Walk SWC Walk 415 High Cup Nick (Appleby-in-Westmoreland Circular): 23.9 km (14.8 mi) with 748m ascent. Repeat walk from 3 years ago.

Walk Options: Shortcuts and car parks halfway up the hill, but also a tough Extension through an MOD Range on the moors (not walked 3 years ago).

Monday 03 August: 08.24 Leeds train, arrives Garsdale at 09.33.

Walk SWC Walk 417 Wild Boar Fell (Garsdale to Kirkby Stephen): 23.3 km (14.5 mi), with 676/756m ascent/descent. Repeat walk from 3 years ago.

Walk Options: several minor shortcuts and extensions (see the webpage for details).

Tuesday 04 August: 08.52 Newcastle train to Haltwhistle, arrives 09.20 (or maybe a later one?). 

Walk SWC 413c Hadrian's Wall Core Section (Haltwhistle to Bardon Mill). 19.5 km (12.1 mi) with 390/416m ascent/descent. Yes, yes: the stretch with the Sycamore Gap walked 3 years ago but not the same walk: walked in reverse compared to 3 years ago, and descending via the very impressive Vindolanda Roman Fort, enabling a visit of it. 

Walk Options: going over the hill on the descent from HW, rather than going via Vindolanda (i.e. the reverse of the start of Saturday’s walk), or going up to and around Vindolanda rather than going past its entrance in the valley.

 

Last trains back to London from Carlisle on weekdays: 18.54 and 19.49.

 

#6days

Evening Walk - 'Royal' Parks, with the 2026 Serpentine Pavilion

Length: 6.0 km

Net Walking Time: 1 ½ hrs 

 

Meet: Queensway Station (corner of Queensway and Bayswater Road) at 18.45 hours. 

Queensway is on the Central Line in Zone 1, Bayswater (Circle and District lines) is a 3-minute walk away.

 

Finish: Whitehall/Trafalgar Square, near Charing Cross, Embankment, Westminster & Waterloo stations.

All the above stations are in Zone 1. 

Drop-Outs: Hyde Park Corner or Green Park tube stations, or buses.

 

Map-led, through Central London's extensive ‘Royal’ Parks, past the 2026 Serpentine Gallery’s Summer Pavilion in Kensington Gardens (which opened some 7 weeks ago).

Opening Hours: The Gardens are open to 21.30: https://www.royalparks.org.uk/visit/parks/kensington-gardens . Hyde Park, Green Park and St. James’s Park are open to midnight: https://www.royalparks.org.uk/visit/parks

Eat/Drink: Numerous options around Whitehall and Trafalgar Square.

For walk directions, map, photos and gpx/kml files click here. 

#2026-07-29T18:45 t=short.19

Wednesday walk: A shady walk through Surrey woods: Liphook to Haslemere

Length: 15 km (9.3 miles) 5/10

With continuing hot and sunny weather forecast, a shady walk almost entirely through woodland is suggested. Mature woodland in the morning, lunch in Fernhurst, then into Haslemere along the Valewood Park valley. If you fancy a more stenuous day you could go over the Black Down (route of Walk 22 Haslemere Circular) instead.

Trains: 1000 from Waterloo (Woking 1025) arriving at Liphook at 1100. Four trains an hour back from Haslemere. Get a return to Liphook.

Lunch: In Fernhurst, the Red Lion pub (tel 01428 643 112) and The Fern (Cafe) at the Pavilion, (tel 07771 253 768 are both good options. Picnic by the cricket ground outside the pavilion. Fernhurst is 8.3 km into the walk.

Tea: Hemingways (tel 01428 643 048) or Darnleys (tel 01428 643 048) on Haslemere High Street, and several nearby pubs.

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#2026-07-29T10:00

Sunday Walk: Dormans to Hever

SWC 362: Dormans to Hever (reverse route)

Train:  Take the 10:21AM East Grinstead train from London Victoria (10:38 East Croydon), arriving in Dormans at 11:13. Return trains from Hever are at 7 past the hour.  Buy a day return to Dormans -- you may also need to buy a single from Hever to Husrt Green for the return. 

Distance:  10 miles/16.1 km

Difficulty: 4 out of 10

This is a delightful walk from Surrey into Kent passing an iron age hill fort and the charming village of Cowden with its cozy pub for lunch. Note that we will be doing SWC.362 in reverse. It has been done in reverse before with positive feedback and the morning trains to Dormans are much better this Sunday.  For ease of route finding, please bring a map or GPX file.  More information and the route can be found here.

Lunch is at the Fountain, Cowden, TN8 7JG, 01342 850528, after 10 km (6 miles). Post walk refreshments can be had at the Henry the VIII pub in Hever, a short diversion from the main route and about 25 minutes walk from the station. 

Look forward to seeing you there!

#2026-07-26T11:13

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Sunday Walk – The River Ivel via Jordans Mill and RSPB The Lodge

SWC Walk 457 – Arlesey to Sandy

Length: 17¾ km (11.0 miles). Toughness: 2/10

10:13 Peterborough train from Kings Cross (Finsbury Park 10:19), arriving Arlesey at 10:50^†.

Trains back from Sandy to Kings X are hourly at xx:13. Buy a return to Sandy.

This ‘new’ walk is really a thinly-disguised version of another walk in the opposite direction, with some differences in the route but also plenty of overlap. I was nudged into publishing it because (a) the RSPB have now opened a well-stocked café in their nature reserve which you'll pass at tea-time, and (b) noticing CAMRA's “Bedfordshire Pub of the Year 2025” on Sandy's High Street, five minutes beyond the station.

At the start of this easy walk you'll have the River Hiz for company before passing one of the Champneys chain of health spas. Later in the morning a long stretch alongside the River Ivel brings you to Jordans Mill, a “food heritage attraction” which is worth a look even if you choose not to have lunch in its large Riverside Café. The alternative lunch places (and picnic spot) are half an hour further on in the market town of Biggleswade, with a choice of pubs, cafés and restaurants.

The afternoon section goes across Biggleswade Common to a contrasting landscape of heathland and woodland on a low hill, The Lodge (the RSPB reserve, with its café). At the end of the walk there's a traditional pub across the road from Sandy station but if you're not pressed for time I'd suggest checking out the Sir William Peel, opposite the parish church on the High Street.

† If you miss this train and take the one an hour later I suggest doing the walk's shorter start from Biggleswade, a loop out to Jordans Mill. You should get there at about the same time as the main group.

Please bring the directions from the L=swc.457 page. #2026-07-26T10:50

Broxbourne to Bayford (or Circular). Forest Bathing in Hertfordshire

SWC Walk 168 – Broxbourne to Bayford (or Circular)

Length: (18.8 km/11.7 mi, 3/10) For a longer walk see below.

Ascent/Descent: 325m

Toughness: 3 out of 10 (or 5/10 for the longer cicular)

Take the 10.38 Herttford East service from Liverpool Street (10.51 Tottenham Hale, 11.05 Cheshunt), arriving Broxbourne at 11.11.

Return trains from Bayford to Moorgate are: xx.20, xx.50 and from Broxbourne to Liverpool Street at xx:14, xx:22, xx.44 and xx.52.

After winding its way out of Broxbourne along a canal and through a park, almost of of this walk is through an assortment of varied, ancient and wild woods, with several streams. A circuitous route linking up separate woods follows age old trails, paths and green lanes through a diverse woodland setting. While broadly following a well signposted trail through the Nature Reserve, the walk often diverts from it to take more interesting directions. Most of the distance and the ascent are covered before lunch, but the lunch pub serves food all afternoon, so a leisurely pace is entirely possible. There are plenty of signed and unsigned paths in the woods, thus following the detailed written directions is essential, and a map and a compass are recommended.

A longer circular wwalk (24.3 km, 15.1 miles), finishing in Broxbourne, is possible. Note: Broxbourne and Bayford are within the Oyster Pay-As-You-Go area (but outside the numbered zones). A Hertford (All Stations) return ticket covers both stations and is the cheapest option if ending at Bayford.

Lunch: The Woodman and Olive in Wormley West End (14.5 km/9.0 mi, Greek food all afternoon).

Tea: The walk notes suggest The Farmer's Boy for the Bayford ending. If finishing at Broxbourne, there are two pubs en-route, a few minutes the station, The Bull and The White Bear.

Please remember to bring walk directions from the L=swc.168 page.

#2026-07-25T10:38

Saturday Walk - Haslemere Circular via Temple of the Winds

Length: 13.90 km (8.64 miles), 4 hours 15 minutes. 6 out of 10 T=1.22

"This short walk is through very beautiful countryside. It is mainly National Trust land - mixed woods with blackberries and bluebells and heathlands of bracken, gorse, heather and bilberry, with fine views from Black Down (280 metres/919 feet), the highest point in both Sussex and the South Downs National Park. There are lots of ups and downs on this walk to keep your SWC walker honest."

After lunch, there is a choice of routes and I'm proposing The Temple of the Winds. If it is too hot for you, there is a path that avoids Black Hill from the main route.

Trains: Get the 1000 from London Waterloo arriving 1053. Fast return trains at xx00 and xx32. Slower at xx37 (stops at Clapham)

Lunch: The Red Lion pub (tel 01428 643 112), some 8.3 km into the walk, by the village green at Fernhurst, offering quality home cooking. It serves lunch 12 noon until 2.30pm, Space inside is limited but the pub has an attractive and good sized back garden with lots of tables under parasols.  But even when fully booked the pub can usually accommodate walkers for a drink at it tables in front of the pub.

Just down the road from the pub, within Fernhurst Recreation Ground, is The Fern (Cafe) at the Pavilion,  A good mixed menu with all day brunch, sandwiches and some hot dishes. It is also a good picnic spot.

Tea: Darnleys for coffee or The Swan pub. The station is around 15 minutes, with a bridge to the platform.

#2026-07-25T10:00

Purbeck Breezer: Corfe Castle Circular or Kingston to Corfe Castle via Worborrow Bay

SWC Walk 458: Corfe Castle Circular or Kingston to Corfe Castle via Swyre Head and Worborrow Bay

Length: Corfe Castle Circular: 14.5 Miles or 23.5 km for those more metrically minded; or

             Kingston to Corfe Castle: 12.5 Miles or 20.5 km for those more metrically minded

Difficulty: 8 out of 10 for both versions

Train: For those doing the full circular, take the 8:05 AM South Western Weymouth train from London Waterloo arriving in Wareham at 10:27, you should then catch a number 30 bus from just outside the station at 10:44 (arriving in Corfe at 11:05). 

If stating from Kingston, take the 8:35 AM South Western Weymouth train from London Waterloo arriving in Wareham at 10:48, you should then catch a number 40 bus from just outside the station at 11:11 arriving in Kingston at 11:43. The earlier starters should be arriving in Kingston about the same time......

The two starting options should merge together about 11:45 in Kingston!

To return from Corfe Castle, you will need to take a bus number 40 to Wareham -- these are at 18:28; 19:37 or 21:04 and catch a train at 18:53; 19:29; 19:53; 20:42 or 21:30. Buy a day return to Wareham.  It would also be possible to take a taxi to connect better with the 20:42 train. Buy a day return to Wareham.

This is one of my favorite coastal walking areas with dramatic cliffs….It has been a few years since it was posted and I thought we would explore a new variant that circles back to Corfe Castle with more transport options rather than continuing on to Lulworth Cove. The map-led route goes from Corfe Castle or Kingston via Swyre Head to a coastal ridge above Kimmeridge Bay before dropping down to Worbarrow Bay (for some swimming). It then circles back through Tyneham Village and gently ascends to the inland ridge which it follows back to Corfe Castle. You can find more information about the area and print the map/download the GPX here.

On this variant, the suggested lunch stop is in the village of Kimmeridge where there is a pub/cafe/restaurant called Clavell’s ( 01929 480701 ).

Post walk refreshies can be had at various places in Corfe Castle.

Look forward to seeing you on the walk!

#2026-07-25T08:35

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