The annual "Walkers" get together and dinner

Over 20 years ago, when many of the people in this shot worked in the same school in Gillingham, we started going for walks on a regular basis around Kent, led by one or other of us. This developed into a Walking Holiday, intermittently at first and more regularly in recent years some of which have been captured on blipfoto since 2013. As anno domini has caught up with some of the older members or people have moved away, our numbers have dwindled and it is now often just the 4 of us who turn out when in Kent. We had a good break away in Wales in June, with three memorable walks one of which was Cadair Idris.

There is one interloper, Marion, (nearest on the right) a friend of over 35 years standing whom I first met in Canada in 1981 when I was in Ontario on teacher exchange for a year at Pickering High School near Toronto. We've kept in touch over the years, visited and stayed in each other's houses numerous times. Marion is an anglophobe who is always coming over to England (and Wales and Scotland for that matter). She has joined our walking holidays in recent years too, but doesn't walk much and has become a firm friend and honorary member of the group.

This is the first time in the UK for Christmas. She's been wanting to join our annual get together for a while and this year she had the opportunity but to our disappointment she couldn't stay with us owing to Doreen being with us. So she's staying with Deb (the one at the back).

On these occasions, we host the event and provide the main course. One couple bring the starter, another the desserts and Debs always brings the cheese. We started eating about 8.00pm and groaned away from the table near 11.00pm.

What a grand night.