Six Ramblers, from four separate groups, met in Ironbridge in the aftermath of Storm Lilian. The wind had not completely died away, but as we were quite a bit further south than Stoke the storm had been less evident.

The sleep climb out of the gorge warmed everyone up, and soon we had all shed our outer layers and were basking in the sunshine. The delight of the rolling Shropshire countryside were new to some of us - most impressive were the views of the distant Clee Hills, with Caer Carodoc visible too.

However there was a downside: many of the paths were waist high in nettles! Perseverance and bravery were necessary, but frequently we also came across plump, ripe blackberries to distract us from the tingling that the nettles had caused, even through walking tights.

When we arrived in the medieval little town of Much Wenlock, I explained I had grown up there, and was able to give a personal guided tour including many of the historic buildings, and the playing fields that gave birth to the local Olympic Games. In 1850 a local physician named Dr Penny Brooks established an "annual competition in sports and the arts". This included competitions between the Quarrymen and the Farm Labourers, and also knitting tasks for the girls. One popular event involved loosing a greased piglet into the crowd - whoever could catch and hold the animal could keep and rear it. In due course Baron Coubertain was inspired by these games to establish the international event that continues to this day, but unfortunately pig catching has never (yet) been included!

Leaving Wenlock behind, we returned to Ironbridge through more little hamlets and the wooded slopes of Ironbridge Gorge.