Triumphantly home

It's been a privilege to share today from Exceat to Eastbourne: the last ten miles or so of Stella's hundred. I'm even prouder and more amazed at the achievement! Today's walk started at Alfriston: Exceat is three miles or so downstream (literally: the stream is the Cuckmere river) and a good place to leave the car since it's easy to get back to, by bus, from Eastbourne.

We came down the last "down" to the end of the SDW at around 4 p.m. and absorbed a welcome and excellent mug of tea, before finding that we were exactly on time to pick up the hourly bus into the centre of Eastbourne and, then, another short wait to get back to Exceat. The only snag was an accident which closed the straight road home from Newhaven, so we had to backtrack and go the long way round.

A final meditation. Evening hymns from past ages tend to be sentimental but this one was always a favourite for being so in tune with reality.

Ere I sleep for every favour
This day show’d
By my God
I will bless my Saviour

Thou hast order’d all my goings
In Thy way,
Heard me pray,
Sanctified my doings.

Thou my rock, my guard, my tower,
Safely keep,
While I sleep,
Me, with all Thy power.

Leave me not, but ever love me;
Let Thy peace
Be my bliss
Till Thou hence remove me.

John Cennick, 1741