Day 2: Midhurst to East Meon

Sunday starts with early Mass at 8 a.m. at St Mary's in Midhurst (a modest walk from the Convent)

Then back to the Convent for breakfast. Before we could leave, however, Debbie announced that she had lost a contact lens on the lawn - despite our valiant efforts, nothing was found (this makes needles in haystacks look easy!)

Finally, before setting out, we prayed in the Convent Chapel.

For reasons which remain shrouded in mist, Patrick and Anthony found an aged chair near Midhurst, christened it Blodwyn, and decided to carry it with them. They got as far as the Three Horseshoes at Elsted (lunch in 1976), though Blodwyn's fate thereafter is undocumented.

Meanwhile we stopped at the 11th Century St Paul's Church (abandoned in 1893 after a tree fell on it, but restored in 1951)

We pressed on to lunch at the Coach and Horses at South Harting, where my parents arrived with Granny, who was celebrating her 85th birthday.

After lunch, we prayed at the church of St Mary & St Gabriel in the village, before climbing back onto the South Downs.

An hour and a half took us to St Mary's at Buriton

Then, back on the South Downs Way we got fine views over Petersfield

And eventually entered East Meon.

where we stayed at the village hall, as in 1976.