Close encounters of the strange kind.

[Amarillo]

Having dropped my boys off with my mother-in-law I drove with Meg to Chevening, the former "Grace and Favour" home of the Three Bexiteers. I parked in a bay outside the church and tried, in vain, to import my phone contacts to the Discover Media (I've no idea why they've gone or how to reimport.) Soon there was a knock on my window, and a conversation went like this:
Him: Is this a campervan.
Me: It depends on your definition of a campervan.
Him: can you sleep in it.
Me: Yes, any motor vehicle can be slept in.
Him: Oh, I see. Do you know where you are parked?
Me: Yes, on the public highway.
Him: Do you know about this house.
Me: Yes.
Him: Do you know that I have to call the police if there are strange people parked outside this house.
Me: No, I didn't. Am I a strange person?
Him: It depends why you are parked here.
Me: [amused} Because it is a convenient place to park.
Him: What are you doing here?
Me: Trying to import contacts from my phone to car.
Him: Are you going to be long?
Me: Does it matter?
Him: We have had a problem with campervans parking here overnight.
Me: Really!? How many in the past month?
Him: Err, that is not the point, the point is that this is a sensitive place.
Me: Don't worry, I'm just going off to walk my dog.
Him: OK, enjoy your walk.

Now what was all that about (apart from my unhelpful attitude.)

Anyway, I had a hot but lovely walk on the North Downs, one of my favourite local walks of over an hour, but along the North Downs' Way I had my second strange encounter. A naked rambler. Tempted to take a photograph, I will satisfy those curious with a simple description.
Beige wide bimmed sun hat (so technically not naked).
Blue woolen or wool mix socks.
Scarpa walking boots.
Rucksack.
About 4½ inches flaccid.
Uncircumcised.
Shies away from excitable collies.

 

[Jay586]

We used to walk our dogs just up from Gordon Brown's house in Fife, got used to plod with large guns patrolling the road above the beach.

More annoyingly, we now have no campervan parking signs up where we currently walk our dogs. They are so badly worded I can't quite work out the extent of the prohibition, which was due to a caravan, car & Trotter's 3-wheel yellow vehicle parking up for the summer last year. Just very irritating.

 

[Jay586]

The naked rambler is famous, he keeps getting incarcerated opp north & in Scotland. He must be enjoying southern UK just now.

 

[Amarillo]

The naked rambler is famous, he keeps getting incarcerated opp north & in Scotland. He must be enjoying southern UK just now.

Reading Wikipedia, and seeing Google images of him, I think that is probably the man I saw. The description of a 6'4" tall man is somewhat different to the description I gave, but the man I saw certainly was tall.


Follow my blog: www.au-revoir.eu

 

[GillianC]

 

[Velma's Dad]

In all seriousness though, the story of the Naked Rambler (Stephen Gough) is a desperately sad one. He's spent literally years in prison for his crimes which consist of nothing more than walking around unclothed, with no apparent intend to create fear or offence. Eccentric maybe, but not hurting anyone.

We can't blame the police and courts for enforcing the laws, but those laws seem to suggest that we're a nation of intolerant prudes.

I did enjoy your post though Tom.

 

[Amarillo]

In all seriousness though, the story of the Naked Rambler (Stephen Gough) is a desperately sad one. He's spent literally years in prison for his crimes which consist of nothing more than walking around unclothed, with no apparent intend to create fear or offence. Eccentric maybe, but not hurting anyone.

We can't blame the police and courts for enforcing the laws, but those laws seem to suggest that we're a nation of intolerant prudes.

His legal difficulties appear to have been in Scotland, and later with the introduction of ASBOs in England.

 

[Rich B]

41/2 inches flaccid, seems very specific!