AS the summer months progress, one Alton woman has taken a snapshot of places in and around the town that will enable you to enjoy the holiday period without leaving the area.

Having read an article in the national press urging folk to celebrate the ‘Great British Summer’ by enjoying UK cities, Chris Chappell thought we should celebrate our own town.

She said: “There are so many hidden green pastures right in our town or within a short walk, many still a well-kept secret.”

So, when the weather man forecast a hot dry day on July 18, Chris leaped out of bed at 7am and designed a tour of the green spots and outdoor eateries, starting in the east with the rising sun and following it round to end in the west.

First stop, on her bicycle at 8am, was Kings Pond.

“Even the swans were still asleep,” she said. “I had it to myself, a haven of peace.”

And she added: “I checked out opening times for the local cafes and then peeped into Anstey Park where I was amazed to see the field empty and spotless after the huge vintage bus rally.”

Cycling into town for her voluntary work, Chris took a few lunchtime snaps at Café Rafters, before heading out on foot to enjoy Flood Meadows, including a paddle in the River Wey (too hot to resist), before continuing up Vicarage Hill to Bottega Cafe and on to Windmill Hill, where she soaked up the sunshine on the Chris Burgess memorial bench, returning home hot and tired.

As the sun dropped she popped out to capture the valley that leads past Chawton Park Farm – her favourite spot for a short cycle ride, taking a final few shots in The French Horn beer garden “before heading home, filled with beautiful images of Alton’s green pastures”.

These are images Alton Town Council is keen other people should enjoy. At an extraordinary meeting of the open spaces committee on July 27, a decision was taken to improve the town’s maps to direct people more clearly to the open spaces, both on foot and by car, and to flag up car parking availability.

While this is also an action point flagged up in Alton’s neighbourhood plan, open spaces committee chairman Graham Hill was keen to stress that the town council is responsible for providing and maintaining some wonderful areas of open space and it was important that people knew how to get there.