WESSEX LDWA GROUP

 

OCCASIONAL NEWSLETTER

 

SEPTEMBER 2015

 

Download copy        September_2015_Newsletter.pdf

 

I have to admit that, when I wrote and dispatched the first occasional newsletter in July 2014, I hadn’t intended that it be quite as occasional and infrequent as it’s turned out to be.  Time certainly flies and it’s been an interesting, entertaining and very busy fourteen months since the last newsletter.

The walking programme has proved to be very successful and the numbers joining in on the Sunday walks have increased significantly.  Last year’s Christmas walk to the Hampshire Bowman saw around 27 of us at the pub for lunch and, this year, we’re consistently getting into the top teens and

beyond into the twenties, and we’ve had one walk that attracted 30 people.  Long may it continue.

 

                       

After a very convivial lunch at the Hampshire Bowman

 

A number of you asked for a Saturday walk and we have one planned for 24 October.  This will be a useful addition to our usual Sunday programme.  In theory it should mean that there will be more choice of food in that pubs don’t tend to restrict Saturday lunch menus to roast meals only. 

It’ll be interesting to see how busy the pub is compared with what we’re used to on Sundays.  If successful then this is something we’ll do more of in the future. 

 

NEW WALK LEADERS

 

I put in a plea for additional leaders in my last newsletter and am delighted to report that some who hadn’t done it for us before have since put themselves forward and we’ve enjoyed some very successful and different walks as a result.  We also have more to look forward to.  

However, we mustn’t rest on our laurels and will continue to welcome new ideas and leaders for future social walks. It may be that it’s something you’ve considered, but haven’t actually done yet.  We have digital mapping software plus the sheet maps available for all the areas that we walk,

so can help with route planning and the production of annotated maps.  We have a number of people within the Group who’ve said they’d be prepared to help with navigation skills as well – basic map and compass work.   Let me know if there are any particular factors that could be stopping

you from leading a walk and it may be that we can help.

 

LDWA NATIONAL AGM – SUTTON SCOTNEY

 

You’ll have read in Strider about how very successful our National AGM at Sutton Scotney was perceived by those who attended last March.  I really do want to thank everyone involved in the planning before the event, the meeting and greeting and providing information over the weekend,

and leading the Saturday walks.  It was a fantastic effort that resulted in great feedback from the delegates, the organisers and the National committee.

In addition, the Thursday Crew, and others, put in a huge amount of time and commitment over the preceding nine months in designing routes and then walking, refining and rewalking them.  The hotel was at the intersection of the A34, A30 and the A303 and was fantastic for access for the

delegates.  It was also near the shallow and flood-prone valleys of the Rivers Test, Anton and Dever.  Because of these factors, the dual carriageways and the rivers prone to flooding, we don’t often have a group walk in that area.   Consequently we didn’t have a catalogue of superb walks,

built up over the years, to draw on for the National AGM.    We effectively had to start from scratch.  That meant that we discovered walks that didn’t work as well as ones that did. 

My sincere thanks to all those who did so much to help.

Next year’s AGM will be at Buxton over the weekend of 11 to 13 March.  Every member is entitled to attend, it’ll be an enjoyable weekend in a lovely part of the country.  It can give you the opportunity to contribute and have your say if you wish to.  Look out for details in December’s Strider.

 

 

 

 

Surprisingly deep puddle encountered on one of the recce walks in August 2014

 

THURSDAY CREW

 

This group of people within the Wessex LDWA who are fortunate enough to be retired meet most Thursdays and go on an impromptu walk.  Impromptu in that, at the moment, there’s no formal programme.  The group and the walks have simply evolved over the last two and a half years or so,

and we’ve completed some cracking routes.  It may be that a recce for a forthcoming social walk needs to be done.  Or someone will mention that they fancy putting a walk together in such and such an area for the following week.  The details are communicated by email amongst the core group.  It’s a system that works well. 

If you’re interested in walking with us on a Thursday, let me know and I’ll make sure that you’re included in future mailings.

100 CHECKPOINTING

 

As you probably know, the Group has mustered a checkpoint crew for the last few 100s.  We were at Checkpoint 1 in the surprisingly salubrious Millwall for the London Games 100.  We took a house at Horrabridge for the Cornwall and Devon event and, last year, a crowd of us made our way,

sharing transport where possible, to Bute Town near Rhymney for the Valleys 100.  This year ten of us manned the checkpoint at Barley in Lancashire for the Red Rose 100.  This really was a superb event in a lovely walking area.  Even the weather was on our side – mostly.  I say ‘mostly’

because we stayed in a pub within sight of Pendle Hill, but only saw it on the afternoon we arrived.  The rest of the time we were there it was shrouded in mist or cloud.  The countryside around was in bright sunshine, but Pendle Hill was being very coy and remained hidden.

 

 

Working with Raynet to set up the Barley communications system

 

Next year’s 100 is in Dorset over the Bank Holiday weekend of 28 to 30 May.  Because of the support we received for this at our Wessex AGM, we’ve agreed to run checkpoint 5 at Buckland Newton.  The plan is to treat this very much like the Valleys 100 and, for those that want to, just

go there to man the checkpoint and then return.  The Group will hire a minibus to provide transport for those that want it. 

Please let me know if you’re prepared to help out with checkpointing on Saturday 28 May for the Dorset 100 2016.  It’ll help us gauge the number of minibus seats we need to provide and enable us to get the bus or buses organised in plenty of time.

 

 

 

WEEKENDS AWAY    

 

The Long Mynd – Church Stretton – Shropshire – 16 to 19 October 2015

 

Plans are well under way for this coming weekend’s event at the Longmynd Hotel in Church Stretton. The Recce Crew have researched and put together a number of routes that they walked out during their trip to Church Stretton earlier this month.  The best ones have been added to the itinerary

for the weekend itself.  There will be longer and shorter walks put on each day, as we’ve done for the last few years.  If you’ve not walked in Shropshire before you’re in for an absolute treat.  The variety and quality of the walking available in the area is a well-kept secret

 

 

The view from near Pole Bank on the Long Mynd

 

Holnicote House – Selworthy – Somerset – 14 to 17 October 2016

 

Holnicote House, near Selworthy, was originally built as a family home for the Acland family and is now owned by the National Trust.

It’s a beautiful house with very comfortable accommodation.  It’s another destination that offers lots of variety in a relatively small area.   There’s sufficient of interest nearby that we’ll be able to put a programme of routes together that’ll be different to the ones we walked when we were there in 2010.

We’ve paid a holding deposit already for next year.  I won’t be writing out for deposits until the New Year but, if you are interested in coming along for that one, let me know and I’ll make sure you’re added to the distribution list. 

 

 

 

THE NEW FOREST CHALLENGE

 

This year’s (2015) event was hugely successful for a number of reasons.  The weather was on our side apart from a dramatic hailstorm around 1600.  The organisation of the hall, kitchen and food was the best of any of the events that I’ve been involved with.  Many thanks to Helen Dixie,

Janet Goody, Jeff, Jacky Griffin, Peter Moore and George Rush for their work with the food and in the kitchen, and to Jack Clark, Dave Meyer and Luke Godfrey for their work in the hall, checking in the entrants, preparing certificates and clocking the walkers back in again.

The led walks worked particularly well this year, so many thanks to Tim, Kathy and Les Hewitt for that.  We’d made changes based upon the feedback we’d had from previous led challenge walks and, from the comments that I received on the day, they were much appreciated by those who’d taken part.

Mention must be made of the party of youngsters from the Guildford County School who were using our event as a fundraiser for the trip to Africa they were organising.  We really thought they’d elect to walk the shorter distance.  After all, the teacher who was leading them had struggled to complete the

shorter distance when he did the Marshals’ Walk with us at the beginning of February.  Well, on the day all but one of them completed the full course.  An amazing achievement on their part.  A large part of the credit for their success must go to Peter Toghill who shepherded his charges around 26+ miles

of the New Forest with care, patience, tolerance and good humour.  Many thanks also to all of those who stayed behind at Burley, long after the published finish time, to welcome them all back in with a round of applause, drinks and food.

Finally, I must thank all those who manned the checkpoints for their time, commitment and patience during what, especially for those on the later checkpoints, became a longer day than was expected.

Next year’s event will be held on Sunday 28 February 2016.  Please put the date into your diary.

The Village Hall in Burley is booked and the route has already been worked out and walked by Patrick Fleming.  There will be two distances, 19 and 26 miles, and there will be a led option again.  This has proved to be popular and valuable in the past and has resulted in new members joining the LDWA.

We will need quite a number of people to help out with the event next year.  Hence the request that you put the date into your diary now.  We need volunteers to run the reception desk, man the checkpoints, lead and back-mark the led walk, start the event, put safety notices out and be available to collect

the occasional stranded walker during the day.

Please let me know that you’ll be able to help out on the day and you’ll be added to the mailing list for the event.

 

 

 

CONTACT DETAILS    

 

Email               michael.godfrey@zen.co.uk

Landline         023 8055 6551

Mobile            07778 537732

 

Regards

Michael Godfrey