Newsletter
June 2002
Reports
Slimbridge, 8 – 10 February, Easy/Moderate
Eager for Christian fellowship, I headed south down a wet M5 to Slimbridge. On arrival, I found a small group had gathered in the common room; it was good to see some familiar faces.
On Saturday, our numbers swelled by the Bristol local group, we enjoyed a circular walk to the north of Stroud, starting from Haresfield Beacon through Standish Wood, Randwick, and lunch in the sun at Whitehill. In the afternoon we climbed Scotsquar Hill, into Edge village and then back to Haresfield Hill. The walk was a mixture of open hills and woodlands. A particular memory was the snowdrops dancing down the roadside. In the evening a number of people attended a live "bird feed" at the Wildfowl Trust. Though I did not attend myself, the general feedback was positive.
On Sunday there was a choice of three church services including Mass at Berkeley Castle; I opted for the Anglican Church where we received a warm welcome. The walk started from Berkeley, and we headed out towards the Severn Estuary. The area had its special atmosphere although the ground was heavy going at times. We completed the walk at about 2:30pm, and said our good byes.
My thanks to Brian and Mary for providing a refreshing weekend during those dark winter months.
Martin Constable, Sutton Coldfield
Bridges, 8 – 10 March, Moderate
The wind may blow but on we go! Not even a gale could stop this intrepid bunch of ramblers from conquering the dizzy heights of Stiperstones! We refused to be intimidated by our fellow hostellers who went running before breakfast and navigating overnight. It was a case of hang on to your hats...literally as we leant into the wind and explored the craggy tops of Stiperstones, which must be Shropshire's most dramatic hills.
Some spiritual encouragement from Julie on Sunday morning gave us all the confidence to face the elements once again. However during the walk Julie wisely diverted us away from the summit of the Long Mynd because of the 'you ain't seen nothing yet' wind on the way up. We took the low road back to the hostel, and arrived back at our cars as the heavens opened with a deluge.
The warden at Bridges gave us a warm welcome and Julie organised the weekend with great enthusiasm and grace. Other bonuses for some of us were: the hostel food, clear starry nights, and the local pub. Shropshire for me is no longer somewhere on the way to Wales.
John Martin, London
Stratford-on-Avon, 15 -17 March, Easy
This proved to be both a cultured and historical event, from the luxurious surroundings of the former Georgian mansion that is the hostel, to the delights of the Royal Shakespeare Company, and topped off with a visit to the glories of Warwick Castle.
Of course the walking was good too, and we enjoyed a moderate walk of 8 miles on Saturday taking in all the delights of the surrounding countryside including the villages of Alveston, Charlecote, Loxley, and Wellesbourne complete with their thatched-roofed houses.
We joined a packed house for "A Midsummer Nights Dream" on Saturday evening, Shakespeare’s lively comedy set in an Athenian forest. The return journey included a visit to the magnificent castle of the Earls of Warwick and a visit to the church which is their resting place. Thanks to Jenny for careful planning which provided both a restful and an entertaining weekend.
David Lambert, Blackburn
Pam Monti, ChesterHelmsley, 28 March – 1 April, Easy/Moderate
The weather was perfect - dry and warm if occasionally windy. In Farndale the wild daffodils had opened early, great masses of them, smaller and paler than the cultivated variety, and elsewhere celandines, primroses, white wood sorrel and even late snowdrops grew in clusters. Gorse was the main flowering plant on the North York Moors, birdsong of many kinds was heard, and pheasants were frequently seen.
The sunlight made the ruins of Rievaulx Abbey even more beautiful; there was no chanting by monks, but instead a harmony version of "All in the April evening" sung by members of our group!
On Good Friday evening Ann and Peter Arnold led a meditation in one of the hostel dormitories. On other evenings, weighed down by the generous meals, we tested our alertness with various board games in the hostel. One of our members was clearly not that alert: locking out one of your leaders must definitely count as something of an own goal!
On Sunday morning the Anglican, URC, and Methodist churches in Pickering all welcomed members of our group. The afternoon saw us walking into a strong wind on the North York Moors for an invigorating 8½ mile walk in half a day.
Monday brought our last breakfast at Helmsley youth hostel – where else do the eggcups have miniature dinosaurs on top?! The helpfulness of the warden played a major part in making our stay enjoyable; some of the group also stayed in B&B, one at Osmotherley hostel, and others simply joined us for day walks. Monday's walk was a figure of eight from Sutton Bank, enabling those with longer journeys to leave at lunchtime, and the rest mid-afternoon.
Thank you to all those who led walks, and many thanks to Ann and Peter Arnold for arranging and leading such an enjoyable event.
Janet Roberts, London
Bellever, 28 March - 1 April, Moderate
The weekend started with brilliant sunny weather. On our first walk our stoic leader Arnold (who was recovering from 'flu) showed us where the Stannary Parliament sat, and some 'Neolithic' stone circles that turned out to be erected around 1912!
Subsequent walks were ably led by Linda, Marion (in a very ‘Hounds of the Baskervilles’ mist!) and Duncan. They took us to bleak moors, beautiful woodlands, and along clear streams with stepping boulders (not stones!) and the infamous bog land! Some of us spotted Dippers darting along one stream and we were instructed by a local on the art of finding Dartmoor post-boxes: "look for 'out of place' stones hidden in hollows on tors".
On Good Friday Charlotte led a meditative evening with scriptures and readings*. It was a special time to reflect on Jesus' sacrifice for us.
At the end of one long walk we were greeted with a pile of locally baked hot-cross buns that Julie had thoughtfully provided for us. On Easter Sunday we visited the United Church at Princetown, where we received a very warm welcome from a very small congregation, and more hot-cross buns! It was a lovely weekend making new friends and seeing old ones. Thank you to all who helped to make it so enjoyable.
Lesley Belding, Truro
* The book used by Charlotte was the ‘Lion Christian Meditation Collection'.
Totland Bay, 28 March - 1 April, Easy/ Moderate
Isle of WightFor many of us it was our first visit to the Isle of Wight. Most went from Lymington to Yarmouth, but for those of us who travelled from Southampton to Cowes, the first impression was that the Isle of Wight was a suburb of Southampton - built up and a place from which people in suits commute to and from work on a daily basis! However, first impressions were a long way from reality - a short bus journey to the other side of Newport took us out into beautiful unspoilt countryside.
We stayed at Totland Bay Youth Hostel in West Wight and spent three days exploring the local area. There were fewer of us on the first day so we went by car to Brighstone Forest, and we had some lovely views out over the sea. In the evening we went down to Hanover Point, and were lucky enough to see a number of three-clawed dinosaur footprints in the rocks. Others joined us later and as it was Good Friday Julie prepared a short meditation as part of the evening meeting.
Most people had travelled on foot so we explored areas close to the Hostel. On Saturday we walked south towards Freshwater Bay, onto Tennyson Down (as in the poet) and to the Needles, which are a group of rocky projections off the headland. After a short stop in Alum Bay, we walked back to the hostel along the coastal path, enjoying wonderful views of the Needles in silhouette.
On Easter Sunday we went to various churches, with a large group going to the local Anglican Church. This was followed by a 5-mile walk towards Yarmouth and back through two country parks to the Hostel with a stop on route at Fort Victoria (and a tea shop!!). On Easter Monday, some of the group did a short walk, whilst others took the opportunity to do some sightseeing around the Island before making our separate ways back home. Incidentally, as far as I am aware, we all escaped the "April Fools"!!
This report would not be complete without a mention of the weather! We certainly chose the right few days with glorious sunshine for the first half. The second half was overcast but mostly dry, with the occasional shower on Sunday afternoon.
For those who have not visited the Isle of Wight, I would highly recommend it. The only criticism is that it was too short - a hint for a week on the island in next year’s programme!! A big thank you to Julie for leading the weekend.
Heather Griffiths
Bryn Gwynant, 28 Mar–1 Apr, Moderate & Hard
Good Friday was a perfect day for Snowdon, a beautiful day with brilliant views. There were two different ascents, one group climbing up the south ridge and returning either by Y Lliwedd or the Watkin path, the other group going up via Crib Goch.
Saturday’s weather was also good, with the hard group enjoying the Nantlle ridge and the moderate group a walk north from Capel Curig over to Llyn Cowlyd reservoir.
The mice in the hostel kitchen were also enjoying Easter, helping themselves to all sorts of free meals during the night, somehow we didn’t feel like sharing the half eaten apples and bread that were left. On Saturday night the rain arrived and by morning the camping area was flooded, so was George’s tent. After one wet night, we decided he’d be better off guarding our food from the mice than getting washed out again.
On Sunday, the enthusiastic walkers attended a 9.30am service at Beddgelert and then tackled either Moel Hebog in the clouds, or a wet wild walk near Cnicht. The rest of us opted to be tourists for the day, and after a later service, also at Beddgelert, drove to Porthmadog for a trip on the Ffestiniog railway.
On Friday and Sunday evenings we met together for times of fellowship led by John Martin and Jane Ross respectively. Both were thought- provoking times of worship and reflection relating to the appropriate day.
My challenge for the weekend had been Crib Goch, Jane’s was keeping track of 16 hostellers split between the main house, the annexe and the camp site, together with varying numbers of people in B & B. Somehow she made this seem relatively easy and our thanks go to her for a great weekend.
Mary Cox, Bristol
Leominster, 12 - 14 April, Training Weekend
Leominster Youth Hostel was an ideal venue for this somewhat different event: a training weekend for event leaders (as distinct from walk leaders). The hostel is situated next to the Priory and has been beautifully converted from an old workhouse building. It has more the feel of a family home than a hostel, with comfy sofas and attractive furnishings – especially as we had the place to ourselves.
Here, seven of us gathered with the committee to learn about all that goes on behind the scenes in the running of an event. Subjects covered included communication and publicity, bookings and transport, walk preparation and group management, finance, food and catering, safety and first aid, worship and after event matters – a varied and interesting programme which left us aware of just how much planning goes into making each event the success that it is.
However, as walkers we could only manage so much time sitting indoors, of course, so both afternoons found us exploring the beautiful Herefordshire countryside.
High spots of the weekend included a shared meal on Saturday night cooked by Nicky and the worship service on Sunday morning, to which all contributed and found it beautifully cohesive despite our separate planning sessions. A reminder of just how much God is behind all that we do.
We came away feeling hugely grateful for the work of event leaders, if somewhat daunted by the task ourselves. Yet encouraged that every contribution is valuable and has a part to play, whether it be baking a cake to share with others or offering to write the report at the end – and that basically, despite the hard work, leading an event is fun!
A huge thank you to the committee for organising this event and an encouragement to everyone to contribute to the club in whatever way they can.
Charlotte Stewart, Henley-on-Thames
Holmbury St Mary, 19 – 20 April, Family Event
Two days notice catapulted me into this family weekend and I was so glad – it was one of the happiest and most refreshing breaks I could have wished for.
The only "family" was Graham and Judith and their two delightful little girls, but we were joined on the Saturday by the Dant family plus Malcolm. We spent the day rollicking through the pretty Surrey woodlands to Leith Hill to enjoy the glorious views, and some enlarged them further from the top of the tower. The weather was perfect - spring greens and warm sunshine, wonderful for photographs. I suspect Ninian will be a long distance walker – 6 miles and not yet 4 years old. Back at the cars the three ladies couldn’t resist walking back to the hostel, such a lovely afternoon leaving the men folk to drive the children home.
On Sunday, we walked to Holmbury Hill and on to Pitch Hill. The birch trees in their fresh green leaves and the wide grassy rides were like fairyland in the sunshine, as we played hide and seek with the children up to the Holmbury Hill trig point. Helena was up this in seconds – a Munro bagger in the making!! Between the hills lay a green valley with horses, and in the woods above we heard our first cuckoo – so scarce these days.
So back through the quiet woods to the car and home to finish a very happy weekend, thank you Graham for the chance to share it with you all – the children were wonderful and added an extra touch of magic.
Doreen Peskett, Chichester
Cotswolds, 19 – 21 April, Cycling
The cycling trip was blessed with lovely weather; it started with 6 cyclists staying the night in Badby, joined by 9 others on the Saturday morning. The route was planned to avoid the A roads giving the opportunity to cycle on narrow country roads and lanes. Spring was very much in the air and new born lambs and blossoming trees greeted us on every turning. We were very fortunate to have a Sherpa with us carrying a large hold all on his back containing enough provisions to deal with any contingency that arose. There was some speculation that it contained a dinner suit or a parachute. We never did find out the entire contents of the bag but it was jettisoned at Stow on the Wold youth hostel to allow a more comfortable ride on the Sunday.
The mandatory teashop stop on Saturday was in Moreton-in-Marsh. Here one cyclist, with the largest slice of cake I’ve ever seen served up, commented "half of this would have been sufficient" and then demolished the whole slice. Stow-on-the-Wold hostel was friendly and comfortable.
We shared the hostel with the Winged Fellowship. This is a charity devoted to allowing visually impaired individuals to experience the joy of cycling by partnering a sighted rider on a tandem. Many of us were challenged by the sterling work they do.
Sunday, another glorious day - and hills, more hills, and even more hills. En route, at the sight of a fluorescent yellow top, we caused a cattle stampede before getting a flat tyre, a flat frame and two flat wheels; it was quickly removed. If any of you haven’t tried Geoff's cycling weekends, why don’t you give them a go, they are great craic.
Colin Atkinson
Ironbridge, 26 – 28 April, Easy/Moderate
If you like a picturesque setting with historical interest good food and real ale, this village, being the origins of the Industrial Revolution has it all. Situated on the banks of the River Severn, Coalport YH is adjacent to the China Museum and a mere two miles walk along the river to Ironbridge.
On Saturday we took the riverside walk to Ironbridge where in bygone days the fee to cross was 1d per person, ½ d for sheep and 3 d for cows, 1s for a carriage; CRC members cost £5. We then ventured into Coalbrookedale where in 1709 iron was first smelted with coke. Despite intermittent showers we covered part o the Shropshire Way stopping for lunch in an idyllic bluebell wood, where we were blessed with rays of sunshine.
On our return to Ironbridge we had some free time to peruse the historical places of interests, or experience the delights of local teashops. In the evening, worship was kindly led by Pat and David – little did they know that this was to be a mini rehearsal for the following morning when they found themselves leading worship at the local Baptist church. The Lord does lead in mysterious ways. Others went to a nearby Methodist or the Church of England in Ironbridge where again the welcome and hospitality was excellent with tea and yummy birthday cake in abundance.
From our respective churches we met back at the Toll Tower before taking a steep climb through woodland too Bentall Hall, a National Trust property taking shelter in an adjacent church when the heavens opened.
Many thanks to Jane for making it a successful weekend and also to Pat and David for their contributions. It was good to meet old friends and make new ones – we can learn so much from each other.
Sue Frost, Crewe
Arnside, 2 - 6 May, All Grades
The Annual General MeetingDown the path to the beach front café, where after a bright and hot day under an improbably clear sky, where there is a fresh bacon sandwich with a smear of mustard, and a pot of beverage that refreshes, and the wide view of the sands over the Estuary. While in the grasses and the moist of the shade, there are thickets of snowdrops and clumps of daffodils and bluebells. That is what I came to Arnside hoping to see, a glimpse of England’s own special glory that flourishes nowhere else in quite the same way. For here on the edges of the Estuary are bluebells, which in the shaded dappled light carpet the floor of the forest. As if the depths of the heavens were on the transcendent earth under our feet.
The extraordinary carpets of blue covered the floor of Eggerslack Woods, on the tramp up from the train at Grange-over-Sands. Then beyond the woods were the limestone clints and springing turf of Hampsfell. The view is of distant hills, dim in the haze of what seems like a summer afternoon. Included are the curious angles of the tower of Cartmel Priory. After that was the racecourse and then the woods near Low Bank Side, and along the Cistercian Way as we left Cartmel there were spotted orchids here out in the fields.
Then there were the distant prospects of the seemingly shoreless sands spreading almost to the edge of the horizon. The irresistible spreading of the limitless waters of the Estuary as we looked around the edges of the world from Arnside Knott. Down there in the fields and trees were the ruins of Arnside tower, where the Reivers had their refuge and cattle holds. While further off on the shores of the Estuary down by Jenny Brown’s point is a curious stone tower that might have been used for copper smelting or as a beacon for the hundreds of motes like ants walking across the sands from Kents Bank.
A place where the prospect pleases, but a sheep in the foreground limps on a crippled leg, leaving intimations of mortality and memories of the pyres that burned the infection of last year. It troubles, for we are still on this mortal shore where the morbid problems of this earth wait with their disquieting rumours.
Meanwhile, a black-headed gull lifts its wings from the meres and reed beds of Leighton Moss, and the draft of this report is written inside the hide. It’s time to move south and home.
David Poole, Swindon
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