CAMBRIDGE RAMBLING CLUB
NEWSLETTER
No. 1/04 – Spring 2004
FUTURE ACTIVITIES
11th January 2004 – New Year’s Lunch for Sunday Walkers
This year the lunch will be held at the Kings Head, Dullingham, with a 5½ mile walk in the morning. The cost will be £10.30 a head, with booking and payment to Tony (01223 350605) by 28th December.
19th –21st March 2004 – Kettlewell
The Club’s spring trip is to Kettlewell, in the lovely Yorshire Dales National Park, staying at Scargill House. Total cost is £96 per person. Departure by coach is now promptly at 10 am on Friday 19th March from St Johns Innovation Centre, Cowley Road. Contact Carol Gautrey for availability of places; and inform her of your car registration number, if leaving your car at the Centre. Please note that the balance of £76 (cheques to Cambridge Rambling Club) is now due by Saturday 10th January 2004, as Carol is on holiday soon afterwards.
15th May -- London Walk
Audrey Osborne and Ron Bailey are planning a ‘superb’ London walk on Saturday 15 May. Details in the next Newsletter.
Summer Outing – Sunday 11th July
Please make a note in your diary of the 2004 summer outing. Further details in the next newsletter of from George Brewster.
Lake District Week, Grasmere – Sunday 5th to Sunday 12th September 2004
There are a few places left in reserved rooms at Butharlyp How Youth Hostel, Grasmere. Cost is £13.90 - £15.40 per person per night, excluding meals. To book please send a £5 deposit, payable to Cambridge Rambling Club, to George Brewster, 12 Chedworth Street, Cambridge, (tel 01223 301615), who is co-organising with Pam Landshoff. Check with George if you want to book for less than the full week.
October 2004 Coach Weekend
Chris Browne is actively looking for a venue (see his request below).
First Aid Course
Chris Peters has offered to organise a basic first aid course sometime in the summer.
HOSTEL TRIPS
Unless otherwise stated, hostel weekend trips involve walks on Saturday and Sunday with overnight accommodation on the Friday and Saturday nights. Trips a long way from Cambridge are often for 3 nights or more. ‘A’ walks are guaranteed and involve around 6 hours walking. There will only be ‘B’ walks if a leader volunteers – please do come forward so we can advertise well in advance. Help with routes is available. We normally travel in cars, returning Sunday evening. All bookings to Jill Tuffnell with cheques payable to ‘E G Tuffnell’. Please book early as the full balance is due 2 months before the trip and it may be difficult to secure a place late on. Also offers of cars and requests from those seeking a lift. You are very welcome to book into a nearby B&B and join us for the walks.
Rent-a-Hostel at Blaxhall YH, near Snape, Suffolk, Friday 30th January to Sunday 1st February
There are still places available at this recently refurbished hostel. We will have sole occupancy of this cosy hostel close to Snape and the Suffolk coast. We hope to be able to offer three walks each day, to suit all requirements. Cost £18.00 per head for the weekend. Self-catering – with a pub nearby.
Slimbridge YH, Cotswolds, Friday March 5th to Sunday 7th
An early spring trip to Slimbridge YH has been arranged – with a wildfowl lake in the hostel grounds to attract birdwatchers! We will be walking part of the Cotswold Way and visiting some of the beautiful villages in the area. The overnight cost per night is £10.60. Hostel meals available and a pub in the village.
Port Eynon YH, Gower Peninsula, South Wales, Thursday April 29th to Monday May 3rd
Port Eynon YH is ideally situated right on the Gower’s Heritage Coast – around 34 miles of coast path accessible from the door. We have booked four nights, so we can walk the coast and visit Worm’s Head and the Mumbles. The overnight cost is £11.80. This is a self-catering hostel, but with a pub nearby. ‘A’ walks guaranteed – anyone willing to lead a ‘B’ group?
Shropshire Back-packing Trip, Late May Bank Holiday Weekend, Friday 28th May to Tuesday 1st June 2004
This four day inter-hostel backpacking trip next spring includes walking the Long Mynd and part of Offa’s Dyke path, visiting Wilderhope Manor, Bridges and Clun hostels. The four nights’ accommodation cost is £44.80.
Another trip to Blaxhall! Friday 2nd to Sunday 4th July
Colin Andrews is organising a summer Barbeque at his home in nearby Aldeborough for Club members on the evening of Saturday July 3rd – so what better way to spend the weekend than at nearby Blaxhall YH, with walks in the Suffolk countryside and coast. Cost is £11.80 per bed night.
Kirkby Stephen YH, Thursday 5th August to Sunday 8th
Kirkby Stephen is the half-way point on the Wainwright ‘Coast to Coast’ route and is surrounded by beautiful countryside. It’s also on the Settle-Carlisle railway – offering an alternative to the car for some walks. We have booked three nights at the YH – a converted chapel. The overnight bed cost is £10.60. Food available – and lots of pubs in the town.
Tanners Hatch YH Surrey, Saturday October 2nd
Just a one-night stay at this remote YH near Polesden Lacy, although you will have to do some light back-packing for two days! We will be starting from Guildford station on Saturday morning, walking through to Tanners Hatch where we will have to self-cater over night. On the Sunday we will walk along the North Downs and return to Cambridge by train in the afternoon/early evening. Limited places – so please book ASAP. Cost £9.30.
NEWS AND NOTICES
Annual Subscriptions – DUE NOW ** NOW DUE ** DUE NOW
If any member you know has not yet received the current Newsletter and programme card, they have probably not yet paid their subscription. If in doubt, please ask them to check with Carol Gautrey. Subscriptions at £3.50 (concessions £3) should be paid by cheque made out to Cambridge Rambling Club. Your new 2004 membership card can be used to get substantial discounts at local outdoor stores such as Open Air, Blacks and the YHA shop.
Annual General Meeting – 18 November
Ron Bailey has resigned from the committee and is being replaced by Sheila Kidman as Mid-week ‘C’ Programme Secretary. Pamela Landshoff and Chris Browne were elected on to the committee; and Annelie Bartram and Margaret Rishbeth were elected as life members.
Coach Weekends
Chris Browne is taking over from Les and Norma Thomas, and will organise the coach weekend from October 2004 onwards. As there should ideally be 3 grades of walk each day (ie on Saturday and Sunday), Chris would like to hear from all those willing, in principle, to lead one of those walks. Please contact him with full details on 01353 665596 (or e-mail browneace@screaming.net) as soon as possible.
Mid-week ‘C’ Walks
Sheila Kidman reports that some ‘C’ walkers cannot manage the 5 miles indicated in the Club programme card. Sheila and others feel some clarification is needed, and she writes: -
“As it is very difficult for leaders to arrange a cut-off point for the less able among us, plus arrange for transport to take them back to the pub, so that the more able can complete the longer walk: would not some members be prepared to meet for coffee at the pub and do a small walk amongst themselves? Lunch could be ordered in the usual way, and the “shorter” walkers could start having their lunch before the other members returned. Several more able members have indicated they would like to do up to 5 miles, while they are still able to do so, at a quicker pace than has been done recently. To have a ’D’ party, which we could really do with, would result in more leaders being required, and we all know how hard they are to obtain! (It would solve the problem of course). Your views would be appreciated, and I can be reached on 01223 562540. PLEASE think about the above. It is very hard to please everyone.”
Isle of Wight Coach Weekend on 17-19 November
An enjoyable weekend was had, thanks to the good weather and a pleasant (if somewhat noisy) hotel. Shorter walks were led by Les and Norma Thomas, while local RA members Mike and Chris led the longer ones. The scenery was spectacular!
Ceilidh on 22 November
The Crofters band provided a lively evening of entertainment. Though fewer people attended than expected, it was pleasant to have enough space to dance. Thanks to Angela Gardiner for all the work in organising the event.
Footpath Problems
Members are urged to report any significant footpath problems which they encounter. A leaflet with a suitable reporting form is available from the RA; or contact Janet and Roger Morton (01223 356889) in respect of South Cambridgeshire.
Website: www.cambridgeramblingclub.org.uk - Contact Dave Harrison for any Club announcement to be included on the website: Tel. 01954 250332 or e-mail: djh1@cam.ac.uk
AA Book of Walks – looking for a good home
Pauline Skyrme-Jones is looking for a home for this book of walks – call her on (01223) 693358 if interested.
Next Newsletter – contributions welcome!
Any item of interest to the general membership, including adverts, should be passed to Dieter by 20 March 2004.
Next Committee Meeting - The next meeting is on Tuesday 9 March 2004 at Jill Tuffnell’s house, 62 Beche Road.
SEASON’S GREETINGS TO ALL MEMBERS