Cambridge Rambling Club - Winter 2006 Newsletter

Future Activities

Ÿ Sunday 8 January 2006 – Sunday walkers New Year’s lunch.

Tony Palmer is organising this year’s lunch at the ‘Duke of Wellington’ pub in Bourn. There will be a walk of just over 5 miles in the morning. Advance booking is essential. The cost is £13 a head, with cheques payable to ‘O A Palmer’. Please contact Tony on 01223 474316 if you want more information.

Ÿ 31 March to 2 April 2006: Coach Weekend to the Pines Hotel, Dorset.

We now have only 12 places remaining for this weekend to the Pines Hotel all are in twin bedded rooms. To remind you we plan to leave Cambridge at 10 am on Friday 31 March and return on the Sunday evening, leaving from the St Johns Innovation Centre on Cowley Road, Cambridge. Please let Chris Browne have details of your car registration number at least 3 days ahead of the trip if you want to park here over the weekend. The weekend includes 2 nights 4-course dinner, bed and breakfast and the coach journey. You can find more details of the hotel at www.pineshotel.co.uk. We have leaders for both A and B walks. Anyone willing to lead C walks should contact Chris Browne. Send deposits of £30 per head to reserve a place to Chris Browne as soon as possible please. The full cost is £141 per head, balances to be with Chris by the 15 January 2006 at the very latest. Cheques payable to ‘Cambridge Rambling Club’, please.

Ÿ 20 May 2006: The London Walk

Again, Audrey Osborne will lead the 2006 London Walk. Please note the visit is on a Saturday - more details nearer the time.

Ÿ 2 July 2006: Summer Outing.

Please make a note of the date of next year’s summer outing. You can get more details from George Brewster. Please contact him by telephone on 01223 301615 or e-mail g.brewster1@ntlworld.com.

Ÿ 1 September to 8 September 2006 (Friday to Friday): Lake District Week.

Book now for the Club’s 2006 Lake District week at Butterlip How Youth Hostel, Grasmere. Please send £5 deposit (payable to Cambridge Rambling Club) to George Brewster (co-organiser with Pamela Landshoff), 12 Chedworth St., Cambridge, CB3 9JF. Some double rooms available.

Ÿ 29 September to 1 October 2006: Coach Weekend to the Esplanade Hotel, Scarborough

We have booked 50 spaces at this 3-star hotel situated on the Yorkshire coast. The coach will leave the St Johns Innovation Centre on Cowley Road at 4:40 pm on Friday 29 Sept, returning on The Sunday afternoon. The cost will be £112 per head to include the coach, 2 night’s bed and breakfast plus dinner on the Saturday night. We have available 8 single rooms at no extra supplement, 5 double rooms and 16 twin rooms. Reserve your place by sending a non-refundable deposit of £30 per head to Chris Browne, (cheques payable to ‘Cambridge Rambling Club’). This is a wonderful setting for coast and /or moors walking. Anyone willing to lead a C walk please let Chris have your details as soon as possible.

Hostel Weekends

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 be ‘B’ walks if a leader volunteers – and Chris Browne has offered to lead when he is booked on a hostel weekend. 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.

Wells-next-the-Sea ‘Rent-a-Hostel’ Friday 3^rd to Sunday 6^th February 2005

The hostel is now full – with a long waiting list – but if you want to join us you may be able to book into a nearby B&B. Just turn up at the hostel, (near the parish church) at 9.00am on Saturday morning, or give Jill (‘A’ leader) or Janet & Roger Moreton (‘B’ leaders – 01223 365889) a ring to find out where they are going!

St Briavels, Forest of Dean, Friday 17^th to Sunday 19^th March 2006

This is a rare opportunity to visit the ancient St Briavels Castle YH near the River Wye next spring. There is marvellous (and somewhat hilly) walking along nearby Offa’s Dyke, Tintern Abbey etc. The hostel now only takes booking on a B&B basis – with a weekend cost of £35.80. Please check availability of places with Jill if booking after 15^th January – as that is the date on which the final numbers and payment are due. Chris Browne will be leading ‘B’ walks.

Conwy, North Wales coast, Thursday 27^th April to Monday 1^st May 2006

Conwy YH is magnificently situated at the back of this picturesque town. The accommodation is of a very high standard, with mainly en-suite rooms. Walking in the nearby hills with views over the sea – or a short drive into Snowdonia proper, mean there is lots of variety on the doorstep. The overnight bed cost has been confirmed at £15.85 – breakfast extra. A limited number of beds have been booked for the night of Monday 1^st May if you want to extend your stay and avoid the Bank Holiday traffic on the way home. Please state clearly what nights you are booking for! The final numbers/balance are due on 27^th February, so please book early. We hope to have a programme of ‘B’ walks.

Backpacking the South Downs – Friday 26^th May to Wednesday 31^st May 2006

This trip starts at Arundel YH on the Friday night and involves walking through Sussex on or close to the South Downs Way to Truleigh Hill, Telscombe, Alfriston and then on by the ‘Vanguard Way’ to Blackboys youth hostel. We aim to be able to travel out and back by public transport – to reduce the impact of traffic jams on the way! Please send a deposit of £10 to secure a place. The distance between hostels is around 15 miles – although it may be possible to search out a local bus occasionally to reduce this. There are lots of places available – but numbers must be confirmed by the end of March, before the next newsletter is circulated.

Alstonefield, near Dovedale, Peak District – Friday 14^th July to Sunday 16^th July 2006

We have been very lucky and have booked the whole of this very nice, newly converted hostel which is situated above Dovedale for the middle weekend in July, giving the Club sole occupancy. The 20 beds are arranged in 4-bedded rooms, each en-suite. There are two lounges and kitchen areas. Although the hostel is self-catering, there are two pubs within walking distance in the village. The provisional cost for the weekend is £25 a head. Please send deposits of £15 a head now. We hope to provide B walks.

Ingleton, Yorkshire Dales National Park, Thursday 3^rd to Sunday 6^th August 2006

It is many years since we last visited Ingleton YH – close to Ingleborough and in one of the most scenic parts of the Yorkshire Dales. We have booked 3 nights (Thursday to Sunday) – although it may be possible to extend your stay if a longer break is required. Overnight charges for 2006 have yet to be announced but are likely to be around £13.00 a night. Please send a deposit of £15 to secure a booking. Meals available. B leader sought.

News and Notices

Ÿ About 35 people, less than 10% of the membership, attended the Annual General Meeting held on Tuesday 15 November. Those present agreed to the nomination of Simon Watkins as Treasurer and Gillian Dilloway as Secretary. Roger Campbell joined the committee as a member. The meeting had agreed, previously, to two amendments to the constitution. The meeting thanked both Carol Gautry and Angela Gardiner for their sterling service to the club. The meeting agreed to a proposal that made Carol Gautry a life member.

Ÿ The new Treasurer is Simon Watkins and his address is: 49, Victoria Park, Cambridge, CB4 3EJ. Simon’s telephone number is 01223 526157.

Ÿ Club discounts are still available from: Open Air (10%), Blacks (10%), Millets (10%), Simpers (10%), Field and Trek (5%) and Countrywide (10%). You will have to tell them before purchasing that you seek discount and produce your membership card.

Ÿ If a friend hasn’t yet received their programme for the winter – it’s probably because they have overlooked paying their subscription. This now stands at £4 a head – payable to our new Treasurer, Simon Watkins.

Ÿ 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.

Ÿ Your committee takes this opportunity to wish all the members of the Club a very happy Christmas and exceptionally good walking in the New Year.

The next Committee meeting, for those involved, is on Tuesday 14^th March at 19.45 – venue to be confirmed.

Next Newsletter – contributions welcome!

Any item of interest to the general membership, including adverts, should be passed to Walter by 20 March 2006.