Cambridge Rambling Club - Winter 2007 Newsletter
Future Activities
14 January 2007: New Years lunch for Sunday walkers.
30 March to 1 April 2007: Coach weekend, Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire
We have presently 1 available space at the Speech House Hotel in a female sharing room. We have a short waiting list for members needing a twin room. Chris is presently trying to see if we can accommodate more for this popular weekend, so please ring him on 01353 665596 as soon as possible if you would like the chance to go.
28th April: London walk Chelsea & Battersea Park. Please send SAE to Audrey at 31 Howard Road Cambridge CB5 8QT for details AFTER 1st April when the train times will be known.
13 May 2007: Oxfam Walk more details to follow in the next newsletter.
2 to 9 June 2007 : Walking in Cantabria
Roger has arranged for a group holiday with ‘Muddy Boots’ on their walking holiday in Northern Spain. The accommodation is in the rural village of Correpeco situated at the eastern end of the Picos Mountains in the Saja-Besaya Nature Reserve. The accommodation is for twelve people in two double and four twin bedded rooms. All rooms are en-suite and the accommodation is full board with packed lunch each day. The price is €525 (£350 approximately) at the exchange rate pertaining on the day of payment. The price does not include air or ferry transport or insurance, but they collect guests from Santander (50 mins.) or Bilbao (2 hours) airports. The plan is to travel out on Saturday 2nd June 2007 for one week returning on 9th June. For further details or to secure a place please contact Roger on 01223 842546. Further details and pictures on Muddy Boots web-site http://muddy-boots.co.uk
4 to 18 July 2007: Proposed holiday in the Italian Dolomites.
For the latest position contact Vivien on 01223 246041.
Summer Outing Sunday 1st July
For more information please see the next newsletter or contact George (01223 301615) 28 to 30 September 2007: Skipton coach weekend.
We have booked accommodation at the Rendezvous Hotel in Skipton, North Yorkshire. This will allow us a number of beautiful walks in the Dales. On Friday 28 September 2007 the coach will leave Ely at 5:15 pm and the Cambridge Innovation Centre at 6:00 pm sharp. The cost of £120 per head will cover B&B on Friday with half board on Saturday. A limited number of single rooms are available at an additional cost of £30 for the weekend. Anyone wishing to reserve a place should send a deposit of £30 (£60 for a single room) to Chris as soon as possible, making cheques payable to Cambridge Rambling Club, NOT Chris! Please note that deposits are refundable only at the discretion of the committee and as long as it does not incur a loss for the club.
Lake District Week - Friday 31 Aug to Friday 7 Sept 2007
Book now for the club's 2007 Lakes' week at Butharlyp Howe YH, Grasmere. Send £5 deposit (payable to Cambridge Rambling Club) to Chris, 75 Columbine Road, Ely CB6 3WL. Some double rooms available. You can, of course, book into a B&B or hotel independently and join us for walks.
Hostel weekend trips usually 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 often be ‘B’ walks if a leader volunteers. We normally travel in cars, returning Sunday evening. All bookings to Jill. 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.
Sheringham Rent-a-hostel, Friday 26th to Sunday 28th January 2007
We still have some vacancies at Sheringham YH for the last weekend in January 2007. We have sole use of part of the hostel (the rest is closed for the winter) – and can take up to 50 people. The charge is again a very reasonable £20 per person for the weekend. ‘C’ walk leaders wanted!
Walks include beautiful Lathkilldale, Monsal Head, Winster and the moors – all from the doorstep. Initial places all taken, so please check with Jill on availability before sending a £20 deposit.
Dolgellau area, north Wales – Kings YH, Thursday 3rd to Monday 7th May 2007, (Bank Holiday)
It is some years since the Club stayed close to Cader Idris, Dolgellau and Barmouth – with options of high mountain walking or walks closer to the coast. We have booked 4 nights at Kings YH – with evening meal, as it is some distance from the nearest pub. Please send deposits of £20 per head to Jill if you would like to reserve a place.
We hope to walk most of the north Pembrokeshire coastpath from Poppit Sands round to Marloes in 5.5 days walking – with the help of a local mini-bus. Most nights we move on – so be prepared to carry a pack. However, some hostels now insist that we take full board, so we don’t have to carry a week’s provisions! We have 1 male place available and a waiting list for females. The total cost will be around £120 a head. Please ring Jill if you would like to join us.
Alstonefield, near Dovedale, Peak District, Friday 13th to Sunday 15th July 2007
The Club has sole use of this 20 bed newly refurbished hostel for July next year, keeping to 2006 prices. Rooms are all 4-bedded and en-suite. This hostel is self-catering, with pubs nearby. Cost just £20 per head for 2 nights as the YHA has given us a reduction in price to compensate for losing last year’s booking!
EXTRA – Dorset, Litton Cheney YH, Thursday August 9th to Sunday August12th (3 nights)
We have booked 14 places at this small self catering hostel within a few miles of the Dorset coast path. The cost is £13 per person per night.
Ironbridge – Coalport YH Friday 12th to Sunday 14th October 2007
Take the opportunity to visit some of the many museums around Coalbrookdale and then walk in the surrounding Shropshire Hills to historic villages like Much Wenlock. The cost for 2 overnights is £31. Meals available.
Tony Palmer: CRC members will be saddened by the news of Tony Palmer's death on 24 October after a valiant struggle against cancer. A long-standing Sunday "B" walker and erstwhile Committee member, Tony had a deep love of the countryside, enhanced in recent years by county-wide church explorations in his camper van, sailing in the Mediterranean and narrowboating in UK. CRC members are invited to contribute to the planting of some trees in his memory at a site in East Anglia with the Woodland Trust. Sarah (tel no 01223 214124) has offered to administer this collection. (Sarah Cole).
Peggy Winter: It is always sad to lose a long-standing member, as we did on 31st October this year. We all miss Peggy Winter, especially me - as she travelled with me each week. Peggy was a regular walks leader for the Wednesday ‘C’s and will be greatly missed. (Sheila).
News and Notices
AGM There was a good turn out to the AGM in November. Unfortunately Walter Shelton could not make it in person, but his ‘president’s report’ was read out and we wish him well in Suffolk – hopefully leading the occasional walk for us! John Pym was unanimously elected our new President. Norman takes over as the Wednesday ‘A’ programme secretary and John C replaces Rod in the Wednesday ‘B’ post. Pam stood down from the Committee – thanks to all retiring members. Our new Committee members are Angela and David. The AGM voted to award Life Membership to both Angela and Faith in recognition of their many years sterling contributions to the Club.
Club e-mail system: We have now approximately 150 members on the e-mail system and are using it more and more for club communications. If you are not receiving correspondence (and would like to) please e-mail Chris Browne at browneace@screaming.net. And we will make sure you are on the system.
Collecting club subscriptions by standing order: Can we remind you all about using the standing order for renewing subscriptions? 171 members paid by Standing Order in November - many thanks. Another 92 have paid by cheque/cash by 4th December. If you have not paid you won't get this newsletter! If you want another Standing Order form, please contact the Treasurer. Please check your bank statement to ensure the standing order has been set up.
Ailsa would like to pass on the duties of Archivist to someone else. Volunteers please let John know of your interest.
It’s timely to rekindle interest in Green Issues and in particular the changing climate and what we as individuals can do to alleviate the problem. The Club has for years extolled the virtues of sharing transport and with the debate gaining momentum we would again ask you to do your best to help keep carbon emissions down by using public transport where possible and to share cars otherwise.
If the Post Office has recently changed your post code, please notify Gillian to update club records, otherwise future mailings may not reach you - 10 Elysian Close, Ely, Cambs, CB7 4HY)
Wednesday ‘C’ Walks Sheila writes: ‘I would like to extend my appreciation to members ‘volunteering’ quite cheerfully when I need leaders for the weekly programme. Several ‘B’ walkers have also helped lead us and we are very grateful, including John & Beryl, Jeanne, Margaret and Mac and Barbara . I must mention ‘our’ member Derwent who finds time to ‘recce’ new walks for us. How he finds the time I don’t know! The ‘C’ Group wishes all members a Happy Christmas and lots of lovely walks in the New Year.’
For sale: Ladies size 8 Meindl Borneo walking boots. Nearly new, but unsuitable for my feet! Cost £120 new, but I’d accept £70. Contact Ann at 01223 358514.