Cambridge Rambling Club - Autumn 2005 Newsletter

Future Activities

• 2-9 September: Lake District week: Accommodation is at Butterlip How Youth Hostel in the centre of Grasmere, or local B&B. There is a programme of walks and theatre outing(s). Please contact George (co-organiser with Pamela) 01223 301615 to check availability for late bookings

• 30 September- 2 October: Coach Weekend to Church Stretton, Shropshire: We now have available the following accommodation: 1 double room/ 1 twin room/ 1male sharing/ 1 female sharing. We stay at the 3-star Long Mynd hotel, ideally placed to explore the area. We stay on a bed and breakfast basis on the Friday and Saturday, plus dinner on Saturday. The coach leaves at 6pm from the Cambridge Innovation Centre on Cowley Road on the 30^th and will return at approximately 5pm from Church Stretton on the Sunday afternoon. The full cost is £112, including the coach. There are definitely A and B walks on both days - however C leaders are still required, any volunteers please contact Chris. You can find details of the hotel online at www.longmynd.co.uk. Anyone interested at this late stage please contact Chris or Carol Gautrey. Can anyone leaving a car please let Carol have details at least 3 days in advance. Full payment now due for everyone!

• 31 March- 2 April 2006: Coach Weekend to Swanage, Dorset: We have arranged a coach to the Pines Hotel, Swanage, for 2 nights commencing Friday 31 March. The hotel is set on the Dorset Coastal Path and is 3-star standard. All rooms are en-suite and there are fantastic sea views. The coach will leave the Innovation Centre at 10am on the 31 March, returning from Swanage at approximately 5pm on the 2 April. The cost is £141 for the weekend including the coach, a 4-course dinner and bed and breakfast for 2 nights. This promises to be an excellent weekend. Send deposits for £30 to Carol Gautrey as soon as possible to secure a place. You can find details of the hotel online at www.pineshotel.co.uk.

• 14 December – Wednesday ‘A’ Walkers Christmas lunch. The ‘George & Dragon’ at Elsworth has been booked for 1.00pm, at a cost of £16 for a 3 course meal plus coffee. Please give/send a deposit of £5 to John by 15^th October.

• 21 December – Wednesday ‘B’ Walkers Christmas lunch. The ‘George & Dragon’ is also the venue for one of our regular Christmas lunches. Details will be circulated in the autumn by Rod.

• Sunday 8 January – Sunday walkers New Year’s lunch. Tony should know the venue by September – please contact him on 01223 474316 for more information.

• ‘Bridge the Gap’ – Sunday 11 September sponsored walk. Walk a 4.5 mile circuit across Cambridge bridges, including university colleges as well as the Botanic Gardens. Starting from Jesus Green, after 9.30am, this walk benefits 3 local charities. Advance registration fee is £5. More information from 01223 434378 or visit www.pressrelief.org

• Swap of walks. Jill and Suzanne have swapped their Sunday ‘A’ walks scheduled for September 25^th and November 6^th – same start time, 8.45 at Harvey Road.

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 only be ‘B’ walks if a leader volunteers – please do come forward! 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.

Bath – Friday 14^th to Sunday 16^th October

The last visit to Bath YH coincided with ‘Foot & Mouth’ – so walking was restricted to old railway lines and lanes. This time we hope to explore the delightful network of paths through the beautiful Cotswold countryside. As a group we have to book on a B&B basis – cost £16.30 per person per night. ‘B’ walks available. Please check with Jill first if booking after 16^th August.

Kemsing – North Downs, Friday 11^th – Sunday 13^th November

Kemsing YH is on the North Downs in Kent, near Sevenoaks and Knowle House. It is due to be sold off by the YHA next spring – so this is your last chance to visit. The countryside in autumn is wonderful! We will be walking parts of the North Downs Way national trail and the Pilgrims’ Way. The overnight bed cost is around £11. Our accommodation will be on a self-catering basis, but there are nearby pubs. ‘B’ walks available.

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

Several members missed out on this year’s ‘rent-a-hostel’ trip to the Chilterns as demand was so high – so please book early for next winter’s visit to the north Norfolk coast. This is luxurious hostel accommodation – and we have it to ourselves!. Excellent walking along the heritage coast and in the grounds of Holkham Hall. Cost: £20 per person for 2 nights, (self-catering only, but pubs nearby). ‘B’ walks available.

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 – probable cost around £35. Please a cheque for £35 and any balance will be confirmed in the next newsletter. ‘B’ leader sought.

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. Please send a deposit of £10 per person to secure a place. ‘B’ leader sought. 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.

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 likelihood 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.

News and Notices

• Roger Campbell reports:

Eight Randonneurs in Normandy

The trip to Normandy was very successful with six walks through varied terrain, good accommodation and choice of local restaurants. It was hot for the first few days and we managed to avoid most of the showers during the rest of the week. The walks covered the Roz plateau, St. Michel’s Bay, Hambye Abbey and Sougeal. Kaoru braved the walk to Mont St. Michel and back across the tidal sands, while others took the car. The feedback has been positive and Roger would be happy to organise a similar trip next year.

• Fourteen members of the Wednesday ‘B’ Group enjoyed a house party atmosphere on their week’s holiday last May near Guerlesquin and Morlaix, Brittany, France. Walks were arranged along coastal paths and woodland walking was possible at Huelgrat amongst massive granite boulders.

• To encourage those amongst the membership thinking about leading a walk the club has included with this newsletter a brief ‘Guide to Leaders’.

• Ailsa Macqueen has some cine film of past club activities shot by Cyril Cooper, please contact her if interested.

• Annual General Meeting 2005: Please note in your diaries the date of 15 November and the venue is the Friends Meeting Place, Jesus Lane, Cambridge. The evening will start at 7:45pm with a general meeting to discuss and vote on proposed amendments to the constitution, (copy included - amendments underlined). The Annual General Meeting will follow. Posts to be filled are Treasurer, Secretary and 2 ordinary committee members

HELP RUN YOUR CLUB!

The Cambridge Rambling Club, like similar organizations, relies on voluntary help. For us it is not just leading walks but also helping with the running of the club. At this time of year, we are preparing for our annual general meeting during which we elect officers to the committee. This year is particularly challenging for we are to replace both Secretary and Treasurer. Both incumbents have served the club long and exceptionally well and we must give them the chance to step down. With a membership of 385, we should have a wealth of experience and talent ready to step forward to participate in the running of the club and your committee looks forward to receiving enthusiastic interest from the membership about these two important positions. Please address any enquiries about the roles and functions to Walter Shelton – 01223 232952, or email: shelton19@fsmail.net.

Next Committee meeting: Tuesday 8^th November. Venue to be announced.