CAMBRIDGE RAMBLING CLUB (Associated with HF Holidays)
AUTUMN NEWSLETTER 2010
Future Activities
Sunday 5th - 12th September 2010. Lake District Week, Borrowdale YH, nr Rosthwaite. 19 members are booked to stay at the hostel, with others staying locally. We have now paid the final bill but it is likely that places will still be available at the hostel. Anyone interested should phone the Y.H. direct (01768 777257), quoting Cambridge Rambling Club, and make payment directly to the YHA. Please contact David for further information.
15th-17th October. Autumn Weekend at the Whipper-In Hotel, Oakham. A few places available in twin-bedded rooms. £110 per person for 2 nights' dinner and B&B. Balance due by 31st August. Please send a cheque made out to Cambridge Rambling Club to Patricia.
30th October - Ceilidh with the 'Wide Glide' Band. Following the successful Ceilidh last August we are following up with another dancing session at Hills Road Sixth Form College on Saturday 30th October from 7.00pm on. Please bring food/drink; the Club will arrange everything else! Tickets £7.50, payable to Cambridge Rambling Club. They are available from Programme Secretaries and also from Gillian D - see card for addresses.
Club AGM - Saturday 20th November at 14.00 at the Friends' Meeting House on Park Street, near Jesus Lane, Cambridge. Please come along and support your hard-working committee! We have invited a speaker from the 'Cambridge Past, Present & Future' charity along to speak about plans and developments at both Wandlebury and the Coton Nature Reserve.
Friday 1st to Sunday 3rd`April 2011 - Peverill of the Peak Hotel in Thorpe, Dovedale. - Around half our places are already booked in twin en-suite rooms at the popular Peverill of the Peak hotel in the White Peak area of Derbyshire. The total cost, including the coach and all gratuities, for 2 nights dinner B&B, is £165 for a shared room and £185 for a singly-occupied room [all allocated at this stage]. We plan to depart from St John's Innovation Centre, Cowley Road, Cambridge at 11am on 01 April (with a prior Ely pick-up if required), returning to Cambridge late on Sunday evening. To guarantee your place please send a non-refundable deposit of £30 per head to David Peel as soon as possible, with cheques payable to Cambridge Rambling Club; (the final payment will be due by 31st January). Car numbers should be sent to David at least 3 days ahead of travelling.
This country house hotel lies close to Thorpe Cloud, forming an ideal base to explore the beautiful countryside around Dovedale. David will be pleased to hear from anyone willing to lead a walk, at any level - suggestions for routes available if wished. Please contact him on 01223 811921. For further details on the hotel, please visit http://www.peverilofthepeak.com/
16th January 2011 Sunday B New Year Lunch walk This walk will be 5 miles followed by a 3 course lunch and tea or coffee at the Elmdon Dial. Advance payment and menu choice essential by Christmas. Please contact John on 01223 843717 for a menu. Cheques should be made payable to John Andrews.
Hostel (& similar) Trips: Hostel trips are relatively informal affairs, with weekend walks on Saturday and Sunday and overnight accommodation on Friday and Saturday. Trips a long way from Cambridge are often for 3 nights or more. 'A' walks are guaranteed, with around 6 hours walking; 'B' walks depend on a volunteer leader - please do offer! Travel is normally in cars and we try to arrange car sharing. All bookings are handled by Jill Tuffnell, with cheques payable to 'E G Tuffnell'. Please book well in advance as the full balance must be paid at least 8 weeks before the trip. If you can offer to drive or want a lift - please let Jill know. And you are very welcome to book your own B&B or hotel.
* Welsh Bicknor, in the Wye Valley , Friday 1st to Sunday 3rd October (2 nights). This weekend is in fabulous walking country on the Welsh/English Marches, close to the River Severn and near to the Wye Valley. The walking is excellent - straight from the door. Meals available. Please book direct with the hostel or in nearby accommodation as we have paid the final balance due. 'A' and 'B' walks available.
* Holmbury St Mary, near Leith Hill, Surrey, Friday 5th to Sunday 7th November (2 nights). We have exclusive use of this 40 bed self-catering hostel under the 'Rent a hostel' scheme. Close to Leith Hill, this area offers marvellous walking in the North Downs. We plan a 'bring & share' meal on Saturday evening - with a few sparklers; contact Margaret Graham for details. 'A' and 'B' walks available. The cost is £36 for 2 nights.
* Stour Valley Bunk House, Friday 11th to Sunday 13th February 2011, (2 nights). We` have booked all 20 places available at this new self-catering bunkhouse close to the Stour Valley Way, close to the coast south of Ipswich, with a pub nearby for evening meals. The cost is £35 for 2 nights.
* Arundel, South Downs, Friday 11th to Sunday 13th March 2011, (2 nights). There are 16 places booked at this hostel on the South Downs, close to Chichester. Meals available. The overnight B&B cost (compulsory) is £24 - so the total is £48. 'B' leader sought.
* Llangollen hostel - north Wales, Thursday 28th April to Monday 2nd May (4 nights). We have exclusive use of this independent hostel close to the centre of Llangollen. The cost for 4 nights (no food provided) is provisionally £100 - but as this assumes we have 16 people staying at this 31 bed hostel the price could reduce if numbers increase. All bedding provided. 'B' leader sought. Wonderful walks straight from the door and within close driving range. Please send a £20 deposit with the balance payable by 1st March 2011.
* Backpacking trip to the north Pennines, Friday May 27th to Wednesday June 2nd (6 nights). This inter-hostel back-packing trip starts at Once Brewed YH, on Hadrian's Wall on Friday May 27th, where we spend the first 2 nights. (It is possible to travel there and back by train - with a short walk from a station on the Carlisle/Newcastle line at the start). We spend Saturday exploring one of the best-preserved sections of the Wall - without a pack! On Sunday we walk south to Ninebanks YH; on Monday we walk on to Alston YH. On Tuesday we walk into upper Teesdale, with its wonderful flora, including rare blue gentians, spending the night at Langdon Beck YH. On Wednesday we follow the Pennine Way west to Dufton YH. On Thursday morning we walk south into Appleby and can pick up the Carlisle/Settle line south or north. The cost for 6 nights (without breakfast) is currently £102 per person, but this may increase slightly by next year. Most hostels provide meals and distances between hostels are between 12 and 16 miles maximum. Please send Jill a £20 deposit with the balance payable by March 28th 2011.
News and Notices
Rob Ward: Those of you who remember Rob may be interested to know that he left a substantial legacy to the National Trust with the wish that it be used for setting up a centre which would introduce young people to hill walking, natural history, etc. That centre has now been established, and you can get a sense of what it offers by visiting www.heryri.org. I visited it in June with Pauline and friends and we all felt that Rob would be very pleased with the way in which the project is being run. Pauline even learnt to make fire! Visits would be most welcome at any time; just contact Sioned Jones via 01766 510125 or sioned.jones@nationaltrust.org.uk. Please feel free to contact me on 01223 840500 if you would like any further information. John B
Wednesday 'C' News from Sheila. We have "lost" two further leaders for this programme as Barbara and Mac have health problems and Ken has reached the age of 87 and wishes to retire. I greatly appreciate their help in the past. Four members are leading walks for the first time, i.e. Val, Anthea, Elizabeth and Carol. For these to respond to my bullying is very rewarding. Myrtle RINGS ME before I get down to contacting members for walks. What a star! Rumours abound that "You HAVE to have coffee if walking with the C group and you HAVE to have a lunch in the pub" Neither of these is true. Walkers can arrive at the walk start and go home WITHOUT staying for lunch. Barbara who helps me, can vouch for this. NO ONE WANTS TO WALK ONCE A FORTNIGHT ONLY AS WE THINK IT WOULD BE THE DEATH KNELL FOR THE C GROUP.
WANTED: Your Club Needs YOU! Vacancy for Autumn coach weekend organiser. As I write this newsletter we still have no coach weekend planned for autumn 2011 - because we have no volunteer(s) to take on the organisation. The burden doesn't have to fall on one individual - if 2 or 3 would like to split the job then please come forward and let Jill Tuffnell know. Unless Club members do the organising there will be no trip.
New leaders wanted: You will see from the programme that we are very dependent on a few people leading walks; some are leading 4 or 5! We want to support more new leaders - with 'old hands' helping anyone interested in leading. Please contact programme secretaries for more information.
Discounts: Club membership currently gives you a 10% discount at Cambridge branches of Blacks, Open Air, Cotswold Outdoor, Grays and Simpers (on Mercers Row). Blacks are introducing their own card - giving a 15% discount on all purchases, but you will need to apply direct. More details on our website when we have them.
Subscriptions. If you have not completed a standing order form please do so this year as it saves us a lot of effort! Forms can be downloaded from the website or obtained from Simon Watkins.
For sale: (i) Geko 201 GPS, belt holder, serial cable, £40. For more information contact Norman 01223 870121. (ii) Boots: nearly new Brashers, size 8, £50 - contact Pauline on 01638 743187 or 07779 193648
Email addresses: Please let Gillian Dilloway have your email address/changes - useful for updating you all!
Club website: We plan to set up a new page listing members' recommendations for good walking holidays.
Please do not consume your own food/drink in pub gardens/premises unless explicitly given permission to do so by the landlord.
Next Committee Meeting is on Monday 15th November at the Wesley Church, King Street, Cambridge at 7.30 p.m.