2012 Winter Newsletter

WINTER NEWSLETTER 2012

 

Future Activities

 

15th January 2012 Sunday B New Year lunch walk from The Maid’s Head, Wicken’ The walk will be 6 miles followed by a 1, 2 or 3 course lunch for £13.55, £15.75 or £17.95 including tea or coffee, the tip and a hot drink at Upware after 3 miles. Please contact John on 01223 843717 for a menu. Cheques must be received by John by Christmas.

Friday 30th March – Sunday 1st April 2012, Coach Weekend, Craiglands Hotel, Ilkley, W Yorkshire.

10 places are still available in twin en-suite rooms at this country house hotel, just on the edge of the famous Ilkley Moor at the start of the Dales Way. There’s great walking within Wharfedale and in the surrounding hills and moorland, and we are planning a choice of three walks both days to enjoy it. The total cost, including the coach and all gratuities, for 2 nights dinner B&B, is £163 for a shared room and £193 for those already booked into a single room. For further details on the hotel, please visit www.craiglands.co.uk.

We plan to depart from Cambridge RUFC, Grange Road at 10:15am on 30 March (with a prior Ely pick-up if required), returning late on Sunday evening. To guarantee your place please send a non-refundable deposit of £30 per head (payable to the CRC) to David as soon as possible. The final payment is due by 31st January. The price for parking at the RUFC is £10 for the weekend; please add to your final payment if you wish to park there.

21st April 2012 – London Walks. Two walks exploring Dulwich, Sydenham Woods and Crystal Palace. For full details, either send SAE to Audrey or consult the website (after 1st March).

Saturday May 5th – 12th 2012, Hassness, Buttermere, Lake District. The Club has sole use of the Ramblers Holidays’ Hassness guest house on the banks of Buttermere for this Bank Holiday week in May 2012. There will be a Ramblers leader for D+/C grade walks. There is one twin room still available. Contact Jill for details and a booking form.

 

10th June 2012 Sunday B bring and share meal. The Sunday B walk will be followed by a bring-and-share meal in a garden in Cambridge. Please put the date in your diary and contact Victoria on 01223 573813 or Miranda on 01223 881588 for details in May.

Sunday 17th June 2012: Summer outing by coach to the Suffolk Coast, between Snape and Sizewell. A choice of walks on the fabulous Suffolk coast. The coach will leave Harvey Road at 8.30am. Maximum cost £15. Please contact Angela for bookings (01223 872128) and offers to lead. Cheques payable to ‘Cambridge Rambling Club’, please.

Saturday 8th – 15th September 2012. Lake District Week, Butharlyp Howe YH, Grasmere. 20 places reserved in 2 and 4 berth rooms at Butharlyp Howe for a return to Grasmere. Self catering will be available if required. Overnight cost for room only will be £21 per night in 2 berth rooms and £18.50 per night in 4 berth rooms. Please note that this does not include transport which is arranged personally. Anyone staying outside the hostel is welcome to join the walks, and to take evening meals at the hostel. Offers of walks and leaders welcome! To secure a place please send a deposit of £50 payable to ‘Cambridge Rambling Club’ to Norman (who has taken over organisation of the Lakes week). Final payment will be due 31 May 2012.

Friday 26th to Sunday 28th October 2012 HF’s Nythfa House, BreconSituated in mature grounds on the edge of the Welsh market town of Brecon, with the magnificent Brecon Beacons to the south, and Black Mountains to the east, we have booked sole occupancy of HF’s very comfortable country house with indoor pool available to all guests free of charge. There are 12 places left in shared ensuite rooms. The total cost for 2 nights dinner, B&B, packed lunch, coach and all gratuities will be £181.50 for a shared room and £195.50 for a singly-occupied room (now all allocated). The coach will leave Cambridge on Friday morning (prior Ely pick-up if needed) and return by around 10pm Sunday evening. To reserve your place please send a non-refundable deposit of £50 per head to Meg with cheques payable to Cambridge Rambling Club. (the final payment will be due by 31st July 2012). Offers to lead, please!

Hostel (& similar) Trips: Hostel trips are informal affairs and, if a long way from Cambridge, are often for 3 nights or more. ‘A’ walks are guaranteed; ‘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 with deposit or payment well in advance as the full balance must be paid at least 8 weeks before the trip. Offers to drive or requests for a lift to Jill please. You are very welcome to book your own B&B or hotel and join us on walks.

*Medway YH, Rochester, Kent Friday 10th to Sunday 12th February 2012. (2 nights). There is sole Club occupancy of this new 40 bed hostel in a converted oast house close to the North Downs. Cost £35 per person; self catering.

*Stratford on Avon YH Friday 9th to Sunday 11th March 2012. (2 nights). Walking in Warwickshire. There are just two female dorm places left; please contact Jill if you are interested. Bed only cost is £25; meals available. Theatre tickets for ‘Twelfth Night’ on Friday 9th have all been taken; please phone the RSC theatre or try the website for direct bookings.

*Mankinholes YH, Calderdale Valley, Easter trip -Thursday 5th to Monday 9th April (4 nights). This comfortable self-catering hostel is close to Hebden Bridge – with an excellent pub for evening meals close by. We plan to walk the 50 mile ‘Calderdale Way’ in stages. The price is a very reasonable £12.50 per person per night – so £50 for 4 nights. There are a few places still available; please contact Jill to check availability before booking. The balance is due by 1st February for those who have paid a deposit.

*Conwy YH, North Wales, Friday 1st to Wednesday 6th June (5 nights). We are returning to this very comfortable hostel situated above Conwy town with views to the coast. There is excellent walking from the door. The balance due on beds in 4-bedded rooms is £70 for those who have paid a £25 deposit, (payable by 20th April), or £95 for those booking now. There is one two-bedded room still available for £245 for the 5 nights, as well as places in the larger rooms. Meals available.

*Grinton Lodge YH Swaledale, Thursday 16th to Monday 20th August (4 nights). This is a great situation in Swaledale. Meals available. We have booked a couple of two-bedded rooms at £51 a night (i.e. £25.50 per person). The cost of all other beds in larger 4 and 6 bed rooms is £20.40 per person per night. Please send a deposit of £20 to Jill, stating if you want a twin room. The balance is payable by 14th June 2012. Meals available.

*Leominster YH, near Ludlow, Friday 28th to Sunday 30th September(2 nights). We have sole occupancy of this very high quality self-catering hostel in central Leominster. There are 28 beds in total, including 6 two-bedded rooms. We can walk the Hereford Way to Ludlow and return by train; on Sunday we can walk in the Malvern Hills. The cost is £40 per person.

*Alstonefield YH, Dovedale, Peak District, Friday 9th to Sunday 11th November (2 nights). We have sole occupancy of this very high quality 20 bed, self-catering hostel. There are 5 en-suite 4 bedded rooms, two kitchens and lounges. The cost is £35 per person.

News and Notices

Pat Lowe, a long-standing CRC member and friend to many, died in October. She was a regular Wednesday ‘A’ walker and leader and also helped to organise weekend trips. She remained very committed to the Club throughout her recent illness, coming along to activities whenever she was able. It was very gratifying to see around 50 Club members at her funeral.

Annual General Meeting held on Saturday 19th November 2011. The Club’s AGM reviewed the Club’s activities over the past year, and looked ahead to 2012. Thanks were given to all Committee members, especially those retiring: Rita, John and Sandra. Margaret H was elected to the Committee and is taking over as the Wednesday ‘A’ walks Secretary. Pam is taking over as Wednesday ‘B’ walks Secretary. Geoff Jones has also come onto the Committee as ‘web-master’. Norman offered to take on responsibility for organising the Lakes YH week, with David P continuing as the Spring coach weekends organiser. John C was given Life membership of the Club in recognition of his contribution over many years. After the formalities and refreshments Norman showed us wonderful photos from his summer recent backpacking trip to Greenland. Stunning scenery and very hard work!

As central Cambridge gets very busy in late November we have decided to hold the 2012 Club AGM at the Friends Meeting House in Hartington Grove, just off Cherry Hinton Road. This venue has on-site parking, is accessible by bus and the acoustics are much better than at the Wesley Church.

Wednesday ‘B’ walkers. John C writes: ‘Our old friend Ruth celebrated her 90th Birthday in August and several ‘B’ group members celebrated their 80th Birthdays and are still walking, Sadly, David S has had to retire from walking, but Margaret R continues to be busy – and still continues to find time to lead for us, as do many others. I am most grateful for their help. On a sad note, John Lumbers died in November. John was a former ‘B’ walker and also a keen cyclist’.

Our average numbers continue to average 25, rising to 30 or more in recent weeks, now that the holiday season is over. I would like to thank everyone who has ‘volunteered’ to lead walks during the 5 years I have been ‘B’ group secretary; I have thoroughly enjoyed doing the job. As most of you will know, I am handing over to Pam as from the AGM. I’m certain that she will receive the same support; I wish her my best wishes and back-up help if needed’.

Wednesday ‘C’ walkers: Sheila K writes: ‘A WALKING STICK was left in Joan’s car for use by Audrey A some time early in the year for a “C” walk. If anyone remembers leaving this, please contact me on 01223 562540. The programme for Jan – April 2012 was completed in record time. Many thanks for everyone’s help’.

Club website: www.cambridgeramblingclub.com Please do use our ‘new look’ Club website – thanks to Geoff Jones for his hard work and new developments, such as the recently added ‘Events’ section. A new ‘Maps and mapping’ section gives advice on useful websites. We are increasingly using the site to provide detailed information and maps showing the starting points of walks etc. And it’s a great place to sell those ‘nearly new’ boots!

Clearance work on footpaths. Jill Tuffnell is organising an occasional weekday ‘footpath clearance’ working party for the Ramblers and invites CRC volunteers along! We can help the County Council’s rights-of-way section in these cash-strapped times, with cutting back briars, branches and shrubs etc. Please contact Jill if you are interested; all equipment provided.

Registers of pubs and parking places: Norman is maintaining a database of pubs used by the Club, including such information as contact details, when last used and comments on efficiency and value for money. He is also listing parking places. Please let Norman or Programme Secretaries have details.

2011/12 Subscriptions now due (still £4):If you have not yet completed a standing order form please do so now – it saves us a lot of effort! Forms can be downloaded from the website or obtained from Simon Watkins.

Next Committee Meeting is on Tuesday March 27th 2012 at the Wesley Church, King Street, at 7.30 pm.

Winter programme error: On the printed card, the only Wednesday ‘B’ walk on 18th April is to Stetchworth.

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