2019 Summer Newsletter

SUMMER NEWSLETTER 2019

Future Activities

Map-reading course: Norman led a very successful map-reading course for 6 people in May 2018 and is willing to run a repeat course in May 2019. Please contact him if you are interested in taking part: norman.njd@gmail.com or phone 01223 870121.

Summer coach outing Sunday 23rd June 2019. We will be walking in and around Wells-next-the-Sea on the Norfolk coast. Following the high take-up on these trips in recent years we are using the surplus funds to reduce the cost to £13.50 per person. Please send a cheque, payable to Cambridge Rambling Club to Caroline (address on your Programme), or email if you want to pay by bank transfer. Please let Caroline have your email address so she can provide further information regarding the trip. A, B and C walks will be provided, or relax in and around Wells. C walk leader required. The coach will leave Milton P&R site at 8.30, returning around 19.00.

Lakes’ week, Saturday 14th to 21st September 2019. We are returning to Keswick for our annual week’s walking in the Lakes in 2019 – one week later than usual to take advantage of lower accommodation prices. Susan has taken over from Jenny as the organiser/coordinator; please let her know if you are coming and if you have a spare room or want to share with others, (07776 417499). We hope to offer a wide range of walks, probably splitting the ‘A’s into two on a few days when numbers are high.

Friday 11th to Sunday 13th October 2019 Hotel & Coach Weekend to Great Malvern (2 nights)

The club has booked The Abbey Hotel, Gt Malvern for the Autumn Hotel weekend 2019, there are 45 places in a mix of single, double and twin en-suite rooms. See abbey@sarova.com We will be situated next to the Abbey, near the Great Malvern Hills. The cost for 2 nights’ dinner, B & B, packed lunch, coach travel and gratuities is £215 per person for a shared room and £250 for a single room. To reserve a place please send a non-refundable deposit of £75 per person to Sally (address is on the Club’s programme) and make cheques payable to Cambridge Rambling Club. Please include your address and email details and any dietary requirements. If you prefer to pay by BACS please ask for details. Next of kin details are not required. Final payment will be due by 31st July 2019. We plan to organise a walk on the Friday afternoon and three walks on both Saturday and Sunday. Offers of leaders, especially for a C walk, will be very welcome.

Spring 2020 coach & hotel weekend in the Brecon Beacons, Friday 27th to Sunday 29th March, (2 nights). Our new Spring weekend organisers, Barry and Linda have arranged a trip to south Wales, staying at The Castle Hotel in Brecon. As usual, we plan afternoon walks on the Friday and two full days walking on Saturday and Sunday. Booking details will be available soon. Offers of A, B and C leaders to Barry & Linda, please (see Programme card for contact details).

Budget trips. These trips, using a mixture of budget hotels, hostels and large self-catering properties, 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 leader – please do offer! Or come along to do your own thing. Travel is normally in cars and we try to arrange car sharing. Offers to drive or requests for a lift to Jill please. All bookings are handled by Jill, with cheques payable to ‘E G Tuffnell’ or contact her for BACS details. Please note that the full balance must be paid at least 8 weeks before most trips. You are very welcome to book your own accommodation and join us on walks; do let Jill know.

*Bala, north Wales, Friday 3rd to Monday 6th May 2019 (3 nights, Bank Holiday w/e). .There is a vacancy for a female share place at the large self-catering property booked by the Club for the first May Bank Holiday weekend, (Ty Sinamon, see website for more details). The cost is £90. There are great walking opportunities close by, and we hope to walk in the Arenigs as well as circuit Bala lake. If you arrange your own independent accommodation – do let Jill know.

*Bude, north Cornwall coast: week Saturday 8th to Saturday 15th June 2019. The Club will be walking from Westward Ho! to Tintagel along the north Devon/Cornish coast path over 6 days in June. We are based in Bude in self-catering properties; all places booked by the Club have been reserved, but check with Jill for cancellations. As in recent years, the Club will be using a private coach to enable us to walk linear stretches of this fantastic route. Do let Jill know if you are booked independently and want to use the coach. The cost is £35 per head for the week’s journeys, payable to Jill by 1st May. Please contact Jill if you only want to use the coach for a few trips.

*Summer 2019 – a week in Whitby, Friday 9th to Friday 16th August, The Club has booked two properties in central Whitby on the North Yorkshire coast for a week’s summer walking break and all places are now taken. For those who have paid a £60 deposit please note that the balance of £135 is due on 10th June 2019. There are lots of great walks nearby, ranging from wonderful coastal paths to the North York Moors. .Please book your own accommodation if you would like to join the trip.

*Cheltenham Cotswold weekend, Friday 1st to Sunday 3rd November 2019 (2 nights): The Club has arranged a walking weekend in the Cotswolds – based at the Cheltenham Central (West/A40) Premier Inn. Please book your own accommodation and let Jill know if you are coming along. There is very beautiful countryside close by. B walks leader wanted.

*Southwold, Suffolk, Friday 7th to Monday 10th February 2020 (3 nights): As we go to print, the Club has managed to book one large (6 bedrooms) self-catering property in Southwold for a long weekend in early February 2020, (Marram House). As more holiday homes release 2020 booking dates we will rent at least one more house. Please contact Jill before booking – cost £80 per head, with a deposit of £25 payable now.

News and Notices

Contact/next of kin details: Club members are requested to carry details of a contact or next of kin with them when taking part in all Club activities, in case of an emergency. These can be kept in a purse, wallet or rucksack pocket. Please do not send this information to Club trip organisers, as this is no longer allowed under the General Data Protection Regulation.

Guidance on recording accidents/incidents for walks’ leaders. The Club’s President maintains a register to record details of any major incidents or accidents occurring on Club walks or trips. It is the responsibility of leaders/organisers to make sure that these details are passed on to Jenny. We are reviewing our guidance on just what constitutes both an accident and an incident and will post this on the Club’s website.

Open access threatened on the Wimpole estate. The National Trust has announced that when its new car park opens early in 2020, it plans to charge non-members a full entry fee if they enter via the car park, even if they only want to walk in the parkland. However, the OS map indicates that most of the parkland is ‘Access Land’ and there are several footpaths which are rights of way through the estate. The Cambridge Group of the Ramblers is pursuing the issue and the County Council has contacted the National Trust to clarify their access arrangements. The Ramblers are keen to ensure that the parkland remains freely open to all walkers.

Britain’s Best Walking Neighbourhood: The Ramblers Association makes an annual award to urban areas and neighbourhoods designated as being great for walking – and the Cambridge Group has nominated Cambridge City. The short list of 10 will be announced at the end of May; if Cambridge gets through there will be a lot of publicity and a public vote.

New bridleway in Cottenham: The County Council has created a new bridleway on land owned by the County Farms Estate.

Public access to Cambridge City’s Castle Mound under threat: The County Council is moving its HQ to Alconbury and has put its Shire Hall site in Cambridge up for sale. But it has upset Cambridge City residents – by failing to protect the Castle Mound as public open space. We understand that the City Council is likely to claim the Castle Mound as a ‘town green’, thereby maintaining access for the public. This is an important part of our heritage, not to be sold off for profit.

Charges for the Magog Down car park. The ‘Magog Down’ Trust is now charging £3.00 for car parking, but individuals can become ‘Friends’ for an annual membership fee of £15/£12 (concessions), which includes parking. The ticket machine only takes coins and you must have the correct change.

Club representation on the Cambridge Group of the Ramblers. Please contact Jill if you would like to be involved.

Club discounts. Club members wanting to buy goods on-line from Cotswold Outdoor must provide a code in order to benefit from a 15% discount on ‘full price’ goods. Please contact Jill at jill@cambridgeramblingclub.com to be emailed the code, which currently runs to 31st August 2019. If you are buying in-store, your Club Membership card will suffice. Please note that Open Air’s 10% discount is now calculated on the RRP (recommended retail price), NOT the price Open Air actually charges. If you are a Ramblers, Cambridge U3A or HF member you can get a 10% discount at Rohan stores on full price goods.

Support our ‘Walking Partnership’ funds. This year the Club has received £540 from Ramblers Walking Holidays under the ‘Walking Partnership’ scheme. We will use this money to promote and support walking locally, liaising with Parish Councils and the County Council’s Rights of Way officers. Please continue to nominate the CRC when you book on a Ramblers’ Holiday! We receive £30 for a long-haul trip, £20 for holidays in Europe and £10 for UK trips.

Suggestions for spending Walking Partnership funds: Do you have any proposals for spending around £1,000 of Walking Partnership funds? Are there stiles which could be replaced by gates, or sites alongside paths where a seat would be really valuable? If you have any ideas, please let Jill know so we can make contact with the local Parish Council.

Cambridgeshire County Council Rights of Way officers: Cambs CC currently has funding in its budget to support 3 ‘rights of way’ officers, together with an ‘enforcement officer’. The long-standing officer covering East Cambs and Fenland retired at the end of January; we understand her post is being retained, but is currently vacant. The other two officers cover South Cambridgeshire/Cambridge City and Huntingdonshire respectively. They follow up any reports made online about problems, such as missing signposts, damaged stiles and bridges, overgrown paths and cross-field paths which are not marked on the ground or cut through crops. Do keep reporting problems!

Payment for Club coach hotel & day trips: If you are paying for Club coach trips by bank transfer please reference the destination to help our Treasurer. You don’t need to give your name in the ‘reference’ field as this is provided automatically by your bank. If you want to pay by bank transfer, rather than cheque, please contact Jim for the Club’s details.

Please switch from paper & post to email for your Programme & Newsletter. Postage charges have recently increased again! Do let Anne know if you are happy to switch to email. It saves the Club ££s. Just Email: secretary@cambridgeramblingclub.com

Club subscriptions. If you currently pay by cheque or bank transfer, please switch to a Standing Order to take effect on 1st November 2019 and thereafter on 1st November each year. Please contact Jim for the Club’s bank details. Almost 90% now pay this easy way!

Next Committee Meeting. Wednesday 24th July, at the Friends Meeting House, Park Street, Cambridge at 7.30pm. Different venue for this meeting only.

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