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SLR NEWSLETTER WINTER 2014
SLR NEWSLETTER
WINTER 2014
EDITOR’S NOTE
Dear Readers
As you know Davina MacRae gave up the newsletter editorship in the autumn and I agreed to take over for the two paper-based versions of the year i.e. Summer and Winter.
The current issue includes the usual Chairman’s report, write ups of the recent holiday weekend at Lulworth and notification and arrangements for the New Year walk.
I’m pleased to tell you that Stoke Lodge Ramblers has attracted new members recently and we have new committee members too. Yet the club wants to retain our senior members by offering a programme of short walks and social events.
I hope you all continue to enjoy walking and I wish you a very Happy Christmas and New Year.
Felicity Brewis
KEY DATES 2015
Thursday 1st JanuaryNew Year’s Day Walk
Friday 27th March, 7.30pmSpring Social at Kings Weston House
Sunday 14th JuneClub outing to Teignmouth in Devon
Friday 9th – Monday 12th OctoberClub weekend at Haytor, Dartmoor
Saturday 31st October, 7.30pm AGM at Highgrove Church, Sea Mills
.Chairman’s Report Cont’d
* Spring Social, Friday 27th March 2015 at 7.30pmTo be held at Kings Weston House where we will begiven a tour of the house and a talk on its history.There will be the usual American Supper afterwards.Thanks go to Sue Hazelden for organising the event..
CHAIRMAN’S REPORT
Hello Everyone.
The club’s two key activities over the last 3 months have been:-1] The annual holiday [10th - 13th October] at HF Lulworth Cove when 35 members enjoyed a great weekend of walking on the Dorset coast.See write up overleaf.
2] The Club’s AGM on Saturday 25th October at Highgrove Church Hall, Sea MillsThis saw an excellent turn-out with about 50 members attending. I have had much positive feedback since then concerning the venue and the evening in general. Thanks again go to Sue and Paul Hazelden for hosting the evening. Details of the meeting’s minutes and Chairman’s ‘Year in Pictures Report’ are on the website’s Newsletters page.
We said goodbye to Dick and Ian from the old committee and welcomed new committee members Lorna Renshaw and Liz Hall. Davina was warmly thanked for her period as Newsletter Editor and Felicity was introduced as her replacement.
Other PointsIt is great to see that the membership renewal process has been completed successfully. I welcome all members who have renewed and especially those who have joined us for the first time – see item overleaf.
The new committee held its first meeting in November with the following plans and actions arising:-
* Meal and Walks, New Year’s Day 2015Organised by Helen and Chris at the Battleaxes Pub at Wraxall – see their item for details.
Cont’d..Finally, we are sorry to receive resignations from Sylvia Dale, Elizabeth Donaldson, Caroline Maskew, Claire Warren and Pamela Williams.Sue Hazelden
NEW YEAR’S DAY WALK & LUNCHStarting at the Battleaxes Pub, Wraxall, BS48 1LQMeet at 10.00am at Cross ElmsStarting promptly at 10.30am from the Battleaxes
* Bristol City Council Walking Festival, May 2015We have agreed to offer a walk to this Festival from our January – June 2015 Walks Programme. This will be a city walk led by Margaret Ruse on Sunday 10th May.
* Annual Coach Outing – Sunday 14th June 2015Plans are being made to take members to Teignmouth on the South Devon coast with a variety of walks on offer to suit all our members’ walking abilities. More details to be communicated electronically in the Spring Newsletter and available at the Spring Social in March.
And finally...* Annual Weekend Holiday 2015 with HFThis will take place over the weekend 9th - 12th
October at Moorlands House, Haytor, Dartmoor.See enclosed letter for more details along with the usual booking form. I hope that all members [new and existing] will support this popular annual event.
Have a great Christmas and enjoy your walking.Neville Brewis
MEMBERSHIP RENEWALI am always impressed by how many of you renew so promptly. Ninety six members had paid by the end of the AGM, making life much easier for your treasurer and secretary! Since then 10 more have paid their dues and, at the time of writing, Margaret Ruse is contacting remaining members to check their intentions.
This year we gave you the opportunity to pay for your subs and Christmas lunch via internet banking and 14 of you have taken advantage of this. We hope you found the process as straightforward as we did: your name appears on our bank statement alongside the amount paid.
We would like to welcome the following new members to our walks and social activities:-Bridget Brook, Pat Goldsworthy, Suzanne Hadfield,John Pearse, Kelvin Roynon and Hazel Trapnell.
H F Lulworth Weekend October 2014An Overview
Choose from two walks of 2 and 4 miles respectively. There are no stiles on the 2 mile walk and both will stick to higher ground avoiding muddy and waterlogged areas should the weather be inclement.
Below is the Battleaxes New Year’s Day Menu. Please make your choices by Sunday 21st December and notify:
Chris Budd on 01454 616 267 [email protected] Helen Palmer on 0117 968 [email protected]
One course: £10.95 Two courses: £14.95Three Courses: £18.95
StartersWhite bean Soup – with a mini loaf and butterSpiced crispy whitebait – lemon, aioli and mixed
leaf saladChicken & Tarragon Terrine – apricot chutney,
homemade pickled vegetables & toast
MainsSteak & Stilton Pie – creamy mash and greens8oz Chargrilled Gammon Steak, 2 eggs and chipsSeafood Linguine – smoked salmon, white crab
meat, prawns in a chilli and cream sauceBeetroot & Pearl Barley Risotto – crumbled goats
cheese & rocket
DesertsSticky toffee pudding - toffee sauce & clotted creamChocolate Brownie – vanilla ice creamSpiced apple crème brulee – cinnamon shortbreadIce Cream – select from chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, rum & raisin, toffee, mint chocolate
Anyone with specific dietary requirements should contact Helen or Chris and we will try to accommodate you.Helen Palmer
On the afternoon of 10th October SLR members arrived at Lulworth Cove, the majority of us being housed in West Lulworth House with a smaller group down the road at the Mill House. The views all round were spectacular.
After meeting our HF walks leaders over a cream tea, members were taken on a short orientation walk around the cove by Chris.
There followed two days of excellent walking with leaders Chris, Lesley and Floss guiding us through the extraordinary terrain of Dorset’s Jurassic Coast with its steep ascents and descents and its fantastic views.
Despite dismal rain at the start of Saturday, the weather quickly improved and our three different coastal walks ended in glorious sunshine with many tourist groups out and about, particularly viewing the iconic Durdle Door. On returning to Lulworth there was a distinctly summer feel about the cove and many members headed down to the cafes and bars for tea, cakes and something stronger.
Sunday’s walk involved a coach journey for all groups as we were taken east along the coast to different
Lulworth Long Walks
On the Saturday of the Club Weekend our group was
points from where we could walk into Swanage.The morning was unfortunately dull and grey but groups enjoyed the Durlston Country Park and our visit to the folly, Durlston Castle.
Sadly, by the time most groups reached Swanage the rain had set in and the town was not seen at its best. Nevertheless, Chris led an extra short walk to reveal Swanage’s architecture and historic railway station and several of us looked round the Museum and Heritage Centre, learning about the local stone industry which was the foundation of the town’s prosperity.
By the time we all headed for the coach the rain was driving down and it was good to get back to our houses in Lulworth.
As SLR members have come to expect on all three nights of our trip there was optional entertainment after the evening meals. This enabled everyone to wind down from the walks and enjoy each other’s company.
Felicity Brewis
taken by coach to the walk’s starting point inland of Tyneham, a deserted Dorset village requisitioned by the Government in 1943, the inhabitants being compulsorily evacuated. Under Floss’s leadership we walked to the village where we had time to explore. On the church door we saw a notice which read ‘Please treat the church and houses with care … we will return one day and thank you for treating the village kindly’. They never did return.
We then headed to the coast, joining the path at Worbarrow Bay and following the route back to Lulworth. While we were negotiating one of two very steep climbs extreme rain and wind hit us, impeding our progress up the cliff.
During our lunch break we were entertained by the antics of one member of a group of youngsters doing their Duke of Edinburgh weekend. He was not happy!At the top of another climb Floss demonstrated the correct use of walking poles and then most of us did a slight diversion to see a drowned fossil forest. We completed the hike by walking round the cove and arriving on Lulworth Beach but for some, this eight mile walk wasn’t enough and several of the group continued on to see Durdle Door!
On Sunday we were dropped at Kingston for an eleven mile walk along the coastal path to Swanage with Lesley as our leader. With just one steep descent and ascent this was a less strenuous day. We stopped briefly to see St Aldhelm’s Chapel, a tiny church over 8oo years old. Meanwhile one of our party went off to the nearby coastal look-out station where she was eagerly greeted by the coastguards and given coffee!
We had our picnic overlooking the Dancing Ledge and followed the same route back to Swanage as themedium and short walkers had taken. Sadly, the rain arrived before we made it back to the town so a wet and bedraggled crew ended up in a café for a very welcome cup of tea at the end of an otherwise lovely walk.Lorna Renshaw
