Thursday 30th June - Ashridge Walk led by Linda

For this walk 11 club members set out from the Brdgewater Monument at the Ashridge Estate to walk along one of the many woodland paths there.

Sandra & Linda leading the way.

Brenda & Beryl in front of Penny, Cath, Rosemary & Richard.

Yvonne & Wendy bringing up the rear.

The weather was kind to us and we strolled for 3 miles before returning to the National Trust cafe, where we ate, drank, laughed and chatted. Everyone enjoyed themselves and it felt just like the old, pre-covid times again!

Thursday 23rd June 2022 Lidlington walk led by Tony P

This 7 mile walk had 5 walkers
Leaving Lidlington on a warm & overcast morning, we made our way out of the village towards Brogborough where we joined the Bunyan trail
Following this up to Holcot Wood where a break was taken for brunch

Richard & Wendy Whaley and Pete & Liz Harding

We then continued on through the woods and following the trails through the old landfill site, past the cooling pond for the power station that is powered by the methane gas from the site
We then made our way back towards Lidlington for the conclusion of our walk on a very hot and humid afternoon

Whitwell, 16th June, 6 miles led by Sue.

 

My walk on Thursday 16th June was 6 miles. 7 brave members were not put off with the soaring heat temperatures.
Our walk was Whitwell and St Paul’s Walden with a Coffee and Picnic stop. 

The walk started in Whitwell high street. We had a gentle climb out of the Mimram valley, passing St Paul’s Walden Bury House, birthplace of the late Queen Mother in 1900 still occupied by The Bowes Lyon family but some state rooms are used for weddings and concerts.

We passed this beautiful house, the gardens are  Part of The National Garden Scheme. See ‘within the walks garden project’ walking uphill to St Pauls Walden Church. Fortunately it was open. There was several photos of royalty visits dating back many years. In the church yard is a commemorative column of the Bowes Lyon family. We stopped here in the sunshine and had a coffee break. 

Walking on through woods and fields passing the ornate gates of Stagenhoe a Sue Ryder Home. 

 

 

 

We were then walking in the cool woods and lanes to find a fallen tree for our lunch break. Talking and reminiscing of old times, dancing and childhood days. 

Onwards through fields, woods and eventually down Nortonstreet Lane down hill to the start of our walk.

 After passing the policeman ( the residents village scarecrow) Penny and myself enjoyed a well deserved refreshing drink at The Bull.

Tuesday 14th July Harlington Evening walk led by Sue

We met at Harlington Village Hall car park to start our walk at 6pm.
The good weather enticed 19 members with 3 more joining us a bit later.

We leisurely walked down through the fields and along Lower Road. We then took a right hand turn towards a small wooded area by the stream and spent a short while chatting and catching up, some sitting on the bench. 

 

We then headed back up to Bury Orchard and the benches by the church where we had our picnic, strawberries and chocolate cake. Tony met us heading up there. Nita and Hilary joined us there.

Thank you to all those who joined me on a really pleasant evening walk and picnic.
Such a Lovely evening.   -Sue

Saturday 11th June - Walk with London Blind Walking Group

We met the Blind walking group at Flitwick train station. Some visited the facilities at Tesco and eventually crossed the main roads and walked down King's Road passing Flitwick water mill on our right. 

Soon afterwards we left the road & entered Flitwick Moor. We had a coffee stop at a bench.

3 of the blind walkers sitting a the bench on Flitwick Moor.

We then walked towards Greenfield where we stopped at The Compasses PH for our picnic. 

Sadly one of the blind walkers had to leave us at this point due to a leg problem.
After lunch we continued to The White House on the outskirts of Pulloxhill. Here passed by the side of  Higham Bury with the solar farm on our right hand side.

We reached Samshill Rd which we followed to the outskirts of Westoning. Just before the railway bridge we turned left onto a footpath parallel to the railway. After a short while we left the railway & walked through wheat field to reach a wood where the old brickworks were situated. One of the blind walkers remarked have wonderful the bird song was in this wood.

Beryl leading one of the blind walkers.

We left the wood & walked through crops to reach Goswell End Rd. which we followed to our Chairman's house. There the walkers availed themselves of the refreshments that were available. 

Track of walk, walked in North to South direction

TRC holiday to Lulworth Cove, May 30-June 3rd, 2022

 

After two years of cancellations due to Covid, 26 members finally set off by coach to HF Holidays West Lulworth House. This will be our last chance as the house is already up for sale! The sun shone every day, tempered by puffy white clouds, our companions sociable, and we all had an excellent holiday. On arrival, after our scones and tea, we enjoyed an orientation walk through the village to Stair Hole, led by our HF host, Janice. She explained the geology of the area and she was most helpful in advising us of routes, buses and things to see. Lulworth Cove was packed with cars, families, and water-sporters as it was half term, but we didn't have to go far to get away from the crowds. 

 

On Tuesday there was a choice of three walks all going West. Penny led a short yet strenuous walk around Hanbury Tor to Durdle Door, via Scratchy Bottom where they walked gingerly passing a group of friendly cows. Some of her group of 11 returned along the coast, others coped with the challenging downward steps of the chalky path, permanently visible from the hotel windows back to the cove.  

 
Tony R took 7 members by bus to Osmington and led a group back to the house along the coastal path, occasionally diverting slightly inland to avoid the worst of the steep downhill sections of the path.
Ruth took 4 members from the house to Ringstead and walked back along the 'Rollercoaster Cliffs of Lulworth.  

Both the medium and long walks met at St Catherine's Church for lunch and enjoyed the seats in the cliff garden of the church and popped into the small wooden shack that makes up the church. 

 

On the way back both groups bumped into Sue and Graham who were walking the SW coastal path (yes, all of it and were due to complete it all by the end of the week). It was nice to stop for a chat.

3 of us decided that the view of Durdle Door from the cliff path was not the best so a boat trip was organised by Beryl

 

On Wednesday, two groups went East into the firing range, which was fortunately open owing to the half term holiday.  Penny led a walk on the shorter and less steep ridge behind the hotel with extensive views along the coast in both directions, as well as views over the military ranges. 

Ruth led a walk of 5 ramblers to Tyneham, a village that was evacuated in December 1943 for the MoD to use as a training area. The 252 inhabitants were given 1 month's notice and only compensated for the cost of their garden produce, because they were tenants.  We visited the farm, the cottages, the school and church before returning along the steep cliffs. A strenuous but worthwhile walk.
Beryl led a 3 mile walk around Corfe Castle, using the local bus, and enjoyed a train ride from Corfe to Swanage.

There were only two walks on Thursday, both on the Hardy Way and starting with an open-top bus ride. 

Lynn led a 7 mile walk from Wool and Penny a shorter 4 mile walk from Winfrith Newburgh. It was nice to have a break from the tiring undulating cliffs and instead walk through fields of buttercups, shady woods and gentle hills. 

 

 

The long walk overtook the short walk quite near to West Lulworth, and most visited West Lulworth church. 

 

 

 

In the afternoon some went swimming in the hotel pool whilst Ruth led a walk of 6 people to visit the Fossil Forest . It involved walking over the pebbles of the Cove beach, climbing up some steep steps set in the Wealden clay deposits of which the lower steps were eroded, ducking through overhanging vegetation in a tunnel of sloe bushes and emerging onto a green lawn. 

 

We eventually found the 79 steps down to the fossils and spent some time poking about in this 'forest'. Unfortunately, the fossilised tree trunks were removed by Victorian collectors, but the circular growths of algal crusts remain.

 

Some members chose not to walk on some of the days and took bus trips to Weymouth, Poole , Swanage and Wareham.  Judging by their comments, they all had thoroughly fun, enjoyable trips.

On Wednesday evening four teams participated in the HF quiz. The winning team were given gold crowns ready for the Jubillee celebration on Thursday.  

 

Our last dinner involved a Platinum Jubilee celebration, the planting of a cherry tree in a pot, waving of flags and union jack table napkins. We finished the holiday by a game of curling, appropriately using a target of red, white and blue. Our Chair, Tony R won and received a Lulworth badge.  Finally, Linda gave a wonderful speech praising Nita who organised this holiday amidst lots of Covid problems and wished her well as she leaves the committee but remains an active member.  This was a self-guided holiday, a departure from our usualy holidays led by HF leaders, but it worked really well and gave the non-walkers plenty of flexibility.