Chairman's chatter - September 2011

Chairman's Chatter:

We have been lucky with the weather on our walks in the last programme, having had it mainly fine and warm, even when the rest of the week has been cold and wet. Given the variety of weather we have in this country as a whole, Suffolk seems to be a lot dryer this year.

This may may be an under-statement when you see the state of the crops and the cracked earth as we wander through the countryside. Membership numbers continue to fluctuate between 495 and 505. Despite having had numerous new walkers join us, there are obviously those existing members who drop off the roll for various reasons and therefore overall numbers remain static. Given the number of programmes we have to distribute by hand (which of course saves on postage); would any of you be prepared to help twice a year, even if it is only half a dozen houses in your area, it would be a great help to the Group? Contact Isla Clough, our Membership Secretary, and tell her which area you could cover.

A few walks in new areas have been tried; otherwise we seem to rotate the old favourites. We did manage to go astray on one of the new walks when the leader turned into the wrong wood but still managed to get the group back to their cars, albeit on hour later than planned! I cannot give any more details on this as the leader immediately took out a super injunction to ban reporting of the incident; the judge said that he could only be referred to by the initials GE! Walks have taken us through both Pareham and Martlesham airfields and we have learned a bit more history about their place in the last war. The museums are well worth a visit if you are in the vicinity. Evening walks this summer have not been as well supported as in past years but that only means that members have missed out on the two occasions when we were rewarded with creamed scones, cakes and tea in very attractive private gardens.

Our Group AGM will once again be held at The Key and our guest speaker this year will be Mr. John White and his subject, The River Deben. He was the ferryman at Felixstowe for many years. I am well aware that most people think of AGMs as boring but at ours only the first 20 minutes is taken up with business and the rest of the time is a social event. Even if you do not actually participate in the walks during the year please come along, meet old friends and support us.

Good walking

Gareth Evans

Four days with the in-laws or walking in the mountains?

This was the dilemma that I faced recently. My wife wanted to go to Wales but didn't fancy the train journey and changing stations in London plus using the underground. I wasn't too excited about four whole days doing the rounds of the in-laws! Reading through the HF holiday brochure one evening, I found that they had a house in Brecon. A devious plan began to dawn on me; the in-laws lived only an hour from Brecon. At breakfast the next morning I floated my plan, I would drive her to the door of the family in Wales, spend an hour as a dutiful husband making pleasantries and then I could drive onto Brecon for a walking holiday.What a super idea, says she but wouldn't you be lonely without me among all those strangers and after Suffolk it is very hilly around there. I would cope I said manfully. And so it came to pass that a managed to get a last minute booking at Nythfa House at the foot of the Brecon Beacons.

There was a distinct absence of footpath signs and on the first walk when we admired the views from a high vantage point, our leader pointed out a sheep track which zig zagged down the cliff face and said right, I will go first and you follow me carefully. Now, as a walk leader myself, I would never have contemplated leading a group down there but given the present company, two German athletes in track suits, a lady from Holland in her 60s, myself and the leader, I put on a brave face and followed this foot wide path down for 800 feet. Never again! Apart from that experience, the walks were exhilarating and the scenery breathtaking. The weather improved. The food was up to a three star hotel standard and there was plenty of it. I covered 28 miles and climbed to 2,700 feet over three days which helped to burn off the extra calories put on from the food.

Time to return home; so I collected my wife, listened on the long drive home to all the things I had missed and how aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews had missed seeing me [what a shame I thought!]. There was just time as we drove up the A12 to mention the highlights of my holiday before we arrived home, both of us happy at what we had achieved and glad to be back in each others company. Ah, domestic bliss is a compromise.

I fancy the Yorkshire Dales next time; I wonder if she has any relatives in that area!!!!!!!!!

 

Gareth Evans