Wiltshire Wanderer Issue 14, November 2009
Newsletter of the Wiltshire LDWA Group
Welcome to the Wilts
As usual, we start with a welcome to newly notified members of the Wiltshire LDWA Group;
Angela Johnson, Michael and Lorna Cant, all from Devizes, Chris Elliott from Bradford-on-Avon, and Paul Norman from Swindon.
We hope to have the opportunity of meeting them in person on some future Group walk.
Notice of AGM and Christmas Bash
As previously notified, the Group AGM and annual Christmas walk/lunch will take place on 6th December, 2009. However,
the location has been moved to GR OS 084830 Ex169, which should bring you to the Churchill House at Wootten Bassett for
parking at the start and finish of the event. This is due to the closure of the original venue in the meantime. Adrian Crocker
is in charge of the menu arrangements; if you intend to eat there and haven't already spoken to him, give him a call on 01793 850348.
Otherwise, you may or may not get something to eat. All other details are as published in Strider and on the website.
AGM Agenda
- Present Chairman/Treasurer/Secretary reports (Brevity is required)
- Election of officers for 2010
- Walk programme for 2010
Note: The existing officers are willing to stand for re-election, I think, but this depends on the degree of barracking at the meeting. If there are any other nominations, they should be sent to the Secretary to arrive at least one week beforehand, and be accompanied by the names of the proposer and seconder.
Chairman's Chinwag (or election manifesto)
Once upon a time.... you could always rely on having a well-earned lunch stop at a friendly country pub deep in the heart of our green and pleasant land. These welcoming hostelries had been there as long as the villages themselves. How times change! Nowadays anyone planning to lead one of our Group walks has to check to see if the pub shown on the OS Explorer still exists. I was caught out first by the 'Disappearing Pub Syndrome' a year ago. The Thursday walk was all planned, I had done a full recce months ago, so I was just giving it a final walkover with only a few days to go. Greeting me at the door of the lunch stop pub, the Cat at Charlton, was a notice saying that it was now closed except at weekends. I almost wept - nothing for it but to re-plan the whole route since there were no other pubs for miles. Lightning never strikes twice - except in the Wilts Group! Last month's Sunday walk was due to have its lunch stop at the Barleycorn at Collingbourne Kingston. On the Monday before the walk I phoned the pub, just to make sure they would be open for Sunday lunch. Number unobtainable - always a bad omen. I raced round to the pub, just in time to be told by the landlord (now ex-landlord) that the pub had permanently closed that morning, after over 100 years as the village local. This sorry situation led to another hectic session of redrafting the walk and recceing the new paths, in order to arrive at a different pub, The Shears at Cadley, for lunch. So there you have it - the rural pubs of old England are falling like ninepins as they are hit by drink driving laws, smoking bans, more people drinking at home, and an economic recession to boot. All the signs are that this sorry trend will continue. Only this week I was recceing a Thursday walk for next May. On arrival at the pub, the Seven Stars at Bottlesford, I found that their opening hours have been drastically reduced and they are already totally closed on Mondays and Tuesdays - the usual start of the rot. So we can expect another hastily rerouted walk some time next Spring....
There must already be several parts of our Group's catchment area where it is only possible to organise a walk if we accept that there will be no pub for the lunch stop. A frightening prospect indeed for some of us - but certainly a sign of the times.
Keep on walking
John Walker
(Ed. Note: You can see what John's priorities are - just as well he doesn't walk with B&W)
Week End Walks
See the Week End Walks section of the site
Week Day Walks
See the Week Day Walks section of the site
Hay on Wye Weekend, October 2009.
Read Adrian Crocker's report on the Away Days page.
Peak District Weekend, 7th to 9th May, 2010
Pencil these dates in your diary now for what promises to be a really enjoyable weekend of walking, socialising,
and honest enjoyment in one of England's most beautiful National Parks.
We will be centred at BAKEWELL, which is an ideal base for walking in the White Peak area.
More details are on the Wilts Waffle page.
Other 2010 events
- Sunday April 11th 2010. Pewsey Downsaround
- Sunday April 18th 2010. Chagford Challenge
- October 2010. Mid Wilts Walk organised by Dave Drake
Other Stuff
- Note that we have a new format for the Newsletter, courtesy of Dave Owen.
- Copy of the notes from the last LDWA Central Committee meeting attached for anoraks.
- A couple of ads you might find interesting. Until midnight on Sunday 8th November, Anquet are offering 20% off the cost of their digital mapping, which means that if you buy map tokens from Guidepost - which are always discounted by 20% - you will be saving a whopping 36%. For example, if you buy a £100 map token, it will cost you £80 and can then be used to download £125 worth of mapping - saving you £45. Map tokens are available in £20, £30, £50, £100 and £160 denominations from Guidepost.
- Have a look at Walking in England, my website, which has thousands of FREE walks to download and print. And amongst the other useful information on the site is a link to your club's website (click on your county name and then the Groups button to see the link). Here's a link to the website Walking in England . Thousands of FREE walks to download, details of all the books, maps and walking groups in the country
Enough is enough
Good Walking
Phil