Thame & Wheatley Group

Newsletter Published Autumn 2015 Issue No 14

80th ANNIVERSARY EVENTS! T&W HOST AREA PICNIC More than 70 Oxfordshire walkers from eight groups converged on Cowleaze Wood, near Christmas Common, on 20th June, for the sixth annual picnic. Thame & Wheatley group took their turn in hosting the event in this, the very special 80th anniversary of the founding of the Ramblers.

Ramblers could choose to join walks of between five and ten miles on the day with T&W’s contribution ANNIVERSARY WALK being an 8 mile hike from Lewknor. The weather was To further celebrate the 80th anniversary T&W a little on the damp side but cleared for the lunchtime arranged a 4 mile introductory walk from Christchurch picnic. in Thame on May 3rd which was open to all. In spite Drinks were supplied courtesy of Tesco and Waitrose of heavy overnight rain and ominous black clouds 24 supermarkets and glasses were raised in a toast to the people turned up of whom eleven were not members 80th birthday, proposed by area chair Susan Maguire, of the Ramblers and some, although members, had not with special Central Office guest, Ramblers Honorary walked with us before. We’re delighted that several of Treasurer Alex Mannings responding. the non-members have since joined and we welcome them to our group. Traditionally, the host group is tasked with providing complimentary cakes which this year saw a delicious The walk took a route out to the village of Moreton selection generously donated by T&W committee members, as well as members Sue Russell, Janet Noyce, Christine Barnett, Ruth Dodd and Peter Bozier. Additional help came from Audrey Parsons and Steve Walde who provided the gazebo and Alan Cornish, Peter Bozier and Tony Clark who manned the cake stall! Oxford Television’s reporter arrived to film the before returning via Cuttle Brook Nature Reserve. event, with Susan and T&W AGM group chair th Mike Smith Saturday 7 November 2015 describing the This year’s AGM will be held on 7th November at background to 2pm in the Village Hall at St. John’s in the proceedings Stadhampton. on camera. At Mike Smith will take us on a 6 mile walk in the least one morning to Chiselhampton and the Baldons, person, Vale’s followed by lunch in the hall Joan Cockett, caught the More Oxford transmission (soup provided). on Channel 8! After the AGM Brian Fisher from the RSPB will Many people e-mailed messages of appreciation give us an illustrated talk entitled ‘What’s that following the event but, with each Oxfordshire group Bird?’ on identifying local birds. There will be taking a turn, it could be ten years before we organize tea and cakes to finish. the picnic again – the 90th anniversary, then the 100th!!

This newsletter is produced by members of Thame & Wheatley Ramblers Walks Diary (full details in programme) WALKS PROGRAMME SUCCESSES! The monthly leisurely short walks are in italics A record number of winter walks from T&W in October the programme this year. This reflects the high Thursday 1st 10am. 7 miles. Near Ewelme. rd percentage of our members who lead walks, one Saturday 3 10am. 10 miles. Haddenham. of the highest of all the Oxfordshire groups. th Sunday 11 10am. 6½ miles. Chilton (Bucks). This time, we have two new leaders and three th Tuesday 13 10am. 5½ miles. Stone. others are contributing again after leading for Thursday 15th 10am. 5 miles. Cowleaze Wood. the first time this summer. th Saturday 17 10am. 10 miles. South Newington. Thanks to all our walks leaders! th Saturday 17 1pm. 6 miles. Ewelme. Sunday 18th 10am. 8½ miles. Wheatley. Sunday 25th 10am. 7 miles. Fingest. Your T&W Committee th Thursday 29 10am. 6 miles. West Wycombe. Chairman Mike Smith November [email protected] Thursday 5th 10am. 7 miles. Maidensgrove Common. 01865 874300 th Saturday 7 10am. 6 miles. Stadhampton. IF you have any suggestions or comments to make on th Tuesday 10 10am. 5 miles. Loosley Row. any area of our activity – walks, possible future social Sunday 15th 10am. 6½ miles. Wheatley. events, campaigns etc., then speak to Mike st Saturday 21 9:30am. 9 miles. West Wycombe. Secretary Thursday 26th 10am. 6 miles. Lewknor. Ann Harman th [email protected] Sunday 29 10am. 11 miles. Fringford. 01844 214693

December Membership & Treasurer Saturday 5th 10am. 5 miles. Stadhampton (Xmas lunch). Chris Bignal Tuesday 8th 10am. 4 miles. Bledlow. [email protected] th 01865 358905 Wednesday 9 10am. 6 miles. Ewelme. Saturday 12th 9:30am. 9 miles. Bledlow. IF any of your family or friends would like to join th Ramblers, or would like to learn about the Sunday 13 10am. 6½ miles. Wheatley. advantages of membership, or would like information

about its aims and objectives, then please contact January 2015 Chris Saturday 2nd 10am. 10 miles. Cowley. Sunday 3rd 10am. 7 miles. Lewknor. Walks Organiser th Bob Ward Wednesday 6 10am. 6 miles. Garsington. [email protected] Tuesday 12th 10am. 4½ miles. Studley Green. 07796 661449 th Tuesday 26 10am. 5 miles. Stanton St. John. IF you have a favourite walk to share then contact Bob– we can always provide a leader for it! Or if you are February interested in becoming a walk leader... Sunday 7th 10am. 7 miles. Turville (Candlemas). Tuesday 9th 10am. 4 miles. Thame. Footpath Secretary: Ken King [email protected] th Sunday 14 10am. 7½ miles. Wheatley. 01865 890829 Thursday 18th 10am. 10 miles. Chilton (Oxon). th IF you come across a footpath problem on a Thursday 25 10am. 6 miles. Thame. walk – obstruction, broken stiles, non-reinstatement etc., then let Ken know (with a map reference if March possible) Thursday 3rd 10am. 6½ miles. Aston Rowant. Saturday 5th 10am. 10 miles. Woodstock. Publicity Secretary Ruth Cornish th Tuesday 8 10am. 4 miles. Oxon Golf Course, Thame. [email protected] Thursday 10th 10am. 8 miles. Brill. 01844 213608 th Thursday 17 10am. 6 miles. Woodstock. IF you know of any opportunities to publicise our Sunday 27th 10am. 6½ miles. Chilton (Bucks). activities, then please speak to Ruth  Committee member: Linda King Oxon Area Ramblers Events [email protected] rd AGM: 23 January 2016 Begbroke Village Hall 01865 890829 First Aid Course: 13th February 2016 Abingdon th PPW Training: 19 September 2015 Weston-on-the-Green Contact Chairman Mike Smith for details 2

WINCHESTER WONDERS Mike Smith arranged a splendid walk for our annual Away Day, this year taking us to Winchester where we enjoyed both the attractions of the city and the delightful scenery in the surrounding countryside. Following a wet drive to Winchester, the weather cheered up for the group of 18 walkers and three dogs. Mike’s 10 mile walk started by climbing St. Catherine’s Hill (what an ascent!). We then followed Twyford Down to the Phoenix Inn in Twyford where we had an excellent lunch before taking a more leisurely path along the River Itchen back to the city. There we stopped for welcome tea and cakes at the Cathedral Refectory before making our way back to Oxfordshire. Congratulations to Mike for planning such an enjoyable day.

Many thanks to all those who supported the Race Night and those who helped make it a great evening. Particular thanks go to the committee who, as well as successfully persuading a record number of over 40 people to attend, became chefs, techies or MCs for the night. Thanks are also due to Maureen Baker, Alan Cornish, Monica Sadowski and Trevor Watkins for their help in the kitchen and at the bar. The photograph shows some of the helpers pretending to be jockeys and not doing a very good job of it!!! We’re delighted that £450 was raised for the Mali Development Group (www.malidg.org.uk). This will be handed over to the charity who will use it to support street children in Bamako, the capital. They are provided with food, shelter and the skills to find employment as adults.

PETER HETHERINGTON MARJORIE SACHS Peter Hetheringon often appears in our newsletter Marjorie Sachs, as well because of all the work he does promoting access as being a T&W to the countryside but member, is a volunteer we’re delighted to report with Friends of Lye that his work for the Valley who work to environment was protect this nature recognized when he reserve in Headington. received a prestigious She was photographed Oxfordshire High for a report in the Oxford Sheriff’s award for Mail on a working party Contributions to at the North Fen of the Community Life. Lye Valley SSSI at the Nominated by Aston end of June when excess vegetation was cleared Rowant Parish Council, to reveal swathes of orchids, including the for whom he has served for over 25 years as common spotted orchid that Marjorie is Chairman of the Footpaths & Amenities Group, examining. This calcareous fen is also home to he was presented with the award by High Sheriff, unusual wildlife, including the brown hairstreak Tony Stratton on March 2nd at a ceremony in butterfly, glow-worms, reed warblers, grass Christchurch, Oxford. snakes, slow-worms and lizards.

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FOOTPATH SECRETARY AND PARISH PATH WARDEN REPORTS On 13th July the Ramblers launched The Big Pathwatch, its most ambitious campaign ever, with the aim of protecting and improving the rights of way in England and Wales.

The nationwide Parish Path Warden Report campaign hopes to get Over the last few months we have had a full complement the public (and that includes Ramblers) to walk as of path wardens. This has been achieved largely due to many of the rights of way in their area as possible in the help and cooperation of Chiltern Society members order to find out the current state of our path who have joined with our own Ramblers and some network (the envy of the world), what makes it great members of the public in providing cover for every and what stops people in their tracks. By using a footpath in every consistent approach to collecting the survey data parish in the across England and Wales the organisation will gain T&W area. This a reliable snapshot of the condition of the entire has resulted in network. some very As well as gathering useful data and using it to comprehensive improve the state of our paths, they want to use this reports about the project as an opportunity to engage a much wider state of our audience with their work and encourage many more Examining a dodgy stile! footpaths going people to care about our precious paths. to OCC, which is very commendable and should, in time, result in The campaign period lasts from 13th July to 31st improvements all round. My grateful thanks to all those December and you can take part simply by who have contributed to this excellent result. However, registering on the Ramblers website and the warden for Beckley parish has now resigned, so we downloading the free smartphone app (available for are looking for a replacement. If you know of anyone iPhone and Android phones). If you don’t have a who might be prepared to take this on please contact any smartphone, you can still participate via the member of the committee. Ramblers’ website. Tony Clark PPW Coordinator On OS Explorer maps of England and Wales, everywhere is divided into 1 km grid squares. To T&W Christmas Lunch take part, you 'adopt' one of these squares and walk every footpath in it. Which square you pick is up to you and you can adopt up to 10 squares at any one time. The app makes picking and walking your 5th December 2015 square simple and fun. You can follow yourself on A warm invitation to the group’s Christmas Lunch your phone as you walk and, whilst you walk, you which this year, following last year’s successful highlight any path problems you encounter – and the event, will again be provided by the enthusiastic wonderful things you see. You can upload photos amateur cooks who raise funds and share your experiences on Facebook and for the Mali Development Group. Twitter. It will take place in the Village So why not adopt one or two of your local 1km Hall at St. John’s in squares? You probably walk most of the paths Stadhampton. To increase covered regularly and it would help make a great appetites the meal will be contribution to the work of the Ramblers with very preceded by a five mile walk little extra effort. from the church. The walk is not The survey closes on 31st December 2015 and the compulsory but Ken promises less stiles and less mud findings are planned to be released in Spring 2016. than last year!! You can get more information at: At £12 for two courses or £15 for three, the menu will http://www.ramblers.org.uk/get-involved/ include traditional Christmas fare or veggie join-the-big-pathwatch.aspx alternatives. Excellence guaranteed! Ken King Footpath Secretary Book the date in your diaries now.

The Ramblers: Registered Charity No: 1093577. Company Registration No: 4458492 Website www.ramblers-oxon.org.uk 4