Telford & East Shropshire Ramblers Newsletter & Walks Programme September 2019 The Ramblers’ Association is a registered charity (England & Wales no 1093577, Scotland no SC039799) and a company limited by guarantee, registered in England & Wales (no 4458492).Registered office: 2nd floor, Camelford House, 87-90 Albert Embankment,London SE1 7TW Welcome to our Newsletter and New Walks programme We have a very varied programme of walks this Autumn and Winter. We visit the highest points in both Shropshire and in Telford with beautiful panoramic views and remains of older landscapes with hill forts, trees and industrial workings. You can see 17 counties from the top of The Wrekin and to the Brecon Beacons from Brown Clee; we can’t guarantee the clear weather needed 17 counties can be seen from The Wrekin to see them though. We go to many favourite places in the Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the Shropshire Hills, no matter how many times one visits these local highlights one always finds something new to delight the eye. There are many local walks too, in flatter countryside in East Shropshire and in and around Telford; areas well known and well walked by people living adjacent to them but unknown to the rest of us. Our popular ‘short and social’ walks on the first Thursday of the month will as usual provide many chances to sample the food and drink available at local hostelries and chat and get to know fellow members after walk of five miles or under. Isle of Wight Holiday In the last newsletter we mentioned the possibility of a group walking holiday to the Isle of Wight. We have decided to offer this early autumn 2020, either late September or early October. The reasons for this are it counts as low season therefore the prices are lower and the weather is generally better and more reliable than in the spring. It will be with a local coach firm, 4days approx, and all inclusive of transport, accommodation and meals; current prices are around £300. Single rooms are usually available for early bookers. Walks are offered by our own walk leaders. As places can get booked up quickly after these ‘bargain’ holidays are announced in the press, we recommend that if you are interested you express your interest now to Jane Warman (see committee contact details back page). Please give your email address and contact details to her. She will then alert you once the holiday is advertised by the coach company. You will then need to book with the coach company direct on a first come first served basis. Non walking partners can come along and join in with the coach excursions instead of the walks if they wish. Get Telford Walking: Mass Walk to Promote Walking, and its Health Benefits TES Ramblers, together with Walking For Health and Wellington Walkers are Welcome organised a mass participation event Sunday 19 May to promote walking and its health benefits. Working with Telford Public Health and local GPs there were walks starting from Ironbridge, Newport, Wellington and Donnington Wood, all timed to meet up together at Telford Town Park at 3pm with free refreshments and certificates for all participants and a welcome from The Mayor of Telford & Wrekin. Our Group offered a 10.5 mile walk to support this event starting 10am from Linden Hall Surgery, Newport. We met up with another group that started from Donnington Wood at Lilleshall. We then continued along T50 Trail Stage 7, meeting up with more walkers at Muxton and then continued to Granville, Priorslee, where we were joined by even more walkers. We then went via The Flash and Randlay Woods to finish at the Town Park. Many of our walk leaders volunteered to lead shorter walks starting from GP surgeries but on the day only a few took place though all the main walks were well supported. The event was covered live by Paul Shuttleworth for Radio Shropshire. We hope to make this an annual event and get more GP practices involved next year to get as many people in Telford walking, especially those who would like to improve their fitness through gentle exercise, and perhaps get the walking bug. It was very rewarding to be joined by people new to walking who did not think they would be capable of full walks but kept going and surprised themselves, two walkers starting from Newport planned to leave us at Lilleshall and get the bus back but in the end walked the full 10 miles. Some of the walkers who started from Newport and who were joined by others on the route, taking a breather at Priorslee The Shropshire Way Walking Festival - Celebrate the Launch of the Way The Shropshire Way new improved route is now waymarked north and south. The websiteThe Shropshire is up and running, Way Walking the Facebook Festival page - Celebrate is live and the the Launch guidebook of the isWay written. To celebrate its completion all the Shropshire Ramblers Groups will be contributing a walkThe Shropshirealong the ShropshireWay new improved Way in theirroute ownis now area waymarked to a week north long and walking south. festival The website is up and running, the Facebook page is live and the guidebook is written. ending in special events in Shrewsbury Saturday 28 September. To celebrate its completion all the Shropshire Ramblers Groups will be contributing Onea walkof our along walks the will Shropshire be to the Way highest in their point own in area Shropshire to a week Brown long walkingClee Thursday festival 27 Sept.ending This inis speciala spectacular events in 8.5 Shrewsbury mile route Saturday with extensive 28 September. views and lots of interest andOne variety: of our moorswalks will , woods, be to the an highest ancient point hill in fort, Shropshire industrial Brown ruins, Clee Thursdaya hidden 27 war memorialSept. This and is amore. spectacular The second 8.5 mile walk route will with be anextensive early evening views and walk lots around of interest Much Wenlock,and variety: under moors 5 miles, , woods, led by anone ancient of the hilloriginal fort, founders industrial of ruins, the Way,a hidden TES Groupwar membermemorial and and President more. Theof Shropshire second walk Ramblers will be an Marion early eveningLaw. Full walk details around of each Much walk areWenlock, in the Walks under Programme. 5 miles, led by one of the original founders of the Way, TES Group member and President of Shropshire Ramblers Marion Law. Full details of each walk If allare that in thesounds Walks a bitProgramme. energetic why not combine a trip to Shrewsbury with a cream tea and a chance to meet The Chair of Ramblers GB Kate Ashbrook? If all that sounds a bit energetic why not combine a trip to Shrewsbury with a cream Seetea the and advert a chance opposite to meet for Themore Chair information of Ramblers and GB visit Kate the Ashbrook? Shropshire Way website for details of all the walks you can join in the festival week. See the advert opposite for more information and visit the Shropshire Way website for details of all the walks you can join in the festival week. OutstandingOutstanding views views of of Titterstone Titterstone Clee Clee from from thethe Shropshire Way: Way: Brown Brown Clee Clee Circular Circular Walk Walk Become a Walk Leader? No Previous Experience Required to Get Started! All that is required to get started is an enthusiasm for, and enjoyment of walking, and an idea of the sort of walk you enjoy. If you enjoy it it is likely others will too. We like to offer a varied programme, perhaps more walks and different types of walks, but to do that we need members to come forward to offer to lead them. Our secretary Jo, has an archive of past walks you can browse if you are short of ideas. Some of our leaders do not use maps or gpx but base their walks on those with detailed directions in leaflets or in books; we have guidebooks of local walks with written descriptions to follow we can loan out to members. If you have the Internet you can try the selection in http://www.shropshiresgreatoutdoors.co.uk/walking. It is always a good idea to try out a walk with someone else first. If you would like a mentor or a walking buddy why not ask a fellow member or one of our walk leaders to come along with you to try out a walk before you offer it? If you would like to brush up your walk planning or map reading skills or pick up tips just ask one of the walk leaders or committee members, they would be delighted to help. Did you know that Ramblers are rolling out a programme of walk leader training and first aid courses for walkers? Shropshire Area Ramblers are getting these organised locally for Shropshire members. If you are on our email list it is easy to send you details of these events, if and when they are arranged, but you must have opted in to be contacted by email with Ramblers first. So don’t forget to update your personal details with Ramblers nationally, you can do this by phone 020 3961 3300. Have your membership number to hand. It is quicker to do this online, log into your personal account on the Ramblers website and update your personal details. Opt in to getting information by email, (and by telephone and post if you wish). If you haven’t got an online account log in and register first, then follow instructions.