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Footprints Newsletter of the Derbyshire Dales Group of the Ramblers January 2021 Editor: Martin Phillips Nick’s Final Natterings Nick Stephens (Chairman) Welcome to my final “Nick’s Natterings”. With Lucie taking over the Chair, the only heading I could think of starting with an ‘L’ was “Lucie’s Lucubrations” (look it up!). No doubt Lucie will think up a better heading. Lots of “Thanks You’s” go to those members of the committee who are about to depart or have already departed. Kath, who has worked hard for 14 years to produce our Walks Programme without a single complaint (maybe her helpful husband Peter had a hand in it). I hope she finds new, interesting hobbies to keep herself occupied. Teresa, for almost 10 year’s work as Membership Secretary, including the complicated GDPR headaches. To Pat, who not only worked her little sox off acting as our Social Secretary over 8 years, organising dozens of events, booking the room and the presenters and baking biscuits for you all to eat. Not just that, she has been my ‘hearing aid’ during meetings and AGM’s, along with correcting/advising my compilations of Natterings & other articles to Footprints. On top of all that, she acted as our Minutes Secretary for 10 years. It was such a shame our social events came to an end, I always found them interesting and entertaining, gathering members who didn’t normally meet up. Also, Sue Weatherley who has put in years of work on our behalf, probably not always acknowledged by us (especially the early morning TV interviews!). Sue has beaten me hands down for the number of words entered into years of Footprints. Although not yet retiring, thanks go to George Wolfe who has quietly managed our website for 10+ years and is now working with Martin Phillips on website duties. Thanks go to the continuing members of the committee, especially to our Treasurer, Richard Alton, for allowing us to use his dining room for our committee meetings, along with providing scrumptious cakes. A huge thank you to Martin Phillips, an Amber Valley Group member, who has produced our new extensive Footprints January 2021 Page 1 of 12 DDR Group website, for editing our colourful Footprints and devising ways of producing our printed walks programmes with the minimum of human intervention. After the sudden, sad death of our Footpath Secretary, Dave Pearson, we were very lucky that Martin Bennett took up the post, and several other posts, with enthusiasm. A warm welcome to our newcomers, Marie Clarke as our Secretary and Minutes Secretary and to Liz Smith as our Membership Secretary, who have already proved themselves in doing excellent jobs. With them as “new brooms”, I wish all of you the very best. I feel I am leaving you with a very capable committee. Finally, for “related” reasons, I hope the future is all plain sailing for Lucie as Chair. Having just finished our AGM on Zoom, it was definitely a different experience. Give me good old fashioned AGM’s any day of the week, when ‘proper’ farewells could have taken place. I’d like to thank you all for the good wishes I’ve received and the presents delivered to my house (see photo below). Soon after taking up the Chairmanship, it was suggested a more vigorous selection process be adopted with the post lasting only 2 years, something akin to Rob Crouch, Angela Binns, Hilary Crouch and Rosemary Symes presenting a gift to Nick with thanks from the Committee, the Walk Collectors and members Footprints January 2021 Page 2 of 12 The handover to Lucie, at a low key, but socially well distanced, ceremony in Birchover a top industry job but without the 6-figure salary. Thanks to Graham Games for pointing out that after a year’s searching, I was the only person to volunteer for the post, my having already led walks and made social event presentations. Maybe Graham felt a bit guilty having twisted my arm to take up the post. I hope I’ve not disappointed anyone with my 11 years of service, which I must admit has kept me busy but has provided interesting times and the nicest of friends. As I normally finish with a humorous comment, I wondered what I should choose. Ex-Ramblers President and now the Trustee Chair Kate Ashbrook and I over the past few years have exchanged birthday greetings via email. Kate often gets a mention in the Daily Telegraph birthday listings – I don’t! On my birthday this year (1st April) my reply to her greetings made her laugh so I thought I’d choose it as my final offering. The 1st of April wasn’t just my birthday, this year it was also my 20th wedding anniversary of my marriage to Pat. Twenty years ago, a Yorkshire friend with a dry sense of humour sent us a card saying: “Remember, a wife is for life, not just your birthday” Ramblers GC chair, Kate Ashbrook, when she heard that Nick was retiring as group chairman after 11 years, offered her warmest thanks. She said: “I know how hard Nick has worked for the group and we are fortunate indeed to have such devoted volunteers like Nick in the Ramblers. I hope he enjoys a long and happy retirement.” Footprints January 2021 Page 3 of 12 Our Group Walks: Covid-19 Update We resumed our walks at the start of September with around half of the planned programme operating for the first two months. As a recognised outdoor activity, we are permitted groups of up 30, although several leaders prefer a smaller number. We thus needed to make advanced booking mandatory for all our walks. The second lockdown has meant further cancellation of all Ramblers walks and activities for this four week period. At the time of publication we do not know what will happen after 2nd December, whether restrictions will be lifted or will continue, or a new set of restrictions will emerge. We will resume some walks if we can. When available, information will be on our website. See below for how we will be communicating with you. Because of the changing situation, we have decided not to print a paper walks programme for January-April 2021 The usual walks programme will still be compiled and available to download from our website from late December. All walks to the end of April are already on the Ramblers GWEM, accessible from our website. If you do not have access to the Internet and wish to go on future walks, please ring Liz Smith (0781 648 3227), and she can print off details of the walks and post them to you. Our website has a dedicated Covid-19 page regularly updated with the latest information. Accessing Members During these times of lockdown, our Group needs to access our members by the most convenient method. Luckily, most of our members have access to the internet and can check our own DDR website which is regularly kept up to date with any changes. In addition, many members have made their email addresses available to Ramblers Head Office, which means that our membership secretary, Liz Smith, can access the Ramblers Head Office database and email members. There are some members who have not yet informed Christmas Day Ramblers Head Office of their email address, and we We are still hoping to hold our proposed walk on urge you to do so, in order Christmas Day, as detailed in the last edition, but to remain up to date with of course dependent on Covid situation and national and local changes. restrictions at the time. 8 miles from Monsal Head, also 6 miles option. Advanced booking Instructions on how to required, at time of publication a limited number update your preferences of places available. For full details see the online are in the Data Christmas Day page on our website, or contact Protection section on the Sue, 01629 636350, [email protected]. Legal page of our website. Footprints January 2021 Page 4 of 12 Three Tramways – A Walk through Transport History Below Crich Stand, Graham is in the centre in the red jacket The Thursday Ramblers were led on this walk by Graham Hutchinson in September. The walk encompassed Crich, Wakebridge, Fritchley and Bullbridge with Graham giving all a most informative insight. Of the three Tramways one is the Tramway museum with electric trams. Benjamin Outram supervised the construction of the Cromford Canal in 1790. He built blast furnaces at Butterley to smelt iron. Limestone was required as a flux which he got from a quarry south of Crich. Instead of making a road down to the canal wharf he built a tramway using cast iron plates mounted on stone blocks. The horse drawn wagons were known as trams and had cast iron wheels with no flanges. This became known as the Butterley Gangroad. George Stephenson built the Derby - Leeds railway in 1839. At Clay Cross he found iron ore and coking coal and built blast furnaces there. He obtained limestone from Cliff quarry (now the Crich Tramway Museum). He built a line down to the main line using wrought iron rails on wooden sleepers. There were three inclines where loaded wagons pulled up empty ones. Flatter sections were worked by horses. From the 19th century locomotives worked the whole of the Butterley Gangroad. The steepest incline, 1 in 4, on the line continued to use the self acting incline and loco’s worked the rest of the line including the other two inclines. Footprints January 2021 Page 5 of 12 Aqueduct Cottage Richard Alton History Aqueduct Cottage was constructed in 1802.