Area Sudbury & District Group Founded May 1970 Sudbury & District Group Update – February 2021

Suffolk Area AGM Some 33 members joined in on the ‘Zoom’ meeting on 6 February and here are some of the more important subjects covered.

Angles Way Bridge – a footbridge crossing the Waveney at Earsham Mill near Bungay has been re-instated after many years of closure. Thanks must go to David Harmer of Waveney Ramblers for his dogged perseverance in getting this done.

‘Garden Villages’ Developments - Some major housing developments in Suffolk are in the early stages of consultation. They are called ‘Garden Villages’ although they have little to do with gardens. It would appear the planners are trying to evoke in that term the sort of model villages that philanthropists of previous generations developed. You may have already heard about some of these proposals. South Saxmundham - 800 new homes, North Lowestoft (Corton) - 1,300 new homes and West of Mildenhall - 1,300 new homes. Creating a Green infrastructure is one of the commitments SCC has made. With Ramblers detailed local knowledge we are very well placed to comment on the impacts such developments will have and the methods which can be used to embed opportunities for safe and desirable walking routes through and out of the areas affected. Making walking the first option for all journeys where possible should be our aim. To this end we should continue to work with other interested parties. Cyclists and equestrians both have well developed means of lobbying and we are always more effective when we can work with them, particularly on major infrastructure projects such as these.

‘Don’t Lose Your Way’ Campaign (2026 cut-off) It appears that there is lobbying going on to extend the cut-off date to beyond 2026.

Coastal Access - Suffolk is split into 5 major sections with different people from Natural working on different sections. Last January they published three sections, Gate to Ferry, to Shotley Gate and Aldeburgh to Hopton-on-Sea. Under normal practice they would have been looked at, revised and advanced within a few months, but unfortunately due to the pandemic it has put the target back by one year. The last few weeks has seen some movement. In December the Felixstowe to Bawdsey section was published and three days ago the Bawdsey to Aldeburgh section was also published. All five sections have now been published. For the Bawdsey to Aldeburgh path it is already apparent that there are major faults, one of which is that the path has been taken from the coast into the heart of Aldeburgh. The next stage is getting the reports back and we have now had the Shotley Gate to Felixstowe section where 60% has been approved. It is hoped that we will get all sections approved/modified by the end of this year.

County-wide Footpath Maintenance – A team is being formed of existing and experienced members under Nigel Richards. The Alde Valley working party group, which he organises, has been going for well over 20 years now. A number of this group were interested in doing some working parties further afield, and are willing to help train less experienced volunteers. The idea would be to do mainly clearance work using hand tools only at this stage. All work would need to be cleared by SCC before starting. The group would meet up in the morning and it would be a very social occasion with talk of a visit to a café or pub afterwards. If you would like to get involved and/or have a path in mind then please let Philip Snelling [email protected] know so that he can coordinate with Nigel Richards. No work will be done until Covid restrictions are lifted.

Ramblers Smartphone App – The Area Tech Officer went through the new updated and improved App that gives a lot of information about walks and other Ramblers activities. He is encouraging all walks leaders to download this App and have a look at what it can do. Using it to take the register of each walk gives Ramblers the ability to look at how many walks, how many attend and lots of information in order that they can deliver the right level of support for the membership. If you would like to have some more information on the App and its use, then do please let me know.

Area Newsletter – The editor, David Harmer is retiring and a meeting has been convened to look at how this annual publication should continue. Ideas for a more frequent, emailed version is amongst several suggestions. Watch this space!

Ramblers have moved – If you have not been informed, Ramblers have moved as part of a series of ideas to reduce overheads and a re-branding. Their new address is as follows The Ramblers, 1 Clink Street, 3rd Floor, London, SE1 9DG All other contact methods, such as phone and email, remain the same.

Here are a couple of articles kindly sent in by our members

It’s a Lockdown Again – by Margaret King

Another lockdown, and such a sad one at this most dismal time of the year when, more than ever now, most people are longing for the Spring. I am sure however that our faithful walkers are doing their best to carry on walking, curtailed as they are by the Government’s innumerably reinforced rules to ‘stay local’, together with the winter variants of almost persistent rain and slush which have combined to turn the footpaths and fields into deep cloying quagmires. After a couple of ill-advised attempts ending in the boots carrying dinner platefuls of mud, John and I are now walking only on quiet roads; nevertheless we are heading for the 500 miles goal commenced last March. Christmas was more or less a ‘non-event’ as expectations of family get-togethers evaporated, ending in a family chat and gift opening via a Google Meet on the day. We endeavoured to compensate for the lack of guests with a deliberately planned increase in the number of bright lights, both inside and out – they did look very cheerful! Sadly, the only seasonal snow was the white icing on the utterly untouched Christmas cake resplendently decorated with Father Christmas, a tree, a cottage and, of course, the obligatory robin on the ‘snowy’ lawn! We also have remaining two boxes of unopened crackers, one tin of chocolates, one Panettone, two packs of mince pies and a freezer full of assorted sausage rolls and pigs in blankets which are diminishing slowly. The bleakness of winter has not encouraged much decorating or gardening. However, I have sorted out a large collection of village photographs from years gone by to be fed onto the newly formed Local History Society Facebook page which has accumulated 1000 members in less than one month! Reading has continued with the following: ‘The Mirror and the Light’ (beyond brilliant); ‘The Salt Path’ ( Ramblers will love this true story of walking the South West path – I wasn’t particularly keen!); Lady Glenconner’s ‘Lady in Waiting’ (interesting and revealing); ‘The Eye in the Door’ (part two of the Pat Barker WWI Regeneration trilogy, mixing fact with fiction and dealing with the traumatic aftermath); ‘Sorry for the Dead’(latest Nicola Upson set around Charleston); and ‘The Wind in the Willows’ (just magical!) Like everyone in these dark times we are hoping for better days ahead which the advent of the vaccine roll-out may bring. In the meantime, stay safe and look forward to Spring which cannot come quickly enough for most of us. My early flowering snowdrops never disappoint in showing the first signs. Do we dare anticipate postponed Christmas celebrations at Easter? Days out, trips away, meet-ups in London (or anywhere!) with friends? Gathering together and walking again in talkative groups? Even holidays? Hopefully yes!

A Wander Round Stoke-by- – by Barbara Rowe

While I have not been buddy walking since Christmas because of the new coronavirus mutation and safeguarding I am walking. Yesterday being fabulously sunny I walked across to the shop at Stoke by Nayland - Suffolk walking at its best with amazing clouds. Stoke tower appears from a lot of tracks. David and I have had our first Pfizer Jab at the 'walk in centre' next to Colchester hospital. It was very well organized and so cheerful plus being issued with a credit card size record. I am continuing to garden mainly mulching the new growth on daffodils. I recently had a flier from Macmillan Cancer Support about their Mighty Hikes planned for the Dedham Vale 31July 2021 and elsewhere in the country from June to August. The contact is macmillan.org.uk/mightyhikes. There are fundraising pledges, groups of 5+ arrangements, walking 13 or 26 miles. Do you think that other Sudbury members might like to consider it? Keep dry, warm, safe and well.

Well, at least until the next time!

If you have any photos or tales to tell, do send them in and I will endeavour to publish them.

Meanwhile, do stay safe, get your jab when requested and say a big thanks to all those volunteers who are doing a grand job in the vaccination centers. Surely it won’t be too long before we can meet up again.

Keith Brown