walkerSOUTH EAST No. 93 March 2016 Our chance to put walking in London on election agenda t the start of May, London • Be prepared to talk about how will have a new mayor. important walking is to you if AWho that mayor is and any of the candidates, either for what they choose to do with their mayor or for the assembly, knocks time in office will directly affect on your door and asks your views. the lives of the 8.6 million of • Invite your local assembly us living in London, many of candidates out on one of your whom are walkers. Even more group walks - get in touch people who commute into with Central Office for more London every day, or who visit information on campaigns@ for sporting events, art galleries, ramblers.org.uk. opera, theatre, music, or to see If you love walking in London, family and friends, will see an we hope you’ll join us in impact from the new mayor’s supporting our Love London Walk policies and decisions. London campaign; it’s the first Our aim over the next couple of time we’ve done anything like this months is for all of the candidates in London, but we represent nearly for both the mayoral election 13,000 Ramblers members living in itself, and for the Greater London London and many more who spend Assembly election that take place on their days or evenings here, for the same day, to hear loud and clear work or for leisure. If you’re a walk from as many different voices as leader or part of a group or Area possible, why walking is important committee that includes London, to us as Ramblers, and why it should please make sure the other Ramblers be important to them as prospective continued on page 2 Walkers take in the view from Primrose Hill. mayor and assembly members. We are calling on them to do three things, not just for Ramblers, but for everyone who walks in London, be it zone 1 or in the outer Green candidate joins walk suburbs: n a blustery Tuesday Office for a walk with the Green ideas and Sian was the first to the Greater London Assembly • Employ a walking ambassador morning in January, Party’s Sian Berry. take up our offer. As well as being elections, so is highly likely to be to promote London as a world Oa group of Ramblers We had invited all the main a mayoral election candidate, an assembly member from May; class walking city for all. volunteers from across London mayoral candidates to join us Sian is also the first name on the she is currently a councillor in • Champion the Thames Path met bright and early at Central on a walk where we could share Green Party’s candidate list for Camden. and other routes to ensure they As Ramblers Chair, Des remain safe and open for all Garrahan, led us along the Thames Londoners to walk. Path from Vauxhall to Battersea • Ensure equality of access to our Park we talked to Sian about our amazing parks and green spaces campaign asks for the elections, so that everyone has a green space and about why we love walking in close to their home. London. We’re doing this under the Love Sian Berry said: ‘If I’m elected London, Walk London banner. Mayor of London I’ll prioritise walking as a healthy and enjoyable Get involved way to travel and spend leisure We’re calling on you to get involved time. It’s central to the Green too, by contacting the prospective vision, and protecting the Thames canidates to let them know how Path from encroachment by important you think walking in developers or properly preserving London is - be it for recreation, for and signing the London Loop and health and fitness or as part of the Capital Ring are to me an essential transport solution. part of the job of running London • Visit our ramblers.org.uk/ Sian (centre) on the walk along the Thames Path. Left to right: Graham Butler (Ramblers Greater London Forum), Des Garrahan (Chair of the Ramblers), Sian Berry, Clare Wadd, John Leyton (in beret) and Teri Moore (Ramblers trustee). for the common good’. London website to quickly and Photo: Victoria Armitage Clare Wadd easily email your candidates. 2 South East Walker March 2016 Knitting in the Bedford honour path of HS2 for Barry first discovered yarnWendover where the line will have bombing/guerrilla knitting, a devastating effect (tunnel or no edford Borough our community. Barry is richly Those who have helped put the I or tree-tagging as I prefer to tunnel). In Stoke Mandeville, Council has recognised deserving of this award, for his walking festival together, who call it, when visiting a friend in there are 11 trees with knitting on. Bthe work of Barry phenomenal commitment to the have looked after footpaths the Netherlands. It was winter HS2 will cross the A4010 at Stoke Ingram, Chair of Bedfordshire local countryside and his tireless and help with our RIPPLE and some trees in the town square Mandeville near the Bucks Goat Ramblers and key figure work on the Bedfordshire (Restoring and Improving were covered in it. Centre. behind the Bedfordshire Walking Festival and much Public Paths for Leisure and Right from the first announcement Most of the ‘scarves’ have stayed Walking Festival, with the more besides. Thanks to Barry, Enjoyment) scheme. about HS2 back in March 2010 I put, though one or two have been presentation of a prestigious residents and visitors have been The award is made in memory was terribly upset about the effect it removed.Most people like them, and local award in December. able to get even more from the of Winifred Fowler who became would have on the Chilterns and the whenever I’m out installing them I Mayor of Bedford Borough, beautiful countryside. the first female mayor of Bedford Vale of Aylesbury and many areas I always talk to passing walkers, and Dave Hodgson, said: ‘The On winning the award Barry in 1970 and recognises men and know well and walk in frequently. have found that many people out in Winifred Fowler Award provides said: ‘I am absolutely staggered women who, regardless of age or In a moment of inspiration in the countryside have no idea how a special opportunity to recognise and I think I have got this award background, selflessly give back 2013 I decided to start knitting and HS2 will impact on the very areas the hard work volunteers do in on behalf of lots of other people. to the borough. wrap the long ‘scarves’ around trees they are walking in, especially if which either stood directly in the they are not local. path of HS2 or on trees at points There are a number of trees with where the view of the line would knitting on near Wendover and impact greatly on the countryside or Dunsmore and there are more to locality. come. I was not short of locations to do Julia Drummond this. The first were mainly around Aylesbury Group member Honoured: Left to right are Mayor of Bedford Borough, Dave Hodgson, Barry Ingram and David Fowler, son of Winifred Fowler. Julia and one of her ‘scarves’ with passing walkers on a Wycombe & District group walk. Photo: Inge Mikkelsen May), Thames Path in London - complete re-routing as a result of a Hampton Court to Crayford Ness development. Fortunately, on this Trail by Phoebe Clapham (5 May). occasion the only examples of the Gasholder Park opened Revised titles in the Recreational latter were minor. Some authors cast iron gas holder Cross station. Path Guides series include the guides use a voice recorder, but I prefer guide frame, one of Gasholder no.8, the largest of the Capital Ring by Colin Saunders to carry A4 printouts of the book several which once gas holders in Pancras Gasworks (5 May). All include Ordnance pages, on which to make notes. A dominated the St Pancras which was decommissioned updated Survey mapping, a chapter on The North Downs Way is 153 skyline in London, now forms in 2000, was dismantled each day’s walk stage and cost ew editions of 12 of miles long (including its two the centrepiece of a new open and taken to Yorkshire for £14.99. the Official National alternatives at the east end), plus space created as part of the restoration before being carefully Colin Saunders, author of the Trail Guides and three station links, and it’s slow going redevelopment of former reconstructed on a nearby site on N North Downs Way guidebook Recreational Path Guides are when one has to keep stopping to railway land behind King’s the banks of the Regent’s Canal. published by Aurum Press this writes: make text changes - I’m lucky if spring. A new edition of my guidebook I manage two miles an hour! So These include updated guides for the North Downs Way from the daily stages are quite short to the North Downs Way by Farnham to Dover was published in comparison with my usual Colin Saunders (published 7 in January, incorporating many progress and 15 day trips between January), South Downs Way by minor changes to the route July and September last year Paul Millmore, (3 March), The description and updated useful were needed to cover the whole Ridgeway by Anthony Burton (5 information. The rrp is £14.99, route. I much appreciated the but copies signed by me can be Southeastern high speed trains to bought from Footline Press (www.