FARNHAM RAMBLERS....NEWSLETTER 63....SUMMER 2014 Hello everyone - They tell me summer is with us but after our wet winter, I am looking forward to good warm but not too hot walking weather. We have over 140 walks available in our programme to November. Gerald tells me that's a record for this period. Enjoy your walking and encourage others to join you!!! John Hemsley, Chairman Walk Leaders and Training Thanks to our walk leaders for their continuing support and particularly new leaders Kay Peppett and Chris Morecroft - we all need you!!. The walks programme would not happen without you! We are encouraging leaders and prospective leaders to go on a Walk Leaders Training Course. One was run locally in September 2013 and a second in January this year -both highly successful. Based on the reports I have received, these courses were much enjoyed and are found very useful. Another will be run in Farnham in November - see details below. Thanks for Footpath Maintenance. Our series of maintenance working days are held on the Third Tuesday each month and started in March with the last one planned for October 21st. These eight working days make a real difference to the quality of our paths and the enjoyment of our walks. On March 18th., 19 volunteers worked on Footpath 36 in Churt. This involved replacing a broken metal gate with a wicket gate, removing some 100 yards of collapsing post and barbed wire fencing, making good plus a considerable amount of vegetation clearance. The barbed wire fence was falling in on one side of the path and a holly hedge was encroaching on the other. A young mother with a small child in a buggy came past and was very David Ross with cleared barbed wire complimentary about the work being done and the improvements. She emailed me with thanks and then sent the following letter. Dear Mr. Hemsley We would like to send a 'thank you card' to the wonderful group who improved our Churt footpath. My little girl has made a card. I'm sorry – we tried to find you on the Tuesday (the day of the footpath clearing) to give you the card when she woke from her nap but I think we missed you... She drew it herself... Many thanks again, we love our footpath now. Sarah (surname provided but withheld here ) SO OUR MEMBERS EFFORTS ARE APPRECIATED Thank you, John Plympton, for organising this important work and to Mary Stuart-Jones for support in the planning, management and hopefully very occasional first aid. Another good year of volunteer work. If you can help on these Tuesdays, or need further information, please contact John Plympton on 01 252 725661 or 07939 601174. Hankley Common - report from David Ross, our Footpath Secretary Relationship between the Military, their land agent Landmarc , and members of the public have recently been strained. In an effort to 'de conflict' the situation, a Hankley User Group has been created. There are representatives of the Local Access Forum (Graham Butler an active RA member), Parish Council, Local residents, equestrians, cyclists, walkers (David Ross) and the Defence Infrastructure Organisation. I think this is working fairly well. The MOD has no immediate plans to close the Lions Mouth car park at SU891411. There is an additional car park at SU892406 on Houndown Lane which has a gate but the MOD have stated that it will never be locked. The Rights of Way are open at all times. The MOD is also in the process of signing a new permissive path around the Southern perimeter of Hankley Common. However, when I checked in the first week in June, the signs were not yet in place. If you join the walk on Friday 10th October, this will use the new permissive path. The MOD is hoping to encourage people to use the perimeter rather than the central areas of the common so that there is less risk of conflict or potential safety issues. Increasingly (and particularly from July 2015) the Army will be using Hankley Common to train drivers of heavy vehicles. If they come across people using the non right of way tracks, they may ask you politely to either wait or divert if they are in the process of running a training exercise. COMING UP Litter Pick walk on Monday 14th. July. Meet at 10.30 at the Farnham Park car park by the golf club. We just start there. We go along the North Downs way and by the college. Optional cafe or pub after. Liz Witham is in charge. The Bourne Show on Saturday 19th July. We will have a stall with displays of all aspects of our Farnham Ramblers work and our Great Walks Programme in the very area where many of our existing members and potential new members live. We want to use the opportunity to show the public we are not just a walking group, but are actively engaged, just like The Bourne Conservation group, in making the countryside a better place to walk and enjoy. Just an example of our work - on July 15th our maintenance task will be to replace three stiles with kissing gates in NW Farnham. We now have replaced twelve stiles with kissing gates in this area improving access to the countryside for the walking public close to our town. If you are free to support us on the stall for the afternoon, the show runs from 2pm to 5pm, please contact John Plympton on 01252 725661 or email [email protected] 4 Family Walks on Wednesdays We have 4 family friendly walks coming up in August in this programme. Wednesday August 6th. 10.30 am from Crookham village Chequers Bridge 3 miles. Wednesday August 13th. 10.30 am Ducks and Drakes walk from Fleet pond car park 3 miles. Wednesday August 20th. 10.30 am Frensham Great Pond Family safari walk 3 miles.(No dogs) Wednesday August 27th. 10.30 am Dragonflies & Lizards family walk from Elstead the Moat car park. 3 miles. (No dogs) See Walks Programme or please contact Anne Pullinger for details 07812 404974. Saturday Special to the Isle of Wight - August 16th. We meet at the Lymington Ferry Terminal at 10 am for the 10.20am sailing to Yarmouth. Fare is £11 and the CP is £7 (see the Wightlink website for latest information). The Walk starts from Yarmouth at 11am along the coastal path to Alum Bay and the Needles. This is a 4 mile section. The route is a combination of coastal and inland paths. Buses are available for those who wish to return to Yarmouth at the end of this section of the walk. Our Walk continues from The Needles to Freshwater Bay over Tennyson Down with great views of the mainland and Compton Bay. There is a Hotel by the sea in Freshwater for afternoon tea. This is a 3 miles. Again buses are available for those who wish to return to Yarmonth. We continue along a disused railway next to the river Yar back to Yarmonth. This last leg is 3 miles. So the total walk is 10 miles. Return to Lymington at your leisure. Ferries every hour. See Ordnance Survey map Isle of Wight OL29. No need to book. For more information contact Chris Hodge 01252 725899. Real Ale Trail Saturday 13th. September Mike Desborough is leading a Real Ale Trail taking in Newnham, Greywell and Mapledurwell. The walk will start from Hook Common at 11.30. The plan is take in 4 country pubs and a possible short tour of the Andwell Brewery on this 8 mile walk. For further details see the Walk Programme or contact Mike on 07952 632025. Autumn Holiday 21st. to 28th. September 2014 - Yorkshire Pennines Liz Witham has booked a holiday based at Hebden Bridge in the south Yorkshire Pennines for Sunday 21st. September 2014 to Sunday 28th. This is a seven night holiday, walking around Calderdale and on the South Yorkshire Moors. On Sunday afternoon, when we arrive, Liz is planning a short town trail. It is planned that there are options of 3 walks per day - short 3-4 miles, medium 6 and long 9 to 10 depending on the terrain. Wednesday is planned as a rest day!. We shall be staying at various venues including the White Lion Inn in the centre of Hebden Bridge and it can be viewed at www.Whitelionhotel.net. Liz has arranged some other B&B accommodation nearby. We plan to all meet at the White Lion for a 3 course dinner each night. Town centre parking is free in the evenings. Booking has taken place but if you are interested please contact Liz for more information on [email protected]. Hebden Bridge from Heptonstall Quiz Night Saturday 18th. October 2014 7.30-10.30 pm Come and pit your wits at our quiz night at St Martin's Hall, Dene Lane, Lower Bourne, Farnham GU10 3PN. Tickets are £7 to include a ploughman’s supper. Licensed bar will be available. If you would like to make up a team each table seats 8 people. Otherwise just come along and make up a team. Guests are welcome. Information and tickets from Chris & Sue Hodge 01252 725899 or [email protected] Walk Leader Training Course 1st. November Walk leader training will take place at The Hale Institute Village Hall, 09.30 – 16.00 on November 1st. The day will consist of talks on leading a walk, map reading, orienting, and a practical session in Farnham Park. Applications should be made via the walk leader training application form on the Surrey Area Ramblers website.