30 Ramblers travelled to Llandudno to enjoy the weekend of 20 September - 22 September walking and socialising together.
Everyone sorted out their own accomodation , some deciding to extend their stay before or after the weekend in and around the area.

Many thanks to the following members who volunteered and led some great walks. Philippa and Martin Culshaw who led 25 members on the Friday ‘warm up walk’ 
and led 15 members on a 7.5 mile walk up the Great Orme on Saturday, including giving some geology lessons along the way. 
Joe Colls who led a similar Great Orme walk on the Saturday but who added 3.5 more miles on to the length , because he could!
Alan Wilson who ventured into deepest Snowdonia with 4 members to see if they could lose themelves doing a 9 mile walk… and on the Sunday 
thanks to Karen Lewis and Chris Slater for leading an 8 mile and 4 mile walk , respectively, from Conwy Castle. (apparently finishing the walks before the rain came).

Two restaurants were booked for evening meals. 28 attended ‘The Mediterranean restaurant’ on Friday and 23 attended ‘ Dylans restaurant’ on Saturday. 
Feedback suggested the restaurants fed and looked after us well, and I am sure everyone enjoyed the local tea shops and bars in between walking and dinner!

The weather was ‘OK’ until Saturday 6.30 pm when we got a drenching walking to Dylans, but temperatures were typical for early Autumn, so lucky overall.

‘I thoroughly enjoyed the walks, such a superb landscape. The weather was perfect as well, it couldn’t have been a better weekend.’ Dave after his first weekend with RR

Since our return there have been lots of messages like this expressing thanks for another successful RR weekend away. Nothing could be faulted, 
even the weather played its part with three beautiful blue sky days. It was a little cool with strong winds especially on the Saturday but it was March!
The rooms at Nether Grange, the HF House in Alnmouth, lived up to HF’s high standards and our expectations with lots of the rooms having sea views. 
The food was delicious and much improved on our post Covid experiences for which we sent many thanks to the chef. Ruben the manager and all the staff 
were very attentive.

‘Thank you for another really enjoyable weekend. The House and the weather were great.’ Liz

The weekend started on Friday in Alnwick. Some chose to walk a 5 miles route around Hulne Park. Thanks to Karen for organising and leading. 
Whilst others chose to become detectives for the afternoon, solving clues to discover where the treasure was hidden. All good fun!

‘Thank you for organising a splendid weekend  - we had a lovely time and the weather was an added bonus.’ Ceri

Saturday we were on the coast with our HF walk leaders. The coach dropped walkers off at different locations according to the length of their chosen walk. 
We all then walked back to Alnmouth, some passing Dunstanburgh Castle and Craster home of the smoke house and Craster kippers.

‘Another splendid holiday. The weather gods must have heard your prayers as we were blessed with blue skies.’ Mike

Sunday we were inland, starting in the Breamish Valley and then up on the Cheviot hills. All walks started and finished in the village of Ingram in 
Northumberland National Park. This was an area of archeological interest with Iron Age settlements including hillforts, all around the area. 
Fortunately, it wasn’t as windy. Climbing the hills had its challenges without the wind blowing us back down again. 
We all enjoyed an exhilarating walk and ended the day in the cafe at Ingram whilst waiting for the coach to arrive.

‘It’s been a lovely weekend with beautiful walks, good company and clear blue skies.’ Jan

The evenings too were fairly busy. The BBC programme ‘Villages by the Sea’, which featured several Northumbrian coastal villages played in the background 
whilst we tried to work out quiz questions. There was some banter and friendly competition after which, being pleasantly tired, we all crept up to bed.

‘Another successful and enjoyable weekend.’ Kathryn

Wasn’t it just the perfect holiday a mix of city and mountains? As with all our holidays, we had such a wonderful time in Scotland, touring and walking with our like 
minded Rushcliffe Ramblers friends. Glasgow was gritty, lots of street art, grand architecture, interesting with myths and legends from the origins of the City, 
large parks and the ship building heritage along the Clyde. Did you know Wee Willie Winkie was here too? Perhaps I should add a sense of humour to the list!

Our city walking tour with Mary as our guide was just perfect. Mary was brilliant and loud so we could all hear her as she took us round the old city and the necropolis. 
A different route from the Hop on Hop off bus expanding our experience of the City. Well done Mary!

Then it was on to the Highlands and specifically Glen Coe with a meeting up at the Drovers Inn on the way. Glen Coe was all we expected with stunning scenery, 
especially the views from up high, lots of hills and mountains to climb, comfortable rooms at Alltshellach, good food too and friendly staff and guests all of which 
helped to make this a most memorable holiday. The weather also played its part with wall to wall sunshine on most days giving such long reaching views from 
high up in the mountains. Everyone was so amazed that the Highlands had almost continual blue skies and sunshine and no rain for each day we were there. 
We were so lucky.

13 Rushcliffe members joined other HF Holidays guests at our Highlands retreat. The walks included the ascent of Ben Nevis at 4,500 feet, the highlight of the 
week for some. Other walks weren’t always long but they were tough but still enjoyable, giving a real sense of achievement. The walk leaders were very good, 
very fit and caring. Well done Joy, Gareth, Tony and Paul, all volunteers working with HF. The social side was hectic too with swimming in the loch (I didn’t hear of 
any RR members joining in that one), desert island discs, the big HF quiz, a piper and country dancing. The latter being a new concept for our Netherlander friends 
who had great fun joining in.

Staying in Alltshellach, situated on the shores of Loch Leven we enjoyed the company of Germans, Netherlanders, Australians, Americans, Northern Irish and we 
even took two Scots with us to make sure the natives were represented.

The steepness of the ascents and descents may have put some people off joining this holiday but you did miss a treat. Those who couldn’t manage them found 
some enjoyable low level self guided walks thus enabling them to absorb the atmosphere and the views of some of Scotland’s iconic mountains. Everyone was so 
grateful for the organisation which enabled the holiday to happen and the ensuing wonderful time. I think I can safely say that those who participated enjoyed their 
time in Glasgow and then all in Glen Coe. We now look forward to holidaying and climbing a few hills together again soon.

“It was a wonderful trip. I’m so glad I went.” Lesley

Dovedale in November 2021

At last, we were able to take one of our transferred HF holidays. This was to Dovedale at the beginning of November.  The date had been altered twice but this time it actually went ahead. That was thrilling in itself, a bit more normality returning.

15 Rushcliffe Ramblers travelled to Derbyshire for our 4 nights stay at the HF hotel, Peveril of the Peak. On our spring weekends away, we usually fill the whole house, but not this time.  Instead, we joined together with lots of people from around the country. Some were on a guided walking holiday, like ourselves. Others were on a self-guided holiday with whom we met up with at meal times for chat and camaraderie, sharing stories of mud and the Derbyshire countryside.

The hotel was good and kept us well fed with delicious meals including our picnic bags that were waiting for us each morning. The walk leaders did a sterling job guiding us over hill and down dale. The weather was kind to us , not the Mediterranean but mostly dry and fairly mild. Pam produced a poem out of the bag for Steve who was celebrating a birthday whilst we were there. Well done Pam, who only got a few hours’ notice.

And the Ramblers, they had fun, Fun, FUN making happy memories and will be talking about it for a few weeks yet.

Autumn Weekend Away to Malvern, Worcestershire, 17-19 September 2021 

After a gap of two years, Rushcliffe Ramblers finally managed a trip away.  In total, 23 members descended on Malvern for a weekend of walking, talking and eating.

Over the course of the weekend our brave and dedicated volunteer walk leaders provided a total of 5 walks, varying in length from 5 to 12 miles, some strenuous, some more gentle.  We explored the Malvern Hills, including the highest point, the Worcestershire Beacon, the Suckley Hills and the Severn Valley.  Those who braved the longer walk into the hills on Saturday were rewarded with a fly-past by a WW2 Spitfire, so close we could almost identify the pilot!

Although everyone was scattered around the area in different hotels, guest houses, cottages etc, we came together for our evening meals.  A particular highlight was our Friday evening dinner in a retirement village.  Despite some misgivings, everyone enjoyed an excellent meal, served by delightful staff in a beautiful location.  Saturday evening took us to a busy pub together with a number of other groups, including a Wedding Party.  For once, Rushcliffe Ramblers weren’t the noisiest ones there!

Autumn Weekend 2019, Stroud

In September 36 members of Rushcliffe Ramblers invaded Stroud for the annual Autumn walking weekend.

Over the course of the weekend, our kind volunteer walk leaders offered a total of 7 walks of varying lengths in what everyone agreed was beautiful countryside. On Friday and Saturday we were blessed with perfect walking weather; sunny and dry, but not too hot. Sunday, however, was rather wet to say the least; nevertheless, a large number of the group turned out to walk.

Most of those attending the weekend chose to stay at the Premier Inn in Stroud, but others opted for cottages, guest houses etc, with some extending their stay in the area.

Although we were a large group, we were able to eat together on both evenings; on Friday, in a local pub, and on Saturday in a family run Italian restaurant.

Some of the comments from those who took part:

“The weather, the walking, the food and the company were all excellent” Jan

…a fabulous walking weekend” Elizabeth

...another brilliant weekend away" Mike

Summer 2019 – Zakopane, Poland

25 participants travelled to Poland to enjoy walking in the Tatra Mountains. It was an area of Europe that not many people had visited or knew much about. From the comments I’ve received I think everyone loved Poland.

The hotel, situated in a quiet corner of Zakopane, served our needs very well and was a good base. They provided for all our needs including making a sandwich from breakfast fare for 5 zloty (about £1.10). We used HF walk leaders who very ably guided us on our walks. The walks, grade 2 and 5 were tough walks. Even the grade 2 was considered tougher than would be expected for a grade 2. The walking was made more difficult as most of the trails had been cobbled with uneven stones. I assume this was a throw back from the Communist days

In the spring of 2019, for the first time ever we enjoyed not one but two holidays:

Spring 2019 – Beddgelert, Snowdonia

This was an additional holiday to our normal calendar of events. 27 people attended what turned out to be a truly exceptional holiday in Snowdonia. The HF accommodation, as usual, was clean, comfortable and well maintained; the food was very good and the house manager entertaining.  For the first time in the UK we used HF walk leaders and this turned out to be a winner. All three leaders had a good knowledge of the mountains and took us places we may not have attempted on our own including scrambling up near vertical rocks.

The weather behaved itself and we were fortunate to arrive on the summits, including Snowdon, with clear, blue skies affording long-distance views. It was mountain heaven.

Comments from those attending:

“I thoroughly enjoyed the marvellous walking.” Anne

“I have run out of superlatives to describe the holiday. I think one or two of the group achieved things that they thought beyond them.” Mike

“What can we say … another cracking, midweek trip to Wales with weather that could hardly have been any better. … we were honoured to be part of it.” Adriana and John

“The staff looked after us so well and in a friendly manner. I feel very proud of myself for having climbed a total of 5,500 feet in three days.” Annie

Spring 2019 – Brecon Beacons

44 members attended the weekend at HF Nythfa House, Brecon. Everyone had a newly refurbished room and satisfied with their accommodation. The hotel  gave us a magnificent service with delicious meals, plenty of choice for our packed lunches, and their efficiency. Walks were planned for all four days with a choice of short, medium and tough walks on the Saturday and Sunday. Rushcliffe Ramblers reached the tops of several more Welsh summits to add to the collection.

We weren’t lucky enough to have a repeat of the weather of the Snowdon week, but nonetheless we had two full days of sunshine intermingled with cloud giving clear views from most of the summits. Corn Du and Pen y Fan were the exception as the cloud was down to the ground, but it did clear by the time we reached Fan y Big. The first and last days were a little damp although the rain had managed to stop prior to each walk. Another successful and thoroughly enjoyable weekend away.

Comments from attendees:

“Thank you for organising another great weekend.” Rosemary

“A fabulous weekend away with great company and walks and superb evening entertainment!” Hazel

“A memorable and very enjoyable event.” Geoff

SEPTEMBER 2018 – Beverley, East Yorkshire, 21st – 23rd September

Rushcliffe Ramblers headed north again to Yorkshire for the Autumn walking weekend, but this time to the lesser known area of Beverley in East Yorkshire. We were 26 in number and very fortunate to be joined by 4 members of Hull & Holderness Ramblers, Steve M, Val, Steve L and Elaine, who, between them, led all the walks over the weekend. Apart from making life much easier for us, this meant all the walks had been recently reccied and we avoided any nasty surprises. Steve M in particular kept everyone entertained with his stories and jokes!

We started with a short walk from Welton on Friday afternoon, which left time just enough time for everyone to check into their accommodation before meeting in the centre of Beverley for an early evening Ghost Walk led by local guide, Paul . Although it was very cold, everyone seemed to enjoy hearing tales of Beverley’s ghostly and grisly past, and unsurprisingly the walk finished in one of the many historic pubs!

Saturday offered a choice of 3 walks, all starting and finishing in Huggate, and taking in the distinctive countryside of the Yorkshire Wolds. Many people commented on the fact that in a whole day’s walking, only a couple of dog walkers were spotted.

Sunday’s two walks from Skidby Windmill were carefully timed to meet up and join together for the final two miles back to the tea shop, where the cakes were of typical Yorkshire proportions.
Accommodation used by the group varied from deluxe cottages, to pubs, Guest Houses and the local Premier Inn.

Group meals were taken in two very different establishments: a rather large and noisy (even before we arrived) local Italian restaurant and a small pub, where we had the luxury of a private function room.
Apart from a soaking during the second half of the Friday afternoon walk, the weather was fairly kind to us.

Some of the comments I have received:
Thank you for a wonderful weekend in Beverley – Pam
I am absolutely sure everyone enjoyed themselves very much. So here’s to the next one! - Larraine
As usual, the company of everyone was great fun and enjoyed by us all - Hazel

JUNE 2018 LAKE BLED

28 Rushcliffe Ramblers enjoyed a truly memorable holiday in Slovenia. As a result of using HF walk leaders our walks, particularly the harder walks, were more adventurous than we would have been able to experience as self-led and un-reccied. As a thank you to our walk leaders, Pam wrote the following poem which sums up our first holiday using HF volunteer walk leaders:

'Before a good meal everything is pure doggerel'

LEAD ON MACDUFF

Once upon a time there was a lovely walking group called Rushcliffe Ramblers.

They were sociable and adventurous, by no means fair-weather amblers.

When they went away on weekends they plotted their own routes,

Using GPS and gizmos, OS maps and muddy boots.

This extended to HF houses and to walks now spent 'abroad',

Isle of Man, the Scillies, Mayrhofen – by nothing they were floored.

But suddenly an e-mail came – in Slovenia they'd be using

HF leaders for their walks, and not ones of their choosing.

Panic ensued.

They didn't want to be rude,

But 'What will they be like?'

'Well, they'll know how to hike',

Said Ruth and Brian.

'Will the walks be too hard?'

'Well, they'll be on their guard',

Said Jan and Lesley.

'Will the walks be too flat?'

'Well, we certainly don't want that',

Said Joe and Morag.

'Will there be time for a beer?'

'If not, we're out of here',

Said Alan and Mike.

'Trust is a must,

Just go with the flow',

Said Angela.

So we did as suggested and met Anne and Bill,

Chemistry teacher and New Yorker, not run-of-the-mill.

Were these leaders experiencing the same feelings too?

Sizing up Rushcliffe Ramblers, a right motley crew?

The first day of walking allayed all our fears,

They are excellent leaders, they're all eyes and ears

For what may be happening under our feet,

And we get to the bus at the time we should meet.

They tell us about Slovenia, they go out of their way

To help us with good trips on our only free day.

They give us breaks when we're puffing up the side of a crag

And don't spring gazelle-like if we're starting to flag.

But then why shouldn't they be great, from what we've found out?

Anne's climbed 25 4,000-metre peaks so she has some clout.

Bill's led in 17 countries with the HF organisation,

Anne guides for other bodies too, in many a nation.

As for their characters, Bill likes to be environmentally sound;

Throw out your banana skins, they'll sink into the ground,

His special subject on Mastermind could be the life of a tic,

He carries TWO tic extractors, so just take your pick.

Bill worked for Chase Manhattan, Anne examines for the International Baccalaureate,

I'm not even going to attempt to find a word rhyming with that.

But you can tell she's been teaching, she'll give you THE LOOK

And you know you're on the naughty step in her little book.

They each keep calm if we're behind, but rather than blurting

'Come on!' Anne says 'The bus is waiting' and we're instantly spurting.

They're both very caring; mid-meal Anne took Lesley to hospital to see

If she'd picked up a rogue tic from the grass or the scree.

Bill opens up his Banbury home to many a guest –

Walkers of course, not his Trump-voting brother, now deemed a pest.

Anne lives in Trieste and is learning Slovene via Italian,

She pronounces words with six consonants on the trot, a veritable battalion.

Bill is off to lead the coast-to-coast when he's finished in Bled,

He's only home six months of the year, does he recognise his bed?

Anne's leading in the Dolomites, we hear Bill thinks her super-fit,

But is it true he runs twice round the lake after walking, just to add a bit?

So with this joint expertise and leader qualities galore,

The beauties of Slovenia we've learned safely to explore.

We've scaled mountains by cable-car and indeed just by cable,

We've climbed slippery pathways by stones quite unstable.

We've seen wild flower meadows to die for,

Views spectacular to cry for.

We've eaten dumplings, scorpion and strudel

Alongside multiple varieties of noodle,

And still - we've only scratched the surface.

'Take my hand, I'm a stranger in paradise' is a melody from our past,

Thank you, Anne and Bill, for taking our hands; we hope this time won't be the last.

APRIL 2018 SELWORTHY

Report from Angela:

48 members travelled to Somerset for another fantastic HF weekend away. As usual, we were well looked after by the HF staff despite operating under temporary managers. The service at meals times couldn’t be faulted, the food was excellent and the house was situated on National Trust land with a myriad of footpaths to choose from the door. Most rooms were clean, comfortable and well furnished, however the three rooms in Gun Cottage were uncomfortable because of the lack of heating. The management did try to resolve the problem but not satisfactorily. I have since pointed this out to my contact at HF head office and the members concerned have also put in complaints.

Nine walks were programmed for the weekend. Two short walks had to be adjusted because of the difficult terrain thus ensuring that there was a walk for everyone attending the weekend. As usual, the walk leaders did a splendid job adding to the success of the weekend. Many thanks to all those involved.

The weather let us down a little with low cloud hanging over the hilltops obliterating the views. We were fortunate though that there was very little rain during the times we were out walking but because of the recent heavy rains there was a lot of fast flowing streams.

The evening entertainment in the form of quizzes was attended by almost everyone. It was all good fun with prizes on two evenings.

A selection of some of the comments received:

“Just want to say thank you for everything at Selworthy. Your organisation before and during was, as usual, excellent” – Joe

“My first trip with RR – and not my last. Good walks (some wetter than others), good accommodation, good food and definitely good company” – Lesley

“Just wanted to say a big thank you for al the hard work you put into organising another brilliant weekend away” – Brenda

“Another brilliant weekend that went all too quickly. The two long walks were certainly challenging. A special thanks to you for all your work in making it all happen.” – Mike

“Once again you managed to put together a fantastic weekend away and I’m sure everyone appreciates all of the effort and time you put into these weekend to make them such a fabulous success. Great company, fantastic walks, wonderful accommodation and food.” – Hazel

SEPTEMBER 2017  PATELEY BRIDGE

Report from Karen:

Our Autumn weekend in the glorious countryside of Nidderdale in North Yorkshire was attended by 27 Ramblers (and 1 dog).

A choice of two or three walks was offered each day and took us to Brimham Rocks, the Coldstones Cut which is Yorkshire’s biggest and highest public artwork, and finally Simon’s Seat and Appletreewick on the Sunday, where everyone seemed happy to round off the weekend with a drink at the rather quirky Craven Arms.

A special thank-you is owed to all the walk leaders, Christine, Alan, Jeremy and Martin, who good-humouredly faced up to numerous challenges resulting in a few alterations and curtailments.

Those who attended stayed in a variety of accommodation from hotels to B&B, campsites and cottages, with many choosing to extend the weekend.

Finding venues for our large group to enjoy their evening meals together proved difficult, but the Royal Oak pub and the Willow Restaurant managed to serve our rather convivial (noisy) party good food in typically large Yorkshire portions. (We also managed to clear the Spar shop of sandwiches.)

We were very fortunate with the weather during the weekend itself, although heavy rain on Monday morning altered the plans of those who had stayed on longer.

I (Karen) have received a number of messages of thanks in various forms, including the following comments:

A brilliant weekend, thanks and best wishes – Bill & Gill
Everything went well… we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves – Larraine
It was just great – Hazel
We had a great time from beginning to end, as always with Rushcliffe – Brian & Ruth

JUNE 2017 AUSTRIA

Report from Angela:

31 people attended the holiday ,all the arrangements fell into place from leaving home albeit an early start, getting to the airport, the flight, being collected at the airport and arrival at Hotel Waldheim on a very hot day to a welcome drink.

Our programme of walks worked out very well too. We had to adjust the walks on two days because of rain or low cloud, but all in all there was a good variety and something that most people could do. I had been fortunate to have contact with an HF Walk Leader prior to our leaving and he had given us some very useful information. Also, Karin at the Hotel was very knowledgeable about the area and helped us plan our days.

The hotel lived up to its reputation and although they’d not had a self guided group in all of their 25 years of providing HF with accommodation they coped well with our noise and demands brilliantly. Pork was a popular dish on the menu and it became a joke guessing what the next day’s menu would contain. Nonetheless the meals were wonderful with plenty of choice.

The total cost of the holiday, including flights worked out at £872, although the single occupancy rooms attracted an additional cost and those booking flights at a later date may have paid slightly more.

Many thanks go to Joe who spent hours plotting the routes as HF had only given us descriptions of low level walks. Also many thanks to Karen, Martin and Alan for taking charge of leading the walks and a special thanks to Jane who picked up the reins of leadership and guided most of the short walks. As I always say, the holiday wouldn’t have been the success it was without the help of these wonderful people.

Comments from our members:

‘A huge thank you for arranging such a wonderful week in Austria’ – Pat
What a fabulous holiday in Austria’ – Gill
‘I am running out of superlatives to describe your holidays … it was absolutely brilliant. It all went so smoothly, the walks were excellent and by and large the weather was good’ – Mike
‘Danke schon Thank you for arranging such a wonderful week in Mayrhofen’ - Elaine
‘Thanks for organising a truly memorable holiday’ – Elizabeth

To view the programme clickhere

APRIL 2017 ABINGWORTH

Report from Angela

In late April 43 Rushcliffe Ramblers travelled south from Nottinghamshire, braving the traffic on the M25 to arrive in West Sussex. We were self-guiding and had walks planned for each of the four days of our stay. Our Friday walk started off the weekend with a stroll round Petworth Park. This was followed by a dash to Abingworth Hall for tea and cakes. Everyone loves cake and the choice and quality available wasn’t a disappointment. Many thanks to the HF Chef who is still serving home baked cake.

On Saturday we had three walks of differing lengths, all walking from the front door of Abingworth Hall. All three walks started off in a westerly direction with the short 6 miles walk doing a loop around Storrington before returning and the 14 miles walk getting up on to the Downs. The 9 miles walk struck out west to Parnham with a walk around the park. The sun shone and it was a good day. Each evening, after dinner and coffee we had either a quiz or a game.Most people took part and everyone had a good laugh as well as lots of chatter.

On Sunday, again there was a choice on three walks. The short walk of 5 miles headed off to Bignor and the site of the Roman Villa. After the walk there was an opportunity to look round the Villa.. The medium 8 miles walk started at Amberley walking along the river and getting up on the Downs. They didn’t manage tea and cake at the quirky teashop because it was so busy, instead a trip to the nearest pub had to suffice. The longer, 13 miles walk climbed on to the Downs and visited Steyning, Chanctonbury Ring and Cissbury Ring.

Our weekend finished with an easy 5 miles walk from Rudgwick. This was followed with lunch at the pub before we said our goodbyes and travelled back home. It’s always sad when a wonderful weekend comes to an end but we had happy memories to take away with us.

Comments from our members:

‘Thanks from both of us for another wonderful walking weekend. We enjoyed it so much the date for next year at HF Selworthy is in our diary.’ – Karen
‘The weekend was absolutely fabulous, we both thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.’ – Morag
‘A huge thank-you for organising our stay in Abingworth, we really enjoyed ourselves.’ – Pat
‘What more could we ask for: fantastic company, amazing walks and scenery and lots of good food to eat.’ – Hazel
‘Another great walking weekend due to the excellent organisation. I thoroughly enjoyed my weekend away.’ - Jan
Thank you HF for making our weekend in West Sussex special; a happy memory that will stay with us for a long time.

To view the programme click here

SEPTEMBER 2016 THE GOWER PENINSULA

Report from Angela:

Roaring waves crashing into stoney bays. Stoney bays overlooked by high cliffs intercepted by golden, sandy bays. Bays whose only access was via the coastal footpath. Bays frequented by hardy swimmers and fishermen. Then there was the crescent shaped, third best beach in the world; Rhossili with its wide expanse of beautiful sand, surfers and sight-seers. This was our long (13 miles) Saturday walk on the southern Gower coast from Penmaen to Rhossili.

Our other walks included Three Cliffs Bay, the most photographed coastal view in Britain, Oxwich Bay, Cefn Bryn the highest hill on the Gower, Pwlldu Bay, and Clyn Valley. Walks were enhanced with local knowledge from Jan and Nick

39 Ramblers made their way to Mumbles making this the largest group on an Autumn weekend away. The numbers were swelled further as we were joined on walks and evening meals by 4 guests. Such was the lure of this area of outstanding natural beauty, but not only was the scenery magnificent so we're the evening meals. We managed to find restaurants in good locations that would take a large group and provide good food at a reasonable price. With the arrival of Rushcliffe Ramblers the decibels increased with lots of chat and laughter.

I've received a card, e-cards, emails and text with thanks from participants. Some of the comments are as follows:

Thank you for arranging another great weekend - Rosemary another splendid, well organised weekend. A thousand well dones. - Mike St We thoroughly enjoyed the weekend - Morag

The weekend wouldn't have been so memorable without our walk leaders whose planning, knowledge, navigation skills and leadership all added to the weekend. So, many thanks from all participants.

During the weekend participants voted for Pateley Bridge in Yorkshire as the destination for Autumn 2017.

To view the programme click here. 

JULY 2016 MOURNE MOUNTAINS

Report from Angela

This was another successful holiday. 18 members took part in the holiday. The majority of the group stayed at the Briers on the outskirts of Newcastle. Unfortunately this was a little too far out of the town for easy access. Both the proprietor and the web-site information were misleading on the walking time into Newcastle. However, it didn’t spoil the experience and this was remedied with the use of taxis that were very reasonably priced.

There were several very good restaurants in the town and we were able to dine in a different venue each evening. We kept the price down by dining early and ordering from the early bird menus that provided us with some very good selections of food.
.
Martin and Karen lead us on walks both in the mountains and along the coast. It’s not easy to lead a group without having done a recce in an unknown area so special thanks go to both for their bravery and skills.

The Walking Festival was a hit for those who enjoyed the Mountains and the walking they provided. Those who preferred the lowland walks didn’t have quite the same experience as these walks included a fair amount of road walking due to the lack of footpaths in Ireland generally.

The Saturday night Knees Up Shindig was attended and enjoyed by all. For the modest sum of £12 we were treated to a very good sit down, hot meal, a traditional Irish band and a caller for the dancing. Rushcliffe Ramblers lead the way on the dance floor and were the stars of the evening.

We spent the arrival and the departure days in Belfast with most people enjoying the Hop on Hop off bus and the Titanic Exhibition. Our arrival day culminated in an evening meal at the Crown Liquor Saloon, a traditional Irish pub with booths made of wooden screens with stained glass.

APRIL 2016 DOVEDALE

Report from Angela:

'Mud, mud glorious mud, nothing quite like it for slipping, sliding and falling over'. With all the Spring rains, the ground in Derbyshire/Staffordshire was still saturated, however we didn't let this spoil our enjoyment of the amazingly beautiful countryside. With 3 walks of varying lengths on 4 days there was something for everyone to enjoy. This couldn't have been achieved, however without our dedicated walk leaders to whom we all send our grateful thanks.

64 Rushcliffe Ramblers stayed at the HF hotel, Peveril of the Peak. Many of whom had splendid countryside views of Dovedale from their bedroom windows. After returning from our walks the attentive hotel staff provided us with delicious evening meals. These were followed by our evening entertainment with included a quiz, a raffle and a beetle drive. Many thanks too to the ladies who formed the 'social committee' and compared these events. On the Saturday evening, in celebration of a members birthday, we were joined by the Radcliffe Ukulele Strummers, most of whom stayed overnight swelling our numbers to 72. With the aid of audience participation they played and sang a wide range of songs culminating in Nottingham (Manchester) Rambler and I'm Gonna walk 500 miles to which the audience stamped their way through the lyrics. A truly memorable evening.

Even the weather behaved itself. The rain made a couple of appearances but the majority of the time it remained dry with sun and blue skies. I'm sure this will be one of those weekend that will be talked about for many years to come as one of our more successful weekends away, of which there have been quite a few.

Thanks again to all who helped make this a memorable event.

To see the walking programme click here.

SEPTEMBER 2015 HALTWHISTLE

Report from Angela:

Why haven’t we been to Haltwhistle before? It is such good walking country!

27 RR members travelled north and took part in the weekend. We started with a 5 mile undulating walk along the River Allen with some short, strenuous climbs. The Saturday walk was a full day walking along the Wall. The longer walk was just under 12 miles with a cut-off for those wishing for a shorter route. On the Sunday we started our second Wall walk from Housesteads Roman Fort, which also offered a get out for those wanting a shorter walk.

Evening meals were taken together on Friday and Saturday evenings and both venues provided quality food with good-sized portions and good ambiance. We also celebrated a birthday in what has become our usual tradition with cake and a poem from Pam.

Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the walks, the restaurants, the company and generally the whole weekend. Below are some of the comments received:

“Fabulous, marvellous, brilliant and perfick” – Elaine
“It was a great weekend” – Maggie
“It was another part of the country I hadn’t been before and it was lovely” – Mike Sp
“For me it couldn’t have gone any better …. and the pint in the Black Bull was most welcome” – Mike St

Thanks go to all those who helped to make this another truly wonderful weekend, namely the walk leaders and their glamorous assistants: Martin & Mike St, Jeremy & Pam, Karen & Peter, Mike Sp & Jack K9 and lastly to Pam for her wonderful poems. I couldn’t do it without the help of these lovely people.

To see the walking programme click here

JUNE 2015 ISLES OF SCILLY

27 members took part in the Scilly holiday. We travelled by train, car, air and ferry all arriving for the first of our evening meals together at Speros, overlooking the beach and St Mary’s harbour. The weather was mostly kind to us with lots of sun and blue skies. We also experienced blue/green clear, calm seas, white beaches, an amazing array of flora, tame bird life, great accommodation and fantastic sunsets. One evening we had rain when we were travelling back on the open boat to St Mary’s, but we weren’t daunted and burst into song with ‘What shall we do with a drunken sailor’. All good fun! We also had two birthdays to celebrate and these were done in true Rushcliffe Ramblers style with poems provided by our own ‘Poet Laureate’, Pam Duesbury, birthday cakes and singing. The birthday parties were successful and in one case, enjoyed by the locals/holiday makers too.

The following is a flavour of the comments from participants:

“great poems, epic holiday” Elaine
“fabulous holiday.. one of the best” Pat and Dave
“the whole week was ‘pure dead brilliant’” Morag
“What a special, wonderful time you gave us in the Scilly Isles.” Maria
“I am running out of superlatives ….. the colour of the sun, sea, sky, and sand were breath taking and will be an abiding memory.” Christine
“Still on cloud 9. The holiday was brilliant from start to finish.” Larraine
“A HUGE THANK YOU” Jane

To see the walking programme click here.

APRIL 2015 ISLE OF WIGHT

Report from Angela:

I received text, cards and emails from some of the 37 people who attended the weekend and the following is a flavour of the comments received:

“Just wanted to say how much I enjoyed the w/end on the Isle of Wight. The walks were great”  Annie

“Thanks so much for a brilliant weekend”

Chris

“Thank you so much for all the work you and your fellow helpers did to make the weekend such a great success. We both enjoyed ourselves and were made very welcome by all the group”  Jan

“Thanks for all your hard work taking us into springtime on the Isle of Wight”  Alan and Joyce

“My grateful thanks again for a super weekend on the Isle of Wight”    Christine

“We had a fab time, not laughed so much in ages. We were made to feel welcome from the off and it just got better….. We look forward to walking again with Rushcliffe”  Brian and Ruth

This was another very successful weekend away. The weather let us down by not providing very good views because of low cloud on 2 days but it stayed dry for us and by the last day we were walking in warming sunshine. The low cloud didn’t spoil any of our walks, nor did it stop some hardy folk from trying out the outdoor swimming pool. We undertook 2 short walks on the first and last days with much longer coastal walks on the middle two days. On these two days there were also options for shorter walks.

As usual the accommodation was very good; clean and comfortable even though the Hotel was in need of some refurbishment. The meals were typically HF with choice and more than enough to eat. Two members had birthdays whilst we were away and we celebrated with cakes and candles, balloons, singing and a specially written poem by Pam.

There was one incident when Marjorie Jones fell in the hotel and broke a bone in her foot. The Manager took control, first giving her a cold compress and later arranging for an ambulance to take her to A&E and then fetching both Majorie and Anne back from the hospital late at night. He also moved Majorie to the ground floor to make it easier for her to get around. The following day we were off back home and Anne did a sterling job getting Marjorie back to Clifton. Many thanks to Tony the Hotel Manager (I’ve sent him a thank you card) and to Anne for taking care of Marjorie.

To see the walking programme click here

SEPTEMBER 2014 HOLMFIRTH

We are so lucky to have such wonderful places to visit.  Holmfirth lived up to our dreams with fantastic scenery; lots of hills to climb and lush valleys to descend into, water and reservoirs abound. To top it all, the weather behaved itself and gave us warming sunshine for most of the time; albeit there was a little mizzle mid Saturday when low clouds descended from the peaks.

On Friday we met up at Flockton for an 8 miles circuit of the glorious, rural countryside with gentle undulations and lots of sunshine.  We visited Emley and never lost sight of the Emley Moor transmitter, which can be seen for miles around. This put everyone into relaxed mode and a good start for the weekend.  Many thanks to Adriana and John for their walk leading skills and commitment.

On Saturday 21 of us set off from the hotel, heading for Holme where we’d booked lunch at the pub.  It was a tough climb out of Holmfirth heading upwards until we had sight of Digley Reservoir. Here we stopped for coffee with views down the reservoir.  Then it was on to Holme and lunch.  Here the group split, some headed directly back to Holmfirth, some continued to Ramsden Reservior before making their way back to Holmfirth along the river Holme, making it an 8 mile walk and the last group headed for Hade Edge, Jackson Bridge and Wooldale before arriving on top of the cliff overlooking Holmfirth, 12 miles.  Many thanks to Elaine and Martin for their dedicated walk leading.

The weather gods were definitely on our side on Sunday as the sun shone continuously for us during our trek on Marsden and surrounding moorland. Lots of climbs, descents and views making this a fabulous walk.  The weekend was completed by a trip to the pub or the café at Tunnel End before tired but happy weekenders made their way back home.  Many thanks for Mike & Jack for getting us round over what can only be described as difficult to navigate terrain.

To see the walking programme click here

JUNE 2014 AVIEMORE

18 people travelled to Aviemore Scotland on 17 June. Two people took their cars; 4 flew and the majority travelled by train experiencing a few problems on the way, namely a taxi drivers’ protest in Nottingham and a fatality on the line north of Newcastle.  Accommodation was provided by a very good standard B&B and a hotel.  This was mainly to accommodate the required number of single rooms.  One couple also rented a bothy for the week.

The programme for the 6 days included a day off for sight seeing and short and long walks to include all abilities.  A Corbett and two Munros challenged the more active walker. Some walks started in Aviemore whilst public transport was used to get to the start or the return from some of the walks, including a steam train and the funicular on Cairn Gorm.  Other hills/mountains climbed during the week were Craigellachie which everyone attempted on a beautiful sunny, blue sky day and Meall a Bhuachaille.  The group were particularly fortunate when climbing Meall a Bhuachaille and Cairn Gorm as on both these days the cloud was low, covering the mountain tops, but cleared to give fantastic views over the Cairngorm National Park.

There was a range of really good food restaurants in and around Aviemore and the group ate together each evening, trying a different venue.

I estimate the holiday to have cost around £500 but this will vary for individuals as the hotel was more expensive than the B&B and the cost of the meals chosen each evening.

Everyone really enjoyed the holiday and Angela has received many accolades. Interest has already started in the 2015 holiday with members asking if a destination has yet been agreed.  Suggestions were made by those staying in Aviemore for next year and we are looking at the possibility of the Isles of Scilly, Jersey or Cornwall.

To see the walking programme click here

APRIL 2014 CHURCH STRETTON

In April a record number, 57 Rushcliffe Ramblers descended on Church Stretton for a fabulous walking weekend.  Our hotel, the HF Long Mynd looked after us very well with delicious food to come back to in the evenings after a long day of walking.  The weather held up well with just a bit of drizzle on the Sunday and a torrential storm on the Monday, but by that timewe were tucked up niceley in the pub at Much Wenlock having a late lunch before travelling back home.

We had lead walks each day with a choice of length. 3 walks on the Saturday of 13, 9 and 7miles and 2 choices on the other days. Also, there was the option to walk up on to the Long Mynd with a map at ones own pace. The hotel was situated next to Rectory Wood and Rectory Field and so this opened up further opportunity for walks (not that there was much spare time).

After dinner folk spent their time either socialising or watching one of the films that was put on specially for our group.  Two were directed by Ken Loach and the third, although a true story was very funny and had us clutching our sides in laughter.

The weekends away are so enjoyable that it's always a sad moment when they reach the end and we have to pack our bags and go home, but we can look back on the memories made and look forward to the next one.  There's always a next one and who knows, it could be better than the last one!  Here's looking forward to the Autumn weekend in Holmfirth.

 To see the walking programme click here

OCTOBER 2013 SOUTHWOLD

Our autumn weekend in Southwold was well attended with 23 participants. The weather had turned a little cold and wet at the beginning of September but we managed to find a gap in the clouds and enjoyed some sunshine. The walks, although different because of the flatness of the terrain, were very enjoyable and some folk were able to better their longest walk with 12 miles on the Saturday. The marshes, the seashore and the woodlands provided us with some beautiful scenery. perhaps not the views attained from climbing hills, but non-the-less a beautiful part of the country. The pubs/restaurants where we ate our evening meals provided us with some excellent food and the Boardwalk on the pier also provided some fantastic views of the coast as the sun was setting.

Many thanks to the walk leaders whose dedication helped make this another wonderful weekend away.

To see the walking programme click here

JULY 2013 ISLE OF MAN

At the end of June we completed our first longer holiday. Previously we have been on many 2 or 3-night weekends away, and this was our first go at an extended break. Twenty Ramblers travelled to the Isle of Man for 6 nights. The majority stayed in one B&B, the Devonian in Douglas. This proved to be a good choice, reasonably priced and convenient for accessing the range of evening eateries in Douglas. We started most of the walks with a bus, tram or steamtrain trip, which was fun in itself. We enjoyed a total of 9 longer or shorter walks across many different parts of the island; the heights of Snaefell. challenging coast paths and inland countryside The weather was variable - one and a half days of rain as a weather system moved across the island; otherwise good walking weather. Thanks to Angela for organising the trip.

To see the walking programme click here

APRIL 2013 NORTHUMBERLAND

Just back from another successful weekend away, this time in Northumberland. 50 members of Rushcliffe Ramblers enjoyed a wide variety of coastal and inland walks in this spectacular castled county. On Friday we met up at Rothbury for a pair of walks in the afternoon. After the walking, we moved on to our accommodation at HF Nether Grange in Alnmouth, where we stayed for 3 nights. There was good food, films to watch and several good pubs in Alnmouth. After the walks on Saturday we called in at the Red Lion to rehydrate, only to find that there was a town-wide power cut. This prevented HF from preparing the evening meal; however, with commendable efficiency they bussed us into Alnwick for fish and chips at Carlo's. Fortunately the power had been restored by the time we returned. Many thanks to the leaders and back markers of the seven walks on the programme, and to Angela for organising it all.

To see the walking programme click here