September 2011

In this issuePub Lunch Walks........................................2 Romances Arranged..................................7Group News, York Coach Ramble.............3 Ramblers 999 Campaign,..........................8Group News, Beverley Christmas Lunch,Footpath Volunteers....................................4

Diary Dates................................................8Volunteer Profile.......................................9

Pocklington Group Tophill Low Walk.......5Hassness Holiday, Obituary......................5

Mike Addy encounters an Albatross........10Sculpture Trail on the Wolds...................11

Ode to the Ramblers’ Association............6 Navigation training..................................12

www.ramblers.org.ukWORKING FOR WALKERS

www.eastyorkshireramblers.org.uk

East Yorkshire & Derwent Area Ramblers

Area News September 2011

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Area Pub Lunch WalksThe last pub lunch walk of this year will beon Tuesday, 11th October, starting at 9.30from the Royal Oak, Nunnington. The 2012programme will begin in March.

If anyone would like to lead a six mile walkwith pub grub at the end, in any month fromMarch to October next year, please phoneMarilyn on 01347-824520 or emailmarilyn@marilynskelton.wanadoo.co.uk

Information is circulated by email or tele-phone, not via the Walksfinder, so if anyonewho is not on the mailing list would like tobe included next year, please get in touch.

Marilyn Skelton

Pub walks group at Ampleforth , June 14th 2011 Photo courtesy of Norma Collins

Apologies from the editor to Harry Whitehouse,whose photo was wrongly attributed in ourApril issue. The picture was taken by him on aScarborough group walk near Lockton.

Area Council ReportAt our June meeting, we discussed whetherso-called “flexi-groups” within the area mighthelp to provide a greater variety of walks.These could operate independently of ourexisting geographically based groups toprovide, for example, a programme of familywalks or walks with a particular theme. Theycould be organised mainly by email withminimum expenditure and no need forformal committee meetings, rather like thePub Lunch Walks (see opposite). If you havean idea and would be willing to help formsuch a group, please contact the Secretary.

Of great concern at present is the number ofapplications for wind farms in our area. OurCountryside Secretary, Peter Ayling writes:”There are now so many wind farmapplications that I am unable to keep trackof them all.....we really need anothervolunteer in Ryedale or Scarborough” (tolook at applications and attend enquiries).However much we may support “green”energy production, we have to question thepossible industrialisation of our unique andunspoilt Wolds landscape with ranks of 120-metre high turbines (as tall as 30-storeybuildings) alongside some of our favouriteroutes. Please see details of an onlinepetition on page 11. DCW

Front cover: Approaching Skelton’s Tower on awalk from Hole of Horcum, 4.9.2010

In May, Tricia Mumford led asuccessful eventfrom the Sealife Centre whichattracted a number of potentialnew members.

Congratulations are due toFootpath Secretary Les Atkinsonfor his success in achieving goldlevel in the National NavigationAward Scheme. Les's storyappeared in the local press,gaining valuable publicity for thegroup. You can read it in full onthe group’s new website:

www.scarboroughramblers.co.uk

Scarborough Group has alerted usto the fact that new car parking chargesintroduced from March this year at suchplaces as Goathland, Grosmont, Thornton-le-Dale, Hutton-le-Hole, Newton underRoseberry, Saltergate, and Sutton Bank areset to continue during the winter months.

Howden and Goole GroupThe group’s 2011 - 2012 winter programmecan be printed out from the group’s webpage:www.eastyorkshireramblers.org.uk/howden

Group NewsHull and Holderness Group

Hello to all of our 174 members. We hope youwill like the new extended programme of walksorganised by Steve Mullarkey. In addition toMike Jackson's very popular Monday afternoonwalks, Steve has organised a number ofSaturday walks.

Steve also plans to increase the number ofwalks in the Holderness area. It haseverything; seaside, river banks and ruralpeace. Come and see for yourself how lovelyand tranquil it is. An additional benefit is thatthere are NO big hills. It is not called theHolderness Plain for nothing!

Of very great interest to the whole area is thecontinuing situation on the Victoria Dockfootpath. Mike Jackson will update separatelyon this very important topic.

The AGM for Hull and Holderness will be at2pm on Saturday 8th October at the VictoriaDock Village Hall. The meeting will bepreceded by an 8 mile walk starting at 10amalso from the Village Hall, so put the date inyour diary and come and enjoy yourself. Allwelcome at the AGM.

Hull and Holderness Committee.

Scarborough Group

Scarborough Group “Get Walking Day” May 2011 Photo courtesy of Les Atkinson

York Group Coach RambleSunday, October 2nd, 2011

to Guisborough area

Choice of three walks of 12 ,9 or 7 milesBooking form and details on area website

or contact Vera on 01904 628134

Walk in the Woods WeekOct 1st - 6th 2011

The group has arranged four woodlandwalks to support this event - details are inthe printed programme.

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In March, catering students at BeverleyCollege once again laid on an impressivemenu for us (see picture below).

After a wet start, the sun shone for ourcoach ramble to Bolton Abbey in May.Thanks go to Tony Frankish and ColinMullender who led the walks.and to all who were involvedin the organisation. Membersof Beverley and other groupsenjoyed a very pleasant andsociable day.

Evening walks included theElwell trail in Beverley, tolook at the current outdoorexhibition of the artist’s work.

We are very pleased that twonew members of ourcommittee have volunteeredto be “apprenticed” in thedemanding areas of footpathand countryside work.

Members and friends of Beverley group enjoying a meal out atBeverley College. More pictures of the event can be viewed atwww.eastyorkshireramblers/beverley Photo courtesy of Steve Mullarkey

We are engaged in replacing broken, rottenand missing Minster Way signs along theroute. Having started in Beverley, we areon our way to the end of the East Ridingboundary where I hope our friends from theYork team will be ready to take over.

We think that this is a particularlyappropriate project for us to carry out asthe walk is very much a Ramblers’ creationhaving as its instigator Ray Wallis (picturedleft with Peter Ayling).

This thought was so prominent in our mindsas we removed the first broken sign thatPeter Ayling decided to present the fingersection to Ray as verification that we reallywere on the job! Ivor Jones

Group NewsEast Riding Footpath Volunteers

Ray Wallis receives his memento. Photo courtesy of Peter Ayling

Beverley Group Beverley Group Christmas LunchSunday, 4th December 2011

A five mile morning walk will be followed bylunch at the Lairgate Hotel, Beverley. Fordetails and booking form, please phoneAnnette Clemenson 01482 887389 or emailannette_clemenson@hotmail.com

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Pocklington GroupA walk with a difference will take placeon Wednesday 7th December 2011 at10:00 at Tophill Low Nature Reserve

Richard Hampshire, warden at Tophill LowNature Reserve will provide a two-hourguided tour of the reserve. This will befollowed by a 7 mile walk led by Martin Hill inthe surrounding area, shorter than normalWednesday walks by Pocklington Group butthe guided tour will already have entailedapproximately two miles of walking.

The guided tour promises to be a fascinatinginsight into the variety and richness ofwildlife that flourishes in and around thereserve and Richard is exceptionallyknowledgeable, passionate and enthusiasticabout his subject. This is a date not to bemissed and the winter months bring a varietyof wildlife to the reserve. You could see anotter trail (or even the otter that left the trail)and a rare visitor such as a smew (a duck!)among the birds landing on the reservoir atthe reserve.

There is a nominal admission charge perperson of £2.80 (or £1.20 for 65 and over).No dogs are allowed on the reserve.

The reserve is to the east of the A164Beverley to Driffield road. Turn off the mainroad at Watton (signposted Tophill LowPumping Station) and follow the browntourist signs along an unclassified road forfour miles. Turn right at the main gates andfollow the road round to the car park.

There is more information on the website,www.yorkshirewater.com/tophill andthe grid reference for this walk is in the AreaProgramme of walks

LAKE DISTRICT HOLIDAYSat 26th May - Sat 2nd June 2012

All welcomeChris Spencer of Pocklington Group iscurrently organising a Ramblers holidaystaying at Hassness in the Lake District towalk the Cumbria Way (grade D+). Cost is£499 per person based on a twin room, £30single supplement. This includes full boardand daily transportation costs. Jim Tullochwill be our leader for the week.

Anyone interested should contact Chrisa.s.a.p. as the holiday is "blocked" for ourgroup for a limited time. To date, six peoplehave committed themselves to the holiday,so it should definitely go ahead.

To contact Chris: tel. 01430 872868 oremail spencer.christin@talk21.com.

Nora StrakerReaders will be sad to learn that Norapassed away on 23rd April 2011 after ashort illness. Nora served as MinutesSecretary to the Area ExecutiveCommittee for a number of years. Shewill be much missed by her walkingcompanions, not least for her wry sense ofhumour which enlivened many a walk. Apoem by Nora is printed overleaf.

Her daughters, Jill and Tina, write:

‘We would like to thank all the friendswho helped us keep her spirits up whileshe was ill and made her laugh a lot aboutall the fun times they had had.

We will be putting up a bench at Rosedalein memory of Nora and Jack. Wecollected in excess of £320 in Nora’smemory which is to be split equallybetween the bench for Rosedale and theequipment fund for the Queen’sOncology Centre at Castle Hill Hospital.’

Area MailshotsIf you would prefer to receive mailshots

electronically (i.e. Area News, your GroupNewsletter, the Annual Report and the

Rambles Programmes) please inform theMembership Secretary by emailingareamembers@hotmail.co.uk

Ode to the Ramblers’ AssociationEleven o’clock on a Sunday morn,

The ramblers roll up at the start of a walk.Where is it today, is it moor, fell or dale?

A fight with Farmer Leason or the Dalby Forest Trail?

It might be with Geoff at Lockington or Lund.Or it could be Malcolm and his yearly treasure hunt.

We could be climbing muddy cliffs with Dennis out in frontOr joining the Pied Piper on his annual Welton stunt.

When the weather turns inclement, the landscape changes hue.From rucksacks neatly packed emerge cagoules of red and blue.

Like a rainbow fallen from the skyWith back-cloth of green they please the eye.

The summer months bring evening walks at venues close to home.Beverley or Hornsea Mere, Brantingham or Paull.The starting point is crowded, walkers new appear.

“We’ll do the walk if that we must, but we’re really here for the beer.”

Then come dances, dinners, films, designed to cure all winter ills,But walkers don’t go overboard for any other kind of sport.

But do take heart you ladies three, *Olwen, Eileen, jolly Dorothy.The Barn Dance is a great event and Camra ale means brass well spent.

The dinner dance held once a year lets us show off our other gear,So keep it up and don’t despair,The faithful few will all be there

Committee meetings are hilarious, discussions, arguments, many and various.Money problems, constitution, who will second Richard’s motion?We try to keep the footpaths free of barbed wire fences, fallen trees.

The farmer’s plough we try to stop, when on public paths he plants his crop.

So walkers all, come join our band.Help save our paths throughout the land.

Nora Straker*The area social committee. If anyone recalls the Pied Piper, and his “stunt” do please let theeditor know. Otherwise little seems to have changed since Nora wrote this poem in the 1970’sapart from the start time of our walks. The poem has been slightly abridged.

The Ramblers' Association is a registered charity (England and Wales no: 1093577, in Scotland no:SC039799) and a company limited by guarantee, registered in England and Wales (no: 4458492).Registered office: Second Floor, Camelford House, 87-90 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7TW.

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Does anyone else remember the old jokeabout RA standing for ‘romances arranged’?For all I know the idea doesn’t occur toanyone now, but walking as the acceptedmeans of fostering a romantic inclination,courting we used to call it, was the waythings were long before the RA arrived onthe scene.

I was reminded of this when I came across atouching description of the Sunday eveningcouples observed by Samuel Bamford, anearly nineteenth century radical and writer.He was at the time walking from London toManchester – not that unusual for poorpeople in those days. After all, if you had nomoney, were in London and decided youwanted to go home to Manchester, what elsecould you do? Walk, and sleep and eat whenand where you could, that’s what.

Anyway, near Northampton, as the coolevening came on after a hot summer’s day,he noticed ‘by the hill-sides, or along thevalleys, or up the meadow paths, appearedyoung and happy couples, the lads in theirclean smock-frocks and the lasses in theirnew pumps, smart caps and ribbons, and allseemingly so full of happy, contented andhopeful love, that the tears dimmed my eyes’.

The local gossips were no doubt always onthe look-out, but walking has givengenerations of young people (and the rest ofus too, for that matter) a partial escape fromsupervision by the family, the boss,whatever. In the days when going for a walkin the evening after work filled the spacenow occupied by television, it was difficult toprevent young people meeting each other,by accident or design, while out taking aninnocent walk.

Hugh Miller, born in Cromarty in 1802, wasworking as a stonemason when he firstnoticed the young woman he was to marry.Her mother was not keen on her daughtermarrying a manual worker and tried todiscourage any contact. However, the

daughter’s evening walk could just happen tobe in the same place as that chosen by thehandsome mason. As Miller naively put it‘the similarity of our tastes for naturalscenery led us always into the same lonelywalks about the same delicious sun-sethour’.

Even the well-known regency courtesanHarriette Wilson, who had, shall we say, aprofessional interest in courting, used walksto get acquainted with her men friends. Ona hot summer’s day in London, she walked apotential lover over Primrose Hill and ontowards Hampstead. When he complainedthat he was ‘quite unused to walking’ andwanted to stop, she decided he didn’t havethe required degree of stamina and left.

Ann Holt

Romances Arranged

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RAMBLERS 999 CAMPAIGNThe vast majority of Ramblers’ walks occurwithout incident. However, worrying reportshave been received by Central Office fromWalk Leaders stating that, when an accidenthas occurred on a walk, the Ambulance Trustcontacted could not understand the locationif it was given as a grid reference. Theyrequested a postcode. If this has happenedto you, please contact Led Walks OfficerKaren Inkster Tel 020 7339 8519 oremail karen.inkster@ramblers.org.uk

In June this year, Ramblers launched acampaign, urging Ambulance Trusts acrossthe country to ensure that they can pinpointdistressed walkers, or anyone dialing 999, nomatter what their location. The Ramblers callfor:

• All Ambulance Trusts to take responsibilityfor rural incident responses by ensuring theyhave adequate software and offer compre-hensive training to control room staff tointerpret grid references and ensure allcountryside users are within their reach.

• The Department of Health to produce a'best practice' guidance document whichshould be distributed to all Ambulance Trustsencouraging them to ensure that the softwarethey use to process calls can handle gridreference locations.

Which emergency service do I call?

• If you are somewhere where an ambulancecan reach you such as a country lane orroadside, call 999 and ask for theambulance.

• If you are in a remote location where anambulance can’t reach you, a hillside or forestfor example, you need to call 999 and ask forthe police.

• In an emergency at the coast, where anambulance can't reach you, like a cliff or theshore, you should ask for the coastguard.

Please help Ramblers call for the Departmentof Health to address this situation byemailing them via the Ramblers’ website tovoice your concern.

Diary DatesSunday 2nd October

York Group Coach Ramble

Sunday, 5th OctoberRamblers’ display at Beverley Applefest

Saturday, 8th October 2pmHull and Holderness Group AGM

Monday 3rd - Sunday 9th October 2011A Walk in the Woods Week

Details of walks in Area Walks Programme

Wednesday, 12th October 7.30pmArea Council Meeting at Fimber VH

Tuesday, 8th November 7.30pmBeverley Group AGM, Tiger Inn, Lairgate

Sunday, 4th DecemberBeverley Group Christmas Walk and Lunch

Saturday, 28th January 2pmArea AGM at Welburn Village Hall

Sunday, 13th May 2012Beverley Group Coach Ramble to PateleyBridge. Details to follow in January issue.

Sat 26th May - Sat 2nd June 2012. Holiday at Hassness

RohanJohn, the Store Manager,

would like to thank East Yorkshire and DerwentRamblers for their custom at

the Rohan store at22, Butcher Row, Beverley.

Our autumn range is nowin. 10% discount is offeredon all items on productionof your membership card.

Volunteer Profile

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Ann Laing has been AreaMembership Secretary since 2004.Her face will be familiar to many ofyou as she has led walks for severaldifferent groups over the past 15years as well as representing ourorganisation at events such asDriffield Show.Ann was previously Area Secretary (from1996 to 2004) and helped to set up theGYBO group. She organised the initialmeeting and led some of their first walks.She has also served on both York andRyedale group committees. She explainshow she became involved as a volunteer:

‘My late husband and I originally joinedRamblers in 1984 to do the York eveningwalks. A couple of hours of fresh air after abusy day at work on a warm summerevening was very enjoyable. I started towalk on Wednesdays, which was my day offwhen I worked on a Saturday. I was thenhooked and started walking on a weekend aswell. I volunteered because Ramblers gaveme so much when I was on my own after myhusband died. I wanted to put somethingback.’

Describing her current job, Ann writes:‘The end of each month is a busy time whenI receive membership updates from CentralOffice for all our groups. I send out localinformation to all the people who havejoined during the last month. This includesthe relevant group newsletter, latest AreaNews and the walks programme, togetherwith a welcome letter and a new member’squestionnaire I then send the groups theirmembership list and list of updates. For awhile, this job could be frustrating when

Central Office had serious teething problemswith its new computerised membershipsystem. Obviously each group knows its ownmembers better than I do, so anyinaccuracies in the information provided byCO are usually spotted at group level.

Ann also co-ordinates the Area "stuffing"evenings which are held three times a year inBeverley to send out mailshots to all ourmembers. These are great fun and a verysociable occasion, with lots of tea andbiscuits on offer! Describing the role ofvolunteers, she says:

‘Many Ramblers jobs are not as onerous aspeople think, and the more people whovolunteer, the more these jobs can be brokendown into smaller segments, so my advice toanyone thinking about volunteering for a jobis not to hesitate. Have a word about itwhilst on a ramble or contact the AreaSecretary. You will find it very worthwhile.’

Current VacanciesWe will shortly need a new Area Secretaryand are also looking for a PublicitySecretary and Assistant Area News Editor.

Eh up! Fancy that being there!! Howmany times have we said that?Recently we’ve seen army tanks, windfarms and all manner of wildlife, but a daylast February took the biscuit.

I had set off from Pocklington with a ladycompanion to do a walk from

by Patsy Pendegrass.

The walk turned out to be excellent; towardsthe end we took a track leading toPocklington Wood, passing one of thosenewfangled wind masts looking all forlornand alone near the track. Of course it wasn’tworking! Maybe this one doesn’t like breezydays. We passed a raised bank to our left,aware of farm buildings beyond, turned leftand, lo and behold, what the ....! About 50yards away in the mist, a plane!!

The area was deserted, the barns and shedsempty. We gradually sidled up to the planein a somewhat furtive manner. It was a jetplane, a two-seater. Now, I knew this was ajet plane because it had nowhere for thepropellers, and that is just about the extentof my knowledge of aircraft. It was grey-coloured and the roundels were red, yellowand blue. It looked in good condition butthe cockpit, (I hope I aren’t confusing youwith all this jargon) was uncovered and opento the elements.

The next day we met Tony Simms in a localhostelry, someone I hadn’t seen for somemonths, but I knew he was an aircraftenthusiast who even builds his own aircraft!Just the mention of aeroplanes and he andhis friend, Stuart Murray, bombarded us withquestions. We could only give scant detailsof where the aircraft was, near Pocklington

Wood and near a wind mastand just off a metalled road.That’s about as much as wecould impart.

Next day he made contactand said that, even in thedark, he and Stuart hadlocated the aircraft and hadidentified it as an L29Albatross manufactured pre-1974 by Aerovodochody offormer Czechoslovakia. Theroundels were those of theBolivian Air Force.

Some time later I met Tonyat his home. Well, I met him

with his head in the fuselage of anotheraircraft he was building. Tony and Stuartare members of York Air Search, an organi-sation which uses aircraft to help the policeand other agencies to spot things from theair such as missing aircraft and persons,stolen vehicles, etc This group needs to havetraining exercises and he had arranged forthem to use the Albatross in some of these.Later in the month, nine aircraft from YorkAir Search searched for and found theAlbatross on different occasions, a good andsuccessful series of exercises.

Tony and Stuart had made contact with theowner and learned how the aircraft found itsway into the area. It had been used as aprop in the making of a TV advert and whenthis was completed the aircraft was surplusto requirements and was given to him.

Again, it’s surprising what you find on a walk!

Mike Addy York Group

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All in a Day’s Walk...

The Albatross Photo courtesy of Mike Addy

Sculpture ProjectAn innovative sculpture project by Visit Hulland East Yorkshire (VHEY) is attractinginterest among walkers using the YorkshireWolds Way national trail. The sculpture trailis part of a development plan which aims toraise the profile of this area as a visitordestination.

Walkers will see 'sculptured' benches thatare inscribed with poems to add interest.These have been erected at various pointsalong The Yorkshire Wolds Way.

The benches have been well received so farfor artistic attraction, location andimportantly providing a place to rest wearylegs.

Tony Corrigan

On the Wolds

Contributions to Area News should be sent to : Dany Wlodarczyk , 49 Pasture Terrace, Beverley,HU17 8DR or email danywlo@yahoo.co.uk

The deadline for the next issue is: November 15th 2011AREA NEWS is printed by ALMA PRINTERS • Exchange Street • Driffield • 01377 255278

Help protect the WoldsUnlike the Lincolnshire Wolds, the YorkshireWolds have not been designated as anAONB (Area of Outstanding NaturalBeauty). Many people believe they deserveand need the protection from developmentthat this status might help to achieve.

If you agree, you can sign an online petitionat www.southdalewindfarm.co.uk

Sculptured bench on the Yorkshire Wolds Way above Millington Photo courtesy of Tony Corrigan

Next issue January 2012Some contributions have been held overuntil the next issue due to lack of space.

The editor would like to hear from anyonewho has recently walked the Derwent Wayand also from readers who customize mapsusing the OS Getamap service.

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For those times when you would ratherwalk independently and discover Britaintotally at your own pace, RamblersHolidays now offer you a brand newcollection of self-guided walks!

Simply visit our new website and selectwhich of Britain’s long distance paths andnational trails you’d like to explore.Choose from the many options we offer onthe path you want to walk and we’ll takecare of all the arrangements for you, fromaccommodation to guidebooks, and evenarranging the transfer of your baggage toyour next overnight stop!

Perfectly complementing the RamblersWorldwide Holidays portfolio, these greatnew breaks for independent walkers allowyou yet another hassle-free way todiscover why Britain’s more beautiful onfoot.http://www.loadoffyourback.co.uk

Sam Borman of Ryedale Group is continuingto offer navigation courses, so if you want toget to grips with using map and compass orimprove your skills by learning techniquessuch as handrailing, pacing, walking on abearing, and leapfrogging, then this is thecourse for you! You can do some of thepreparation at home in your own time, usinga CD-rom or a book, or both if you prefer.This is followed by a whole day out on themoors, when you’ll learn to put all yourknowledge into practice.

As group sizes are kept to a maximum offour, you’ll get plenty of opportunity to dothis. Courses are arranged on a day whichsuits all participants. All materials requiredwill be loaned, including the book, CD-rom,map and compass. And it’s completely free!

For more information, please get in touchwith Sam by phoning 01751 477325 oremailing ra.ryedale@btinternet.com.

Navigation Training Load off your Back