MarchesGroup(LDWA)
May, 2012
(updates on social walks and future events)
We are the Local Group of the National Long Distance Walkers Association(LDWA). Our members belong to the LDWA who live along the Welsh Marches and in the English Counties of Shropshire and Herefordshire.
Our group was founded in 1978 and we are proud in our history of having organised four of the annual "hundreds" that are the flagship events of the LDWA. These have been the Marchesman of 1990, The Shropshire of 1995, the Cant Canolbarth of 2007 and the Housman of May of 2011. Ever ambitious we are now well advanced in the organisation the Wenlock Olympiad Walks(the WOW) of which there are 2 being a 50 miler and a 100 miler.
We have regular social/business meetings in the Three Fishes Pub that is to be found by the side of the A49 in Bayston Hill about 3 miles South of Shrewsbury. We welcome anybody to come along to one of these as we need people to help us organise and oversee our activities.
At present we do not have social walks as we had found these to be poorly attended and when we asked our membership why they replied that, living in Shropshire, they could go for a walk in fine countryside anytime they wanted. Instead they asked for more challenge walks and for 10 years we have answered that request and so we now have 3 hardy annual events. These are the South Shropshire Circular(SSC) in February, the Wistanstow (Tour de Trigs) in September and the Marches Mistletoe Meander(MMM) on the eve of Christmas. And from time to time we have organised a summer event when we wish to celebrate some special occasion, hence the WOW. For a report on this year's SSC click here. But the matter has was discussed at our AGM and we are are considering re-introducing them using the techniques of modern social networks
Our events are open to runners as well as walkers as we are a broad church and we do not distinguish between modes of pedestrianism. However our events are very popular and entry to the SSC(click here for a report) is now essential and with entries frequently exceeding 200 we may have to impose a cap to ensure that we do not annoy small rural communities with the disturbance of car parking and trampling of lightly used rural footpaths. We encourage car sharing and to promote this habit we may impose parking fees in addition to the charge for entry.
One person can handle the planning of an event, the organisation of the route and the receipt of entries but on the day we need bodies on the ground to register walkers, oversee car parking, staff checkpoints and provide a meal service at the Event Centre. If you like a good long challenge walk then seeing one from the vantage point of a marshal will add greatly to your enjoyment of the recreation. And you can still walk the walk by taking part in the Marshals Event held a few weeks before.
For further details of the Group click on email or go to chris1.dawes@virgin.net.
The AGM. This was held in Church Stretton on February. The significant matters that were decided were:
A new Committee was formed as follows: Chairman; Janet Pitt-Lewis: Secretary; Geoff Sprosson; Treasurer; Roger Michel Group.
Income for 2011 was £6023.77 derived from the organisation of Group Events all of which made a surplus, and expenditure all of which was on Group Events was £5719.00 so that there was a surplus of £304.77.
The main item of discussion concerned the organisation of a social programme of walks. The current policy of organising only challenge walks and associated marshals' walks had been extremely successful since its inauguration in 1999. But the downside was that we had failed to engage in Group activities the majority of our nominal group membership. These are members of the National LDWA living in the Counties of Shropshire and Herefordshire now numbering nearly 200. Such work fell to a small core of "activists" on the Committee whose membership has changed little in 20 years and appears unsustainable. A programme of group social walks(see below) should encourage greater participation of group members and in particular from those living in Herefordshire who have been largely neglected in recent years. Rather than publish an open programme of social walks we considered that members might be invited by email to join walks at short notice to take advantage of favourable circumstances such as weather or special occasions.
Group Walks.
Our first social walk attracted 16 members that we consider an excellent launch of our new programme of social walks. And so we have 2 more:
On Sunday, 27 May based on the village of Bouldon in Corvedale. Meet at 9.30am with parking on the road verge opposite the Tally Ho In. Leader; Mike Nurse, tel. 01743231790. The route will be via Cold Weston, Abdan, and the Clee Hills with a distance of 12 miles..
An Evening Walk, 4 July at 6.30pm from the White Horse, Pulverbatch. Contact Neil Fullwood(Tel.01694751224)
Forthcoming Events
The Wenlock Olympian Walks(50 and 100miles). Entries for this are now closed as we reached our cap for the Event limiting it to 200 walkers within a week of opening for business in 1 January. For the record the details are as follows. The date is the week end 21-22 July and the event celebrates the 126th occasion of the Wenlock Olympian Games in the year of the Third London World Olympic Games and the 40th anniversary of the LDWA. Certainly a summer to remember. This event will be staffed and organised entirely from the resources wihin the Marches Group and its friends. For further details of all three walks click here.
The London Games 100; W/E 2-4 June. Several group members have an entry to this and 4 of us will be supporting them at a Check Point 11 in tents in a car park at Winterfold in the "wilderness" of the Surrey Hills and adjacent to the memorial commemorating the founders of the LDWA. We will be there from midnight Saturday to 22.00hrs Sunday and will welcome anybody in the Group to come along and help us. Marshalling a 100 the Marches way is always an experience of fresh air and fun.
The Wistanstow Challenge, Saturday, 8 September .This is now a well established and popular event based on a fine and picturesque village hall and has a route that visits the undulating country side of South Shropshire with check points located in the fire stations of the villages of the area. For further details click here
Wem Winter Wonderland, Saturday, 22 December. Our seasonal event returns for the third time to the original route based on the town. The route winds through the flat lands of Shropshire by way of its canals and outcrops of old red sandstone. Details to be announced closer to the date.
The South Shropshire Circular, 2013, Saturday,23 February. The route this year will be in the East of the County along the border with Wales. This event is so popular that we have a cap of 200 on entries that in recent years has been reached by early November so early entry is advised. Again details to be announced closer to the date.