Welcome to the October edition of the Wiltshire LDWA newsletter

In this month:

1. Update from Bruce Barclay, Walk Secretary
2. Wiltshire committee news
3. Message from the NEC
4. The Wiltshire Quiz

1. Message from Bruce Barclay, Walk Secretary

I thought you all might like to hear how Lesley, our previous chairman, is getting on.

You will be glad to hear that at long last Lesley has had the operation on her knee and is recovering from the surgery.  She is doing her exercises, as you would expect of good LDWA member and is building up her distances well.

I would like to thank all of you who have volunteered to lead walks the response has been tremendous. Keep it up.

At present we are looking for a volunteer to lead a walk on the middle of December, please contact me if you can help, happy for it to be a walk we have done before.

If you are looking for a walk to join, please look on the Wiltshire website, not all walks are on the national site.

2. The Wiltshire committee

We continue to digest national guidelines and ensure that we are taking a sensible approach to our main purpose of getting out into the countryside and walking.

Wiltshire members will have received Graham’s email at the beginning of the month detailing the deferral of this year’s AGM, in accordance with NEC guidelines.   Three main points from that email:

1. Mince pie walk will still take place on 6^th December, maximum of 30
2. Chairman and treasurer will issue brief annual reports at the end of November
3. The committee hope to co-opt a treasurer and secretary to replace Richard and Carol, who are not up to LDWA speed at present, and you can understand that it all works better if the committee can keep up! If you feel you would like to do your bit to support the group, please contact any committee member.

We think that the Wiltshire group can be proud of the walk schedule which is now operating, thanks to all volunteer leaders and especially to Bruce who is putting it all together.

Message from the National Executive Committee

In March 2021, three NEC office-holders come to the end of their period in their roles, the Chair, the Groups Officer, the 100s Co-ordinator and we also have the IT role to be filled. We're looking for potential applicants for these roles, but we're also keen to understand why some people might be deterred. We think they're exciting opportunities and we know that NEC members have really enjoyed fulfilling their roles and getting involved with running the organisation. So, please contact Julian White at publicity@ldwa.org.uk if you have any questions or comments on the roles or this process. What would encourage you to consider standing? Are there members who secretly want to hold a role but are nervous for any particular reason?  You can also contact any of the current post holders for further information.  But don't delay - think today - completed nomination forms have to be in by Saturday 31st October.

Wiltshire Quiz

1. Which Wiltshire town has a name derived from ‘castrum ad divisas’ (the castle at the boundaries) as it was sited where three ancient manors met?
2. Under which hill is King Sil reputed to be buried, in golden armour and on horseback?
3. What structure did Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov say they had come to Britain to see because it was ‘123 metres high’?
4. What is the name of the author of Lord of the Flies who grew up in Marlborough?
5. Another Marlborough connection: Which World War 1 poet, a pupil at Marlborough College wrote ‘When you see millions of mouthless dead’?
6. And another WW1 poet: Author of Memoirs of a Fox Hunting Man, who lived at Heytesbury House until his death in 1967?
7. Which soap theme tune (familiarly known as Doof Doof) was composed by Simon May of Devizes?
8. Which wood hit the news recently when it was established by chemical analysis that it was the origin of the Stonehenge sarsen stones?
9. How many locks are there at Caen Hill on the Kennet and Avon canal?
10. Finally: an easy one (if you are local), what is the nickname of Wiltshire people?

Answers below, don’t scroll down until you have had a go.

And that completes The Wiltshire October Newsletter

"Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go." T. S. Elliot

Best wishes Carol Holmes

1. Devizes 2. Silbury Hill 3. Salisbury Cathedral Spire (they were the Russians involved in the Salisbury novichok poisonings)    4. William Golding    5. Charles Hamilton Sorley    6. Siegfried Sassoon   7. EastEnders   8. West Woods (near Marlborough)    9. 29 locks   10. Moonrakers