Newsletter - June 2024
Hi everyone,
Let's begin by congratulating Duncan Baber and John Sreeves for completing the Speyside 100. Congratulations and commiserations in equal measure to Paula Jones, Dave Purdy, Lucy Robins for getting as far as you did before retiring. Likewise Andy Todd who took part in the marshals event. Congratulations too, to our friends of the Wiltshire group who took part.
A couple of things to tell you about. Lucy Robins is putting on a 50-mile walk at the end of June, the details for which can be found in the Forthcoming Walks section below. A week later, Bea Therin is organising a Summertime Extravaganza involving a trip on the Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Railway. Click HERE to view the details, and HERE to pay.
Now for a few words from Janette Armstrong:
Wiltshire @ the Speyside 100
Congratulations to John Sreeves for completing the Speyside 100. It was a testing event: a hot first day with an early boggy section followed long sections of hard surface resulted in blisters, back and joint issues and the dreaded lean. This took its toll on many seasoned participants. Well done to Lucy Robins for getting as far as she did on very sore feet and commiserations to Dave Purdy on an injury stopping him on the first evening.
Six Wiltshire members volunteered; Andy Todd was on (or possibly was) the media team; taking huge numbers of photos and an iconic video of a marshal running the last man (who has a bad case of the lean) in with seconds to spare. Adrian Crocker, Clare Staff, Ben Staite, Bea Therin and Janette Armstrong joined Lesley Bellis and others from Northumberland and North of Scotland at HQ to provide a full catering service for the 72 hours. It was very busy and we had several crises including a mercy dash to Aldi with 2 minutes to spare when Bea ran out of food on Sunday evening.
Six of us walked the East Highland Way the week before. The midges mostly held off. Highly enjoyable apart from a whole day on Forestry Commission tracks on day 2. We saw three red squirrels and a few deer but no wildcats, eagles, capercaillies or wild haggises.
The star food of the week was Chewy Cake from the LDWA cookbook (recipe below):
| Ingredients: | Instructions: |
|
1. Heat oven 150 degrees C 2. Grease 7 x 11 inch flat tin 3. Melt butter and sugar 4. Add all other ingredients and stir 5. Place in tin and cook for 40 mins 6. Turn onto cooling rack whilst still warm |
Forthcoming Walks
Finally, here's the usual look ahead to all the group walks and challenge events that are taking place this month within a 50-mile radius of Chippenham.
| Date | Name | Type | Mileage | Organiser |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 2nd Jun 2024 | Stop on Red | Group | 17.5 miles | Dorset |
| Sun 2nd Jun 2024 | Watership Down & Kingsclere | Group | c15 miles | Thames Valley |
| Sat 8th Jun 2024 | From the Archives - Wye Valley Meander | Group | 24 miles | South Wales |
| Sat 8th Jun 2024 | UPDATED 19/05/2024 Celebration walk to Winchester Cathedral | Group | 20 miles | London |
| Sun 9th Jun 2024 | Four Tarrants a Camp & a Ring | Group | 19 miles | Dorset |
| Fri 14th - Sat 22nd Jun 2024 | Annual South Downs Way Walk | Challenge | 105 miles | (Non LDWA) |
| Sat 15th Jun 2024 | MMM Marshals Event | Group | 14 or 26 miles | Heart of England |
| Sun 16th Jun 2024 | Cross-border incursions | Group | c22 miles | Thames Valley / Wiltshire |
| Wed 19th Jun 2024 | Oxford known & unknown | Group | c15.6 miles | Thames Valley |
| Thu 20th Jun 2024 | Circular Summer Stroll | Group | 13 miles | Wiltshire |
| Sat 22nd Jun 2024 | Malvern Midsummer Marathon | Challenge | 26 or 14 miles | Heart of England |
| Sun 23rd Jun 2024 | Cotswold Villages | Group | 15 miles | Bristol & West / Wiltshire |
| Sun 23rd Jun 2024 | Summer on the Wiltshire Downs & Cranborne Chase | Group | 18 miles | Wessex |
| Sat 29th - Sun 30th Jun 2024 | 50 for 50. | Group | 50 miles | Wiltshire |
| Sat 29th Jun 2024 | Over the Hills & Near Away | Group | 16 miles | South Wales |
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That's it for another newsletter. All our newsletters are available via the Wiltshire LDWA website. If you have anything to contribute to future editions, please can you get it to me by the 20th of each month. I look forward to seeing you out on our group walks this month.
Warmest regards
Clive
Secretary of the Wiltshire LDWA
wiltshire.secretary@ldwa.org.uk
