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Sunday 1st April Ride Round the Rodings
Starting from Chelmsford, we will cycle though the Chignalls, to the Rodings and back through Fyfield and Writtle. The distance is about 30 miles, with a pub-lunch about halfway, probably in one of the Rodings. Please let Jim know if you want to come. Meet at Chelmsford YMCA 10am. Wednesday 4th April Mountain Safety & Navigation Lorna has volunteered to hone our hill walking skills, just in time for our trip to the Lakes. Please bring compasses and maps (of the Eskdale area, if poss) for us to practice with. Wednesday 11th April Pub Night ~ The Tulip Many of us will already be fighting through the Bank Holiday traffic on our way to the Lakes, but Dave has valiantly volunteered to stay behind and host a pub evening at The Tulip in Church lane, Springfield, from about 8.30pm. Leaving Chelmsford town centre on Springfield Rd., turn left at lights just after the prison into Arbour Lane. the Tulip is on the left after a sharp right bend. TL716079. 11th to 17th April Easter in the Lake District Trip to Eskdale, in the south western part of the Lake District, close to Scafell and Wastwater. The Eskdale Centre is a former village school now used as an outdoor centre. POSTPONED: Having consulted the Lake District National Park Authority and Cumbria Tourist Information, the advice is that vistors are still welcome in the Lake District, but all footpaths, bridleways, byways, and access to hills are closed due to Foot & Mouth Disease. Vistors are restricted to walking on tarmac roads and visiting
towns and villages, and I am told this is very unlikely to change by
Easter. This leaves very little to do in Eskdale; even the Ravenglass
and Eskdale railway is closed. We have been given the opportunity to
transfer our booking to a weekend later in the year; 14 to 16 September
has been provisionally booked.
Alternative Easter Trip:12th to 17th April After much debate, we have decided to go to the Sandown hostel in the east of the Isle of Wight. Although, like the rest of the country, most footpaths are closed, there are plenty of other things to do in the area, and several of us are likely to bring or hire bicycles to cycle around some of the lanes on the Island. Jane has provisionally reserved some beds for us for Thursday 12th April to Monday 16th April (5 nights), and we need to know urgently how many people want to come and how many nights you want to stay.
Transport options are: a) Drive to Southampton with bikes, park £5 per day, passenger plus bike £9 return to Cowes on Red Funnel Ferry, 12 mile cycle to hostel. b) Car on ferry Southampton to Cowes £60 return - need to book promptly for Easter c) Foot passenger £11.70 Portsmouth to Ryde ferry, train to Sandown. £11 per night is needed to book your bed at the hostel. Jane asked the hostel warden about the current foot and mouth precautions on the island: "The downs remain closed to walkers. Parts of the coastline footpaths are open, but it depends upon whether they go through a farmer's land or not. He said that near him there was a 4 mile stretch you can walk on, as it is right near the beach and not on farmer's land, but then you reach a part that the farmer owns, and can't go further. He will have more information on which parts of the coast we can go on, when we arrive. I told him most of us will come with bicycles, prepared to cycle the island, with a view to reaching a point, where we can then walk along the coast. We will all be disinfected as we enter the mainland." Ten fascinating facts you never knew about the Isle of Wight: 1. The only commercial garlic farm in the UK (it even exports to France) is on the Isle of Wight 2. The coastline is 57miles long, almost half is designated 'Heritage Coast' 3. The Island has a land area of 147 square miles, over a third is recognised as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. 4. Blackgang Chine opened in 1843 and is one of the world's oldest attractions. The Island now has over 70 places of interest for visitors, including historic buildings, pleasure parks and museums. 5. Carisbrooke Castle has two medieval wells. The winding wheel for one is powered by a team of donkeys. 6. The Island has one of the best climates in the British Isles with average yearly sunshine hours of 1,741. 7. A new species of cat-like dinosaur, yet to be named, was discovered on the Isle of Wight in 1988. The 12ft long creature was equipped with murderous claws, razor sharp teeth and unusually long hind legs on which it ran like the wind. 8. Evidence of Roman occupation can be found in several locations including the remains of two villas featuring well preserved baths and the famous Medusa Mosaic floor. 9. The K1 phone box at Bembridge is the oldest phone box in Britain. 10. Queen Victorias favourite residence, the magnificent Osborne House, is on the Isle of Wight. Wednesday 18th April Committee Meeting Fresh from the wild hill sides of the Lakes we will be meeting in the Charles Peters' Lounge to discuss forthcoming events for our packed summer programme. Wednesday 25th April Indonesia Revisited No, this doesn't mean that Lynn and Paul liked it so much they went back. This is the fun-packed slide show that should have happened in February. Barring Bishops and other Acts of God, we should now see the full glory of the monkeys and volcanoes of Indonesia. Sunday 29th April Saffron Walden YH Garden Maintenance 
It's nearly a year since we put the finishing touches to our YHA Millennium Challenge garden project at our local youth hostel: Saffron Walden. Anyone came on the cycling trip last August will see that our efforts paid off, and that the garden is doing well. Margaret, the hostel warden, has done an excellent job in carrying on our work in the meanwhile. Now is our chance to keep up the good work by spending a day maintaining the garden to ensure it continues to thrive. Energetic volunteers wanted; 10:30am at Saffron Walden youth hostel. If we get the work done in good time, we may go for a short walk in the afternoon. Bring garden tools if you can. Please let Jim know if you're coming. Note: Unless otherwise stated, Wednesday events start at 8.30pm at the YMCA in Victoria Road, Chelmsford |
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Join
Jim for a day's bike ride through rural Essex along quiet country
lanes.
