We were based at the Prince
of Wales, a Shearings Hotel, in Berkeley
Heath
This
is a relatively small and intimate hotel and our group of
70 virtually filled it!
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This four
days of walking on the edge of the Cotswolds brought together
70 rambler members from five of our groups: Taunton Deane,
South Somerset, Sedgemoor, West Somerset, and Mendip.
Each
day there were three guided walks to choose from. If you have
the relevant tracklog disc you can look at the routes used
by clicking in the box below.
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met on Friday near Haresfield Beacon high above Stroud in lovely sunny
weather. All walks included parts of the Cotswold Way. The long walk,
from which most of these photos are taken, went down into the Painswick
Valley and through Whitshill.
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Ted tries
to remember who he is before signing in |
Tom kitted
up for leading |
Watchet
-- they seem to have set off without us! |
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The first
hill |
After an
hour or so we passed the "short walkers" recovering
from a javelin attack |
Mike's
already been worn down by the walk |
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Chris and
Nicky in clover |
Mike winds
himself over an awkward style |
Awaiting
inspiration -- can anyone help - hitching a lift? - pocketing? |
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Mike is
just about to wish he'd taken Nicky's alternative route |
Mary isn't
about to criticise Tony's hunched up walking style |
Alice isn't
hanging around to discover what Mike is so pleased about |
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lovely sunny weather continued for Saturday's walks from Chedworth.
Those on the shorter walks had plenty of time to visit the Roman Villa,
which by sheer good fortune was offering free entry today! All the walks
took in sections of the Monarch's Way and MacMillan Way. Again the photos
are mainly from the long 12 mile walk which conveniently passed the
pub at Chedworth! It also took in an old airfield where a radio controlled
model jet was an interesting diversion for some
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Waiting
to start in the carpark |
Ken is sceptical
that Janet caught a fish that big |
Puppy love |
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Sue strides
on |
Doreen thinks
about following Rita and Mervyn |
The group
discover they're perched on an ant's nest |
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Today we
met the short walkers again. Why have they put the women -- Deanna,
Chris, Paula, Eileen, Jenny -- in front? |
Mike again
-- this time he demonstrates his silly walk |
Ken our
semi-naked rambler |
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Upright
citizen |
Stolling
along near Chedworth village |
Don't get
shirty with me |
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Vivien gate
crashing |
Paula's
leading somewhere ahead |
r
Les all
have a rest |
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Mervyn isn't
hanging around in crocodile territory |
Joan demonstrates
her flexibility |
nothing here |
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The
sun was still out for Sunday's walks from Crickley Hill. The dangerous
road crossing at the Air Balloon was a "feature" of the walks
which all visited Lechampton Hill. The short walkers had a longer walk
than anticipated! The photos are from the medium walk which went back
up to the ridge via Daisybank.
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Eddie and
Jenny can't get a word in |
Alec and
Mo get ready for Hilary's briefing |
Watch out
dogs about |
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Eddie's
view is that he'd rather get on with the walk |
Girl talk |
Gill wonders
if she can skip over this style as effortlessly as Mary |
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Steady Eddie
breaks into a run |
Peggy our
hip op artist |
Eric is
seeing double |
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Pensive
moments |
Chris legs
it up the hill |
Geoff, remembering
his skiing instructors advice, leans into the hill |
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Mary and
Gill continue from where they left off yesterday |
The view
from here was such than even Mary was speechlese |
Group photo |
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Contentment |
Close to
where Paula went intentionaslly wrong on our recce |
This isn't
Michael Eavis but is it Terry or Tony? |
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you believe it! Our final day was dry as well -- although up at the
start on the golf course above Durseley it was very windy. Jackets were
soon discarded as it soon warmed up. The long walk contained a lot of
wooded sections through which the leader succesfully led the group --
though not always on the paths he'd used on his recce!
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A chilly
start |
Come on
let's get going |
Tria is
struck rigid by the severity of this descent |
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Vivien thinks
she'll just pause here and pose |
Ken avoids
the awkward steps |
Is a counerbalancing
pole really necesary |
We are not
out of the woods yet |
Anne is
delighted that we have finally reached open country and can stop
for lunch |
Paula models
the latest in reflective jackets |
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Fuelled
up after lunch |
Nibley Monument |
Les heads
towards the start of the final climb |
Here
are a few photos from Geoff and others
More will be added as
I get them
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Updated |
September
26th 2009 |
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