Newsletter for period 02 November 2003 to 29 February 2004
31st Annual General Meeting All Members Are Invited
The 31st AGM of the Ashford Group will be heald at Great Chart Village Hall on Saturday, 22nd November 2003. Please arrive by 13:00 for a 13:15 start.
At the meeting we will be electing officers and committee members for the coming year. We would like more members to be involved in the running of the group and to put forward ideas for the future direction of the group.
Nominations for members to the committee will be taken at the meeting. Please get the approval of the person you nominate before submitting.
We plan to have a Raffle and hope that you will bring along a Prize!! .
We have been asked to have another quiz instead of a boring speaker, so Roy will have to get his thinking cap on again to baffle you all.
Before the AGM, as usual, there will be a short walk (about 5.00 miles) leaving the hall aty 10:00 and led by Christine & Barry Lowry.
Tea and coffee will be available in the hall at lunch time if you bring a packed lunch, or there are two very good pubs in the village.
AGENDA The 31st AGM of the Ashford Group of The Ramblers Association will be held on Saturday 22nd November 2003 commencing at 13:15 at Great Chart Village Hall.
1. Welcome Address
2. Apologies for Absence
3. Minutes of Last Meeting
4. Annual Report - Matters Arising
5. Audited Statement of Accounts
6. Appoinment of Auditor
7. Fieldwork Reports
8. Programme and Membership Reports
9. Election of Honorary Officers = Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Treasurer, General Secretary, Programme Secretary, Delegates to Kent Area, Countryside & Access Secretary's, Committee Members,
10. Motions
11. Any Other Business
Deborah Crabb - General Secretary
Ashford Ramblers TV Celebrity
Jill Eddison, an expert on the Romney Marsh will appear with the Romney Marsh Research Trust in a BBC documentary called "The Abandoned Marsh" to be broadcast in the Landscape Mysteries series on BBC2 on Thursday 06 November 2003 at 19:30, Jill has written a very intersting and comprehensive book about the history of the marsh call "Survival on a Frontier" which is published by Tempus Publishing Ltd . Ask Jill about the book on her Behersden Marble Trail walks in the forthcoming programme .
Roy Entwistle
Design a Badge and Win a Prize
Members have been talking about an Ashford Ramblers badge, so the committee think that there should be a competition to design a badge that could be embroidered or printed onto a polo shirt, or a tee-shirt, or made into a cloth badge for rucksacks, or sewn onto jackets, or other clothing.
All entries to be handed in at the AGM in Great Chart on 22nd November 2003 to be later judged by the committee, and a stupendus mystery prize will be awarded to the winner in time for christmas.
Barry Lowry
Peter leads another London Walk
Twenty-seven Ashford Ramblers guided by Peter Whitestone had a thotoughly enjoyable day in London, walking through the Royal Parks. The Albert Memorial, St Goron's Well, Peter Pan and The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Playground were only a few of the many attractions and the walk was complimented with an in depth commentary.
Many thanks, Peter - By the way, did you arrange the new trains as well?
Barry Lowry
??? Guess the Kent Village ???
At the foot of the North Downs this village has a nice mixture of old and new houses, from the 18th century roadside cottages, to the bungalows nearer the river.
The River Stour divides just outside the village to provide two courses through it. In the past these streams were sources of water power for the local mills and today one of them still provides some of the water for a large modern mill.
The inn in the village is thought to date from the 14th century, and the original medieval structure was revealed during restoration in 1994, when some of the original timbers were exposed.
The 13th century medieval church overlooks the village green and on the other side so does Bedford House which dates from 1420. The old hospital has now beren demolished and houses built on the site.
The first correct answer to me gets their name in the next newsletter. Fame at last!!
Roy Entwistle
An illustrated lecture "Moments in Being" by Dog Scott
This will be held on Monday 10th November 2003 at 19:30 in Dover Town Hall. Tickets £10.00, Concessions £5.00. Telephone 01304 612307 or 613286 for tickets. Features climbs and explorations in Bhutan, Nepal, Arunachel, Pradesh & Tibet. All proceeds go to Community Action Nepal .
Roy Entwistle
Fight to keep ALL our Rights of Way open
Following Barry's article in the last newsletter regarding Manchester City Council's bid to close Rights of Way in an attempt to stop crime and which could be the thin end of the wedge for City, Town & Village walkers, I have devised a short walk for the forthcoming programme to highlight the fact that the problem isn't isolated to Manchester. With all the development now going on south of Ashford we are in as much danger from losing paths to security issues as any inner city urban area in the country.
I'll see you on 7th December 2003 at 10:00 in Singleton Car Park for a walk which will be enlightening to all!!
Steve Godden - October 2003
Safe to Cross Campaign
You are either quick or dead!
We know that this item was in the last Newsletter but we are still seeking out those types of road crossing for a safety campaign.
DO YOU KNOW OF SUCH A CROSSING?
If you do, we need to know. Please contact, as soon as possible, either Barry Lowry on 01233 642417, Peter Whitestone on 01580 291596 or Steve Godden on 01233 630104.
Thankyou.
Have a go at Leading!
After our comment in the last Newsletter that we had more walk leaders we note that there has been a reduced number of waks submitted for this programme, in fact there is one Sunday (4 January 2004) for which we were unable to find a walk at all !!!
We would appeal to everybody, Please think of walks for our next programme and become a walk leader - its not difficult and if you require any guidance please don't hesitate to contact somebody on the committee.
Limericks
There was a walk leader calkled Jill,
Who would never go up a hill,
She went on the Marsh,
Now that's not very harsh,
On this Frontier she Survived with a will
A bold young walk leader called Steve,
Led a walk far too long to conceive
He walked fast all day,
We got part of the way,
But with blisters so big, we did grieve.
These are a couple of limericks I thought of. I'm sure you will know these leaders. If you can think of other good ramblers limericks then send them to me and I'll try to get them in the nexct newsletter.