Newsletter 2016

Milton Keynes Ramblers

Newsletter 2016

Newsletter makes a comeback

After a gap of three years our Newsletter has been resurrected. From now on the Newsletter will be published annually on our website and you will be able to download it or print it out. For those who would prefer a printed version, please contact a member of the Committee.

RA Walks Finder

Go to www.ramblers.org.uk
Click on Go Walking (top menu bar)
Enter the location name or postcode of the place you’d like to go walking. This will show a number of locations.
Click on Search. This shows a map of the area.
Click on Group Walks. This will show group walks in the area, grade of walk, distance, date, etc.

Photo gallery

You may have noticed that we now have a photo gallery on the website showing some of the places we’ve been to recently. There is a link to this from the front page.

If you wish to put some of your photos into the gallery, please send an email with your photos attached, to photos@mkramblers.co.uk. This will notify the editors.

Please do not send more than five photos at a time and it would be useful if you could provide information such as date taken and location of the photos, e.g. Aug 2014, walk in the Brickhill Woods.

Long distance walks

Here we go again! As if it is not enough to be walking one coast to coast path, the Great English Way, I am now starting another one, the Cross Britain Way. This is one of the Macmillan Ways. This 280 mile route is a coast-to-coast path from Boston 1

in the Lincolnshire Fens to Barmouth on the Welsh coast in Snowdonia. The plan is to complete the remainder of the walk this year. I realise this may seem a bit of a rush but when you know you have passed life’s half way mark you need to get on with things! You may only get one chance so there is no point sitting around.

The route across the Fens is not the same as the one we did from Boston on the Macmillan Way back in October 2004. The route crosses the Vale of Belvoir, the Leicestershire Wolds, the National Forest, Cannock Chase (some of us have been there before and it was Jim’s first adventure with us on the Heart of England Way.

Remember the huge rock left over from the ice age and the voice from behind it saying ‘I didn’t know that’), the Ironbridge Gorge, Wenlock Edge, The Long Mynd, Stiperstones, the Welsh Borders and Mid Wales, the Berwyn Mountains and Lake Bala. If it is possible I might also include a detour to climb Cadair Idris before reaching Barmouth. If you want to know more please contact me.

On the Great English Walk we have now reached Rothbury That only leaves us two more Bank Holidays to go before we finish it on the Spring Bank Holiday at the Scottish Border. This leaves me with a decision to make. Do we continue into Scotland or head back south? We will also be finishing the South West Coast Path over Easter week but that’s already sorted. Welsh Coastal Path here we come! We also completed the Jurassic Way from Banbury to Stamford in September.

Ian Andrews

Recycling Centre Visit

Our visit to the Milton Keynes Waste Recycling Centre back in July proved to be an interesting and informative outing with a very good speaker in Sarah Spicer from the Centre.

We learnt what can and cannot be recycled, which bin, box or sack to use and what to do with larger household items such as that unwanted mattress or refrigerator. We started in the education room where we were able to view and be impressed by so many items that had been made from recycled materials, some made into toys, artwork, furniture, safety products and many more.

We were then shown a video that explained the role and achievements of the Centre, what level of recycling is achieved (53%) and how it compares with other parts of the country.The Centre has one of the highest percentages for recycling in the country, something we hopefully all contribute to.

As it was a warm evening I was wondering what the smell would be like. I think we were all pleasantly surprised as the smell was minimal, but the noise would have been intrusive if it had not been for the ear defenders.

Peter Hurst

Path Checking

September is an important month in the path checking calendar. It’s when all path checkers return their annual summary forms, detailing the paths they checked during the year and the problems they found. We currently use the 2009 version of the parish boundaries for Milton Keynes, which means there are 45 parishes to check. Currently there are around 20 path checkers, but for next year there will be ten parishes without path checkers. If you are interested in becoming a path checker please let me know and I shall give you more information.

I believe it is very important that all paths are walked and problems reported. In addition to keeping the public right of way network in a good condition, the annual snapshot of the state of the paths in Milton Keynes is combined with the data from other areas to give a picture of the whole country.

David Reed

Footpath Secretary for Milton Keynes

Health Walks

For those of you who would prefer shorter walks, why not join the health walks which take place every day in and around Milton Keynes? You can find more information on these at www.walkingforhealth.org.uk/walkfinder/south-east/milton- keynes-health-walks. The walks vary from short, medium and long, the latter being about four miles. Anyone can participate and there is no fee, the only proviso being that you are required to complete a fitness declaration form before you do your first walk. The walk leaders are all experienced and most of them are also members of the Ramblers.

These walks will take you all over Milton Keynes, mainly on redways and footpaths.

I have been pleasantly surprised at all the places I hadn’t seen before. After the walk, there is usually somewhere nearby to buy reasonable priced refreshments.

Mary Hurst

Ferries, trains … and ladders - walking in Saxony’s National Park The email from Adelheid asked if we might be interested in some walking in the rocky uplands straddling the border between the state of Saxony and the North Bohemian region of the Czech Republic. A ‘Golden October’ trip to an area with table mountains, natural arches, crags and deciduous forests was promised.

Well – we didn’t have to think too hard about that! Our deposit was sent off later that same day.

October is a great time for a break. The weather is pleasant and the crowds of high summer have gone. Our trip started with two days sightseeing in the beautiful city of Prague. Wenceslas Square, St Vitus Cathedral, Charles Bridge, the astronomical clock in the Old Town are some of the many highlights of this city. If I were to sum up Prague, I would say that it has the highest concentration of beautiful buildings of any city I’ve ever seen. It seems that almost every building is intricately and ornately decorated with statues, scrolls and carvings. The bohemian and gothic architecture is so picturesque and attractive. The gothic architecture of the churches makes it look like something out of a fairy tale and by night when the towers are illuminated it is even more impressive.

One evening our group had a trip to a Black Light Theatre show. This form of theatre originated in Asia and has become a speciality of Prague.

A key principal of Black Light

Theatre is the inability of the human eye to distinguish black objects from a black background. This is combined with the effect of UV light on fluorescent objects. Whatever the science behind it, the overall effect is that inanimate objects appear to move around of their own accord in a clever and amusing way.

Our show had washing dancing on and off a washing line, suitcases growing bigger 4

and bigger until swallowing up a man and the most hilarious Wild West horse ‘galloping’ at high speed across a small stage - an unusual and entertaining evening.

And then all too soon it was goodbye to Prague and on to our train to Bad Schandau… … and just like that we were back in the 1950s. The trains reminded us of old- fashioned compartments, with sliding doors and a corridor. Marvellous! From the station it was a smooth onward transfer by taxi to Hrensko and the Hotel Praha – our base for the next five nights.

That afternoon we took our first ferry trip across the River Elbe. It was the first of many ferry trips… many, many ferry trips! From the other side of the river we took the train into the spa town of Bad Schandau and spent the afternoon in the museum of the National Park. After some fortifying coffee and cake in the museum café we spent a happy few hours discovering more about the geological formation of the National Park area.

The following day we took … yes you guessed it … the ferry across the river and began our walk. The first part took us through deciduous forests somewhat reminiscent of Burnham Beeches. Onwards then to a narrow gap between towering rocks until finally it was the first of a number of ladders that would take us up to the viewpoint. Up, up , up … clinging tightly on.

Well, a good head for heights was certainly needed but the reward at the top was magnificent indeed. From the viewpoint at Schrammsteinaussicht, it was fabulous sandstone rock formations as far as the eye could see. After taking in the views we began our descent, stopping to have lunch basking in autumn sunshine on sandstone ledges above the head of the valley of Breite Kluft. The final part of our descent brought us down through the village of Schmilka, past a working mill with a popular beer garden … hmmm, methinks, we may return here! What a spectacular start to our walks - no pressure then Adelheid!

We went by taxi the next day (what, no ferry!) to the Bastei area. We walked across the Bastei Sandstone Bridge with views down to the Elbe and along ‘The Painters Path’ to the town of Rathen.

Morning kaffee (und kuchen naturlich)

was taken in a rather swish panoramic restaurant. The walk continued with an ascent past a waterfall and then after our swish morning coffee stop, lunch was partaken in the somewhat humbler 5

surroundings of a wooden hut. That’s the thing with walkers – we’re happy as long as there’s food! The afternoon saw some steep descents and we again encountered metal ladders. We were getting good at these now… possibly!

A train the next morning took us to Sebnitz. Some of us explored the Silk Flower Museum watching the intricate work of cutting and glueing. At the height of the industry, when there was great demand for silk flowers for hats, 18,000 workers were employed. Many of the craftsmen came here from Upper Bohemia.

After the silk flowers in the morning, our afternoon couldn’t have been more different. The ascent to the fortress Königstein left most of us puffing and panting.

This Saxon Bastille, is a hilltop fortress. It’s one of the largest in Europe and sits atop the table mountain of the same name. The fortress was used for centuries as a state prison and with its dramatic steep sandstone walls and ramparts is now one of Saxony’s foremost tourist attractions. There was so much to see here including a rather charming model showing craftsmen at work building the fortress walls. Can the building of a fortress appear charming? Well it was here! Returning through the village of Schmilka we stopped for our evening meal in a local restaurant. What a splendid day of contrasts!

Our last day of walking took us up to the picturesque sandstone arch of Pravcicka Brana with a return by boat through the gorge of river Kamenice. Bliss!

Summing up this trip I would say that this is a really spectacular area with some fabulous walking. You do need a good head for heights on those ladders but oh, the sight that greets you at the top is worth every rung.

Thank you Adelheid for organising such a brilliant trip.

Just one question… when’s the next one?

Sheila Dawson

Please note: the deadline for articles for the next edition is November 01 2016. Please email your contributions to mary300306@yahoo.org.uk or send to Mary Hurst, 30 The Craven, Heelands, Milton Keynes MK13 7NJ.