3 September

We went on the Ramblers morning walk as we were both still catching up after our holiday and I'd been to see my dad the day before. It should have been at Loggerheads but they'd done a swap with the one due in a couple of weeks and so it was at Sandon with Fred and Stella leading.

Most of the paths I'd used on a day walk I did round here. Up the lane cutting across the field to the church. Carry on along the track and turn right at the house, going along through the woods. It's a pleasant walk through there to Gayton. Back through the grounds of Sandon Hall and then across the A51 and pick up the canal back. By then I was walking with Ted and we got a long way ahead. We must have been back nearly 5 minutes before the rest.

Very pleasant with lots of people asking us about Canada.

10 September

Beryl was busy preparing for Ofsted (she did of course come out of this brilliantly) so I went on my own to the Ramblers walk in the Hanchurch Hills. John Shaw was leading; he'd walked with me during the dinner ramble because he was very curious about my precise route. This was because he was worried that I might use too many of the paths that he was wanting to use.

This was not a major problem. We parked right up in the Hills and first did a northern loop (where I was too busy nattering to Tony to tell just where we were) There was a big climb back up to the car park and then we set off to Beech and Swynnerton before returning by the water tower and the track.

Fairly undemanding but the first day walk I'd done in ages.

23 September

Beryl and I went off to North Wales to pre-walk the Sunday B walk for the Ramblers Weekend in Llandudno. We should have gone the previous weekend but were prevented by the fuel crisis. We had a very leisurely start and didn't put our boots on until 11 o' clock.

We parked at the Aber Falls but walked in the opposite direction back down to Abergwyngregin. The path from there climbed very steeply on to the flanks of Moel Wnion but the walking then got much easier along a contouring track. There were two possible routes down from there. We saw the first, a nice easy track down, but I thought that people would like to keep the height and the views (and Anglesey, Priestholm and the Menai Straits were looking a treat in the sunshine - I could even make out Beaumaris Castle which is an absolute gem) This was a mistake.

The path down into the valley was far to steep and I'd already thought that this would be too hard for most of the B walkers. However on crossing a bridge the path disappeared and we had to hack our way through the bracken to pick up the first route down. We stopped and had lunch to recover from the exertions

The path then ran nicely down a wooded valley until it picked up quiet lanes to the A55. It will be interesting when they cross this; I reckon that Beryl is allowed to lose 15% of the party there.

Onwards across the railway and fields with lovely views of Penrhyn Castle (even if it is a Victorian fake) until the path reached the coast. I thought from the map that there would be a footpath just off the beach but it does actually run along the beach for some distance around the headland (since then I've had to check tide tables to make sure that it will be OK on the day) but it will be a different sort of walk. We followed the path to the edge of Aber and then returned via the lane. 

We dropped our packs at the car and walked up to the Falls. They still looked goood even by comparison with some of the Canadian falls. 

We took hour time on the way back coming through Llandudno (the hotel looks OK) and Colwyn Bay before picking up the A55 and having a pub meal in Chester.

24September

I went on the Ramblers day walk. Having driven yesterday to North Wales, I was glad to get a lift off John Rhodes who was leading the walk.

The walk was around Craven Arms. I'd not been there for a couple of years and they have certainly done a lot of work since then in putting in new styles and signs. They've also linked paths up into way-marked walks, including some new permissive paths that are not even on the new Explorer map. All this with EU money.

Unfortunately the weather did not match the state of the paths. It was started to rain as we got our boots on and we had waterproofs on for most of the day. This was a shame as this is lovely rolling wooded countryside and we did not get the best of the views. The higher hills had patches of mist hanging around all day.

  We walked northwards out of town on the river and then cut across the road and railway to pick up one off the new walks, the Onny Trail which followed the river along disused railway. Then a climb on the Wart Hill Wander up to the eponymous Wart Hill. This joined the Shropshire Way across the spine of Hopesay Hill. This would have been superb in better weather; we had the hints of what might have been.  At the far end we picked up the section of the Way which I'd walked on my previous visit. This led down to Stokesay Castle and we then came back into town along the river again.

I enjoyed the walk. It was the first time in ages that I'd done 2 day walks in a weekend and felt better for it