Stroll with Huskies: another update from David and Di

A stroll in the Urals in winter

Take a beat up old ex-military four-wheel-drive mini bus with seven dogs for 17 miles West back into Europe, then plunge through snow packed roads and forest tracks for 7 miles North; de-bus and wait for dogs to be harnessed to sleigh. Get into sleigh - well one of us had to stand, steer, push and badger it (photo 1); follow the 4wd gruellingly slowly up rises, thrillingly fast down hill for about and hour. We have reached the start of the stroll. While the huskies are fed on great bones and the doghandler lights a fire in the snow covered forest, the strollers are invited to climb a tree covered deeply snowy but small mountain (photo 2); returning to the fire for vodka and sausages hot from the grill (photo 3) completes a fair day's stroll in minus 5C (3/4 boots, preferably waterproof). - Feb 2009.

News from David & Di (1)

Escaping the blizzards of Westbury Park with some difficulty, and much help from Barry, we haved passed through six capital cities, stopping briefly in Paris, even more breifly in Berlin and for longer in Moscow. There, we had lunch in GOM/GUM/GYM - the town sized department store, now Broadmead shrinking shopping arcade for designer labels (photo 1 and 2). Its brightly lit front dominates Lenin's now revolving mausoleum (it stops you noticiing him spinning in his grave!) but takes second place to the Kremlin's great red walls across Red Square.
On we went to the Urals and Ekaterinburg, where Di explored the igloo on the site of the Romanovs' Execution (photo 3). We also rehearsed a good walk for the strollers - see next update.
All the very best to friends in strollers and GOM.
David and Di.

Midweek Strollers

The Midweek Strollers - a parallel strand of the Westbury Park Strollers - go out walking every Thursday. The walks tend be shorter than on Sundays, and try to avoid too many obstacles, but they maintain the usual mix of good walking, good company and good food..... Oh yes, and if the weather is a bit dodgy may divert to an exhibition or concert.

And just to show that they are not put of by a minor detail such as snow, these photos were taken on Thursday 5th February 2009. A glorious walk across the Downs, past the Camera Obscura and over Mr Brunel's bridge to Ashton Court and the golf cafe for a mug of hot chocolate. The return journey took in the Mansion, the sledge runs and the Deer Park before making its way back over the bridge and across the Downs. By that time, the students had emerged from their slumbers and were dazzling in their snow constructions - giant snowmen, snow families, snow caterpillars, snow sculpture etc etc.

Strollers: Janet Brewer, Joanna & Roger Mellors + Osric the Dog.

Apologies for inept post - will try to improve.....

PROGRAMME 2009

The attached is the list of programmed walks so far proposed. Generally these take place on Sunday. New short walks planned for Friday evening. Depending on the season and the level of support we can always fit in extra walks.

February 22 Doynton and Tog Hill 6 Miles
Carol Marks
March 29 Bowood 7 Miles
Barry Williams
April 10 Alveston 3 miles
Joanna M/Sylvia D
April 19 Strawberry line Cycle Ride 25 miles
Joanna and Roger Mellors
May 3 Parret Walk 9 miles
Joanna and Patrick Power
May 7 Bluebell Walk 3 miles
Joanna and Roger Mellors
May 22 ‘City Walk’ - UWE to the City 4 + Miles
Jeff Hurran
June 7 Symonds Yat 9 miles
Sandy and Roger Ayton
June 19 Yanley and Bedminster Down 4 miles
Joanna M /Sylvia D
June 28 Canoe Outing on the Wye
Sylvia Williams
July 10 Littleton on Severn 3-5 miles
Joanna M/Sylvia D
July 18/19 Lulworth Hostel Weekend 2 walks
Carol Marks
July 31 Purdown 3 miles
Joanna M/Sylvia D
August 16 Chedworth 8 miles
Mike Duffy
August 28 Abbots Leigh
Joanna M/Sylvia D
September 6 ‘Grand Day Out’ –Dawlish
David Bruce
September 18 Old Sneed Park
Joanna M/Sylvia D
September 27 Brockweir/St Bravells 6 miles
John Leggatt
October 18 Woodchester House 6 miles
Richard Henderson
November 8 St Catherine’s 8 miles
Jeff Bishop
November 29 Sand Point 5 miles
Jeff Hurran
December 27 Mulled Wine and Mince Pies 4 miles
Crooks Peak
Carol Marks

Keep space for short walks during the week and evening walks !

February 2009 walk Doynton

Thanks to Carol for organising it, this walk was most enjoyable, on a spring-like day. The sun shone for us, the promised views were crystal clear and we enjoyed a sit-down meal at the popular White Hart Inn at Cold Ashton before completing our circular walk in Doynton.

22 FEBRUARY AT DOYNTON
From Carol Marks
Please contact Carol direct if you intend to join the walk.
1 : It'll take about 40mins to get to Doynton
2 : Good views over Bristol from the top of Tog Hill, and the pub in Cold Ashton is very good
3 : Length 6 miles, two good climbs, maybe about 10 stiles
4 : Parking is at the Cross House pub in Doynton, so as few cars as possible because we're not actually using their pub!
Some space on nearby streets
5 : Includes pub lunch at Cold Ashton
6 : Telephone *******
7 : Mobile ***********
8 : Back up name - not done this, but will ask around
9 : I'll warn the pub

A poem from Anne Wellings on the Teignmouth walk

Please click on poem for a more readable version.

David and Di have added a last verse:

.

So hearty thanks we give from one and all

To First Great Western's transport of delight.

Sans leaves, sans waves, sans flood, sans mist or fog,

The strollers all got home before the night.

It was not at all like Keats' 1818 view of Devon while staying in Teignmouth - "a splashy, rainy, misty, snowy, foggy, haily, floody, muddy, slipshod County" ( in the Oxford Literary Guide to the British Isles.)

So we got there! 5th October

Many to Dawlish and the cliff path

we survived the raging sea and met up at Shaldon (but I have no photos of that)