WOKING GROUP 24th AGM, SUNDAY 29th NOV EMBER 2011

This year the AGM will again be held in the Pyrford Village War Memorial Hall which is at the junction of Engliff Lane, Coldharbour Road and Upshott Lane in Pyrford. A walk will be arranged for anyone who would like it before the AGM (See Walks Programme for details) followed by a complimentary light lunch at about 1.00 pm for everyone attending the AGM whether or not they took part in the walk. The AGM itself will start at about 1.45 pm and should be over by about 2.15 pm.

The main business of the AGM is to elect the Committee for the coming year, so it is important that as many members as possible attend and vote. Your current committee is:

• Mike Lipscomb: Chairman/Membership Secretary

• Ian Trelease: Vice Chairman/Webmaster

• Carolyn Peakin: Secretary

• Nigel Heys: Treasurer

• Brian Reader: Footpath Secretary

• Anne Brown: Social Secretary

• Martin Buckley: Publicity

Shelagh Lewins kindly edits the Newsletter, although not an elected member of the Committee. The posts of Countryside Secretary and Editor are currently not filled.

It seems likely that all current members of the Committee will be prepared to offer themselves for re-election this year and Shelagh would like to continue editing the Newsletter. Nevertheless, any nominations of new committee members would be very welcome and any member who feels he or she would like to contribute to the running of the group is urged to put themselves forward. It is not necessary to stand for any particular post. You can either ask Carolyn (01483 773769) for a nomination form or simply have a word with her or Mike on the day. In addition to the posts listed above, it would be very helpful to have one or two “members without portfolio”.

John Nathan, the Chairman of Surrey Area, has accepted our invitation to attend the AGM and the walk before it, so this is an opportunity for members to have a chat with him about the bigger picture of what is going on in the Ramblers.

Immediately after the AGM Douglas Buchanan of SE Berks Group, who walks regularly with us and indeed leads for us, has kindly offered to entertain us in an amusing and, for us, unusual way such that, he believes, intelligence would be a hindrance! Don’t miss it!

If you can, please let Anne (01483 234757) know if you are coming for the lunch as she is doing the catering.

- Mike Lipscomb

Walks Programme Coordination

As all our walks leaders will be aware, the November 2011 to February 2012 walks programme has been coordinated by Brian Reader. The March 2012 to June 2012 programme will be coordinated by Des Coles (01483 772692). Any member wishing to lead a walk for the Group in that period is asked to contact Des as early as possible. In particular short (up to 5 miles) walks either mid week or at weekends, aimed at encouraging potential new members to venture out with us, would be especially welcome.

- Mike Lipscomb

Festival of Winter Walks

The Ramblers "Festival of Winter Walks" (FOWW) takes place from Saturday 24 December 2011 to Monday 2 January 2012. All Ramblers walks between these dates are promoted as part of FOWW. The Festival is one of the most important Ramblers’ recruitment activities, so please come along on at least one of them and help make new walkers particularly welcome.  

- Brian Reader

Woking Ramblers Website

Do you have any photos that you would be happy to share with us? We would be very pleased to receive photos that we could consider for publication on our website (www.wokingramblers.org). Ideally, these would illustrate the fine and interesting sights (including fellow ramblers) that may be seen on our walks. Next time you take your camera on a walk why not let us have a look at your proudest results. Many thanks and please send them to:

webmaster@wokingramblers.org

- Martin Buckley, Website Sub-Committee

Walks Library

There has been some interest in our library of walks and the list is now maintained by John Smith. He can send you the list of available walks and you can choose a few that look interesting. John will then send you the gpx files for those walks which you can open on the Ordnance Survey Getamap site at:

http://www.getamap.ordnancesurveyleisure.co.uk/

It is surprisingly easy to open, view and even manipulate a walk using this site, but help is available if you really have tried and still can't get it to work - just ask.

If you have a GPS unit and record a walk, perhaps on your own, with friends or with a group, please send the resulting gpx file to John so that he may include it in the library list of available walks. Email John at wokingramblers@ntlworld.com.

- John Smith

Footpath Secretary’s Report

Best Value Performance Indicator 178 Path Inspections

I completed the few inspections that were in Woking Borough, plus some in the south of Waverley and more in the north of Reigate & Banstead. There is a set methodology for the inspections, so only volunteers who have completed one of the relevant SCC courses can do them. The next round of inspections will be in November.

Individual Volunteer Working Agreement

This scheme will allow individual volunteers to do MINOR clearance work, e.g. vegetation around a stile or to put up or replace waymarks. SCC are running a training course on Thursday 24 November, again at Wotton Village Hall. Only volunteers who have completed the course can take part in the scheme, and each will have to sign the agreement so that they are fully aware of the terms under which they will be working for SCC. Anyone wanting to go on the course please contact me.

Path Problems

The Traffic Restriction Orders (TROs) on FPs 44 and 45A around the former Unwins Printing Works at Old Woking remain in force, but short alternative routes are in place. A complication is that FP45A becomes Send FP52A where it crosses the Guildford Borough Boundary - FP52A leads to Send FP52 and there is a further TRO on the latter path preventing eastward use between the FP52/FP52A path junction to the Wey Navigation. That problem is a rotting bridge over a secondary channel of the River Wey, but the path doubles up as a private vehicular access track – so whilst pedestrians were legally prohibited the bridge still seemed to be in use by vehicles earlier in the year.

In Surrey Area we have just lost a Public Inquiry for a claimed path crossing the LB of Richmond / LB of Kingston boundary. However, Central Office staff think there is a possibility that the inspector may have misdirected herself on a point of law (the relevance of the “Godmanchester” case which the Ramblers took all the way to the House of Lords), and are considering whether to seek Counsel’s opinion on the chances of an appeal to the High Court.

Further afield, you may have read that we lost the important Public Inquiry into claimed paths at Vixen Tor on Dartmoor. The Inspector’s report has been studied carefully and it seems there are no grounds for appeal against the decision.

Phone: 01483 480651

E-mail: gillian.reader@ntlworld.com

- Brian Reader

Tom Franklin Resigns

After four years in the role, Tom Franklin is stepping down as Chief Executive of the Ramblers, to take up a new post with a charity called Think Global. Below are some extracts from Tom’s email of 27^th September 2011 to Area Council members.

“It has been a great privilege to work for the Ramblers. It is a fantastic institution, and at the heart of it are Ramblers volunteers. The Ramblers would not exist if it were not for volunteers giving up time and skills to help - whether that be in planning and leading walks, campaigning for better footpaths and access, recruiting members, or running the Areas and Groups.”

“In travelling around Britain meeting Areas and Groups these past few years, I have always been amazed and grateful for what you achieve.

Best wishes, and thanks again.”

- Tom Franklin, Chief Executive

Blacks Leisure Discount Card

Blacks Leisure Group, who run the Blacks and Milletts shops, have brought out a new discount card for use in their shops (not on-line). We feel it is such a good offer that you would want to know about it (and no, we don't get any commission!) The card is available to members of local groups, such as Woking Ramblers, and entitles the holder to 15% discount - already better than some other discount offers - but is valid on sale and promotional items too. This is what makes it seem special to us; look at this comparison:

Ramblers card: Walking jacket £150, sale 20% off down to £120. No additional discount allowed on card because it is a sale item. Net price £120.

Blacks card: Walking jacket £150, sale 20% off down to £120. Further 15% discount on Blacks card. Net price £102.

To get one of these cards, just email wokingramblers@ntlworld.com and say so. If you are joint members, we advise asking for one each because a card may be used only by the person whose name appears on it. The first time you use the card you may be asked to show your Ramblers membership card to validate the Blacks card. We shall send your name, address and email address to Blacks so that they can send the card direct to you. Of course they will send you details of special promotions from time to time; there isn't much point having the ability to get an extra discount on an offer if you don't know about the offer.

You will be able to remove yourself from the list if you so wish. The cards are not dated and so have no expiry date. The scheme is new and there may be changes, we shall have to wait and see. Cards usually take a couple of weeks to be processed and sent to you.

Diary Dates

Woking Group AGM: Sunday 29th Nov 2011

Festival of Winter Walks: Saturday 24th December 2011 - Monday 2nd January 2012

Woking Group New Year’s Lunch: Sunday 22^nd January 2012

Surrey Area AGM: Saturday 4^th Feb 2012