Barbara and Howard have published their pictures from our trip to Kirkby Lonsdale.

(I'll be nicking some of them for the coach archives.)

It was a muddy day but everone seemed to enjoy themselves.

Last modified 2016-01-13 18:58:22

We have never officially had the rule:

Please try and walk behind your leader. If you get ahead of them then you will not be covered by our insurance but mainly you will put extra pressure on your leader.

simply because our groups already had the rule and I thought everyone knew it; now it is a stated rule for the Coach Rambles.

Legal stuff aside, it just helps your leader concentrate on navigation and adapting to conditions. For larger groups it also helps the back marker to know that everyone they need to keep an eye on is between the leader and themselves (minus those "having a quick stop").

Last modified 2016-01-12 20:42:46

This report marks the end of my fourth year as Coach Secretary. Again it's been a routine year with respect to the general running of the operation and there have been no major upsets.

Development on the web site has continued with the major additions this year being to provide altitude profiles for our walks, the inclusion of photograph albums for our trips and, importantly, the ability to pay on-line when booking.

Bookings and passenger numbers have improved from 2013 with passenger numbers up from 69 per trip to 73. Financially we managed to average a profit of £80 per trip which, again, is up on last year and attributable to the higher passenger numbers. I'm happy with all those figures; obviously I would have liked more growth but at least it wasn't a decline.

Overall, the financial situation would be considered very good and the passenger numbers fine.

Our trips have again been very varied. The year consisted of: Hathersage, Ambleside, Otley, Grassington, Arnside, Hayfield, Grasmere / Langdales, Richmond, Castleton, Appleby / Dufton, Ruthin and Barnard Castle. In contrast to last year our North Wales trip was not that popular which was a bit disappointing. However, the two local winter trips proved to be very successful days out. There is totally no pattern to what passengers want!

Richmond in May was our Golden Jubilee trip so requires special mention. It was essentially a good day; everyone received a card, some Ramblers trinkets, a copy of the letter that Silvia wrote to kick of the Coach Rambles and £5 to be spent in celebration.

The logistics are working well and the software that really runs the operation is managing to keep the website up-to-date and, importantly, track bookings. The ability to take card payments on the coach was introduced this year both for the passengers' benefit and to try and reduce the quantity of cash received. (Cash lacks the audit trail that cheques and card payments have.)

Rigby's supplied our coaches during the year with a mixture of success; on the whole they delivered but there have been some problems for a while now. Crucially, passengers lost confidence in Rigby's ability to provide comfort and I lost confidence in their ability to provide reliability. For 2015-16 we have started to trial Moving People.

Finally, we're ticking over nicely. The pool of leaders is still very shallow and needs work; we still need to keep getting the promotional material out into the real world; but, personally I think we had a great year.

Last modified 2015-12-30 00:27:11

We'll have had four days out adventuring since the last news:

October was Hawkshead. This was a great day but just a bit too early for the full autumn display that this area can produce. It was sunny and everything went really well except for a blip with the C walk that meant we were late starting off for home. This was our first trip with Moving People which meant me and Sue getting up at stupid-o-clock to help their drivers with our pick-up points.

November was Nidderdale. This day worked out really well. The weather was great, the destination was great, the walks were great; don't think the B party thought that trudging through the heather to a random trig-point was too great though. The one downside for me was the realisation that I can no longer party 'till stupid-o-clock and still get to Clayton by 07:30; sorry Moving People and Sue for being a little late.

December was Windermere. Storm Desmond soon put the kibosh on that plan though. All roads to Windermere were closed; we had a quick re-think, we dithered for a bit, and then we ended up in Carnforth. We adapted fantastically and finally had some good walks; there was no beer or tea or even light to be had at the end though since we managed to pick a town with no electricity. Was this a good day or a bad day? It was certainly eventful and certainly stressful but there was a good feeling of being a club and making the best of what the day dealt us; so yes, a good day in the end. (I should be out of therapy by about March.)

January will have been Kirkby Lonsdale but details will have to wait until the next news.

December did highlight the need to have "back-up" destination already sorted for events like Desmond. I'm not quite sure how we will do this at the moment but I'm thinking about it.

The switch to using Moving People has had positive response. They are slightly more expensive but they have better coaches and "facilities" are included in the price. Hitherto we needed 72 people per trip to break even but now we will need 76. I do feel bad about switching from Rigby's but my job is about delivering the best days out we can for people and opinion strongly indicates that Moving People should replace Rigby's.

Financially we're doing better that Ok with a 2014-15 profit of £979 and a closing bank balance of £4,032. I'm happy with our pricing and, despite the increased operating cost, we can keep the ticket price the same for 2016. This will make it at least seven years without a price increase.

Finally, our next trips will visit Saltaire (07 Feb), Hawes (06 Mar), and Coniston (03 Apr). To book visit the web site at www.coach-rambles.org.uk, email bookings@coach-rambles.org.uk or telephone 07795 250502 / 01282 798145. Ticket price is £13.00 / £6.50. People booking on-line now have the option to pay on-line and we can also take card payments in person.

Last modified 2015-12-27 18:52:33

Howard's pictures of "Windermere" now on FaceBook.

If you're thinking that it doesn't look much like Windermere then that's because it's actually Carnforth; Storm Desmond had other ideas about where we'd spend our day.

Many thanks to Howard and I'll be thieving some for the coach archive later.

Last modified 2015-12-07 18:10:57

Finally the 2016 leaflets and flyers are available:

2016 flyer with the essentials is available for download

2016 brochure with the most detail is available for download

Last modified 2015-11-30 21:49:38

Howard and Barbara have uploaded their pictures from our trip to Nidderdale

(I've already nicked some of Howard's for the coach archives and will be on with Barbara's later.)

It was a fantastic hot autumn day in a lovely part of North Yorkshire.

Last modified 2015-11-04 18:46:53

The accounts are all done for our 2014/15 financial year and a copy is available to check-out. They still need to be audited but everything looks good.

Last modified 2015-10-30 19:24:27

Pictures from Hawkshead

Barbara and Howard have published their pictures from our trip to Hawkshead

(I'll be nicking some of them for the coach archives.)

It was a lovely day (see above!); granted we were later back than planned but everyone got back safe.

Last modified 2015-10-07 18:20:50

Coach Rambles - Old News : Area News Oct 2015

We’ll have had four days out adventuring since the last news:

July was Appleby and Dufton. This was a mixed day; a good day walking with great weather and fantastic views but problems with communication caused a delay in the start of the B walk. The A walk managed to find the hardest way possible up Murton Pike (think Kathryn’s forgiven me) and the C walk concluded with a town tour.

August was Ruthin.  A fantastic day with fantastic walking but tarnished by coach quality. We just had one main coach for this trip and Driver Ian got us there in record time under Paul’s supervision. (Driver Ian needs supervision; without it we would have been in Glasgow.)

September was Barnard Castle. This was an awesome trip; helped by fantastic walking weather and a great destination. All four leaders led great walks and the whole day couldn’t have gone any better.  There were quite a few new people on this trip and they all enjoyed the day and really appreciated the friendly welcome everyone gave them.

October will have been Hawkshead but details will follow in the next news.

The web site is doing well with even more people using it plus we’re getting new passengers through it. I’m still adding content from Sylvia’s files about our past trips. Barbara and Howard are proving a fantastic source of photographs from our more recent trips. More photo’s always welcome. Have a look through your collections; surely there is a picture out there where Mavis’ hair is not perfectly arranged!

Our meeting to discuss the coach and next year’s destinations went well with a lot more debate than previous meetings which was good. Coach quality was the main issue (e.g., Ruthin) raised by passengers and this is being dealt with without, thank-fully, the need to increase the price. Our return time in the winter months will now be a little earlier to avoid people being sat on a coach in the dark waiting for the rest of us to bail out of the pub!

Dates and destinations for 2016 are: 10 Jan to Kirkby Lonsdale, 07 Feb to Saltaire, 06 March to Hawes (it’ll rain again), 03 Apr to Coniston, 08 May to Chatsworth, 05 Jun to Helmsley, 03 Jul to Alston, 07 Aug to Kirkby Stephen, 04 Sep to Conwy (yey), 02 Oct to Keswick, 06 Nov to Buxton and 04 Dec to Knaresborough.

Coach costs will increase significantly from Oct 2015 so if we are to maintain the current ticket price beyond 2016 then we need to up our game WRT promotion. Posters and flyers are always available; I just need people to keep filling leaflet holders and putting up posters. Many thanks to those that do; you are a significant part of the operation.

Finally, our next trips will visit Nidderdale / Pately Bridge (01 Nov), Windermere (06 Dec), and Kirkby Lonsdale (10 Jan). To book just visit the web site at www.coach-rambles.org.uk, email bookings@coach-rambles.org.uk or telephone 07795 250502 / 01282 798145. Ticket price will remain £13.00 / £6.50 for the rest of 2015 and the whole of 2016. People booking on-line now have the option to pay on-line and we can also take card payments in person.

Last modified 2015-09-28 20:21:05

Had our meeting; ten people attended and we managed to spend two hours to find our 12 destinations and talk coach. Thus 2016 will be:

10 January                  Kirkby Lonsdale

07 February                Saltaire

06 March                    Hawes

03 April                     Coniston

08 May                      Chatsworth

05 June                      Helmsley

03 July                       Alston

07 August                  Kirkby Stephen

04 September            Conwy

02 October                 Keswick

06 November             Buxton

04 December             Knaresborough

Last modified 2015-09-04 18:54:00

Our meeting to discuss destinations and all things coach will be held at Cambridge Street Methodist Church (Lodge Street, Accrington, Lancashire, BB5 6EH) on 03 September 2014 starting at 19:30. Everyone is welcome to attend and contribute.

Draft plan is currently:

Our meeting to discuss destinations and all things coach will be held at Cambridge Street Methodist Church (Lodge Street, Accrington, Lancashire, BB5 6EH) on 03 September 2015 starting at 19:30. Everyone is welcome to attend and contribute.

Last modified 2015-06-08 18:27:40

We’ll have three days of adventures since the last news:

January was Grassington. This was a good sunny day. Whilst it had been cold prior to the trip it turned out to be quite warm for so early in January. This was not a well attended trip, as would be anticipated for somewhere so close to home, but those that did venture out had a great day. The A walk started at East Marton and, after 16 miles with a nasty climb, landed in Grassington in time for a couple of pints. George, Paul and Sue all started from the town and took in the limestone scenery and industrial heritage of the area.

February was Arnside.  A fantastic sunny day with the forecasted winds failing to materialise. Three of the walks reached the trig point on Arnside Knott and were rewarded with a fantastic view of the Lake District Mountains picked out with the snow. Everyone had a fantastic day; with the possible exception of our coach drivers. With it being such a nice day Arnside was full and the coaches couldn’t park. They found a spot out of town and periodically drove through until they eventually parked at about 4pm!

March was Hayfield. This was the second time we’d visited this High Peak village and for the second time the weather wasn’t the best. The day did brighten up by afternoon; in time for some to get the views but too late to avoid soggy butties. The A walk decided against visiting the crashed aircraft on Bleaklow and went up, over and around Kinder Scout instead; off-piste on Bleaklow in the mist would not have been a great idea. Trevor took his B walk up into the mist and over to New Mills for the Archimedes screw and Millennium Walkway. Paul and Michael both took their walks to the top of Lantern Pike and whilst they got very wet they also got some views. Maybe when we visit again in about three years it will be sunny for a change.

The coach web site has been updated to include a graph of all the ups and downs for all the walks. These gradient profiles should help people choose the walk they want to do. A second minor update has been to add a pop-up for the weather at the destination.

The Burnley coach is very low on numbers at the moment where, in complete contrast, the Blackburn coach is thriving both in numbers and newbies. We need thirty six people on a coach for it to pay for itself; Burnley has only achieved this three times since November 2011.

Another issue is leaders with the burden of leading falling on a few. We are still managing to put on four walks per trip at the moment but this is being achieved by about fourteen leaders each year. If anyone could help by leading one or two walks it would be much appreciated. The rewards are meagre: a free place on the coach, a £15 thank-you, a big hug and the loan of a first-aid kit.

Finally, our next trips will visit Grasmere via The Langdales (12 Apr), Richmond (10 May) and Castleton (07 Jun). To book: visit the web site at www.coach-rambles.org.uk, email bookings@coach-rambles.org.uk or telephone 07795 250502 / 01282 798145.

Last modified 2015-03-13 18:55:35

This report marks the end of my third year as Coach Secretary. It’s been a relatively routine year with no major successes or set-backs.

The web site is being well used to book and view information about the trips which now includes the walk maps and weather forecasts for the day. It also holds historical content (an area I am always looking to expand), lists of our group walks and, since the regulations change, the inevitable cookie and privacy policy. Overall though it’s running well and is relatively low-maintenance.

Bookings and passenger numbers were slightly down compared to 2012 with passenger numbers, the important figure, down to 69 per trip from 71. Financially we again managed to average a slight profit of £50 per trip but which, again, is down on last year. Values for 2014-15 will help determine if this is a blip or a trend. At the moment I’m favouring a blip attributable to a single very bad turn out.

Overall, the financial situation would be considered very good but the passenger numbers disappointing.

Our trips have again been very varied with two new destinations and a couple that hitherto were considered too close to home.  The year consisted of: Ulverston, Marsden, Haworth, Settle, Grange-over-Sands, Hawes, Llangollen, Ashbourne, Pooley Bridge, Eyam, Conwy and Reeth. The two North Wales were the most popular. The two local trips were unexpectedly popular and proved to be very successful days out. Eyam was disappointing for a July trip with just 52 passengers. The logistics held very well this year with just one incident for Conwy; ironically, this possibly the most important trip of the year to get right.

Very little of how we operate will change during 2014. Rigby’s will remain the supplier of choice. Where applicable though we will start to try and include an E grade sight-seeing type of walk.

Overall, 2013-14 ticked over nicely; if that is good or bad is open to debate. For 2014-15, there is a lot of work to do with respect to promotion and also in getting more people to help, especially when it comes to leading.

Last modified 2015-01-15 22:01:59

Each year we gather all the groups' walks into a single publication and the 2015 program of walks is available for download.

Last modified 2014-12-26 17:07:00

We’ll have had four days of adventures since the last news:

October was Hathersage. This was a great day out with a better balance of numbers on all four walks than we usually get (normally the C and D walks have the highest numbers leaving the A and B a bit bereft). Sue took advantage of the coaches to make the D walk different. Harvey was off early with the A walk to essentially do the remaining 15 miles to Hathersage on foot. Chris led the B and me the A; our walks were similar but subtle route differences such as using one path in favour of another or going the opposite way round meant we kept the grade distinction.

November was Ambleside. Great place, impressive views but also impressive showers. For once Harvey’s A walk was beaten to be the first group walking by Paul’s C walk. Sue used the coaches to start the D walk beyond Ambleside in Grasmere; something that I took advantage off to start the B between the two towns. A really good day and the views from Lang How were fantastic.

December was Otley. Timed to coincide with the Christmas Fayre this trip worked really well despite the mud.  Alan B kindly stepped in to do the B walk. I repaid this favour be forgetting to book him on the coach; in my defence though, he didn’t have to run too far before his coach stopped.  Most of us took advantage of the coaches to facilitate a linier walk and it was just a really good day out and a good end to the year.

January will be / has been Grassington; but this trip will have to wait ‘till the next News Letter.

A quick summary of 2014 would be:

January we were in Settle; a local destination but a surprisingly popular trip. February took us to Grange-over-Sands for some good walking and great views. March was Hawes; it was wet. Moving swiftly on to April we had our best trip of the year to Llangollen; a fantastic day. May was Ashbourne for early rain but a dry finish; Trevor’s sister-in-law has, I think, finally forgiven me. June was a draughty Pooley Bridge but fantastic walks despite that; a place with just enough to do at the end of a walk. July was Eyam with fairly easy walking but great views. August took us to Conwy; just awesome, enough said. September was Reeth; a long time to get there and a long time to get back but sort of worth it for the walking. October was Hathersage for something different between the High and White Peak. November we were in Ambleside and you can’t really go wrong with Ambleside. December was Otley for an end to the year to rival 2013 in Haworth.

I’m not sure what my best 2014 trip was. Conwy and Llangollen were simply fantastic. Hawes was simply horrid. I think I would have to choose between Settle and Otley. These were good days out but importantly people still came despite the trips being local and it being winter.

 Finally, our next trips; now out of winter mode; will visit Arnside (01 Feb), Hayfield (08 Mar) and Grasmere via The Langdales (12 Apr).To book: visit the web site at www.coach-rambles.org.uk, email bookings@coach-rambles.org.uk or telephone 07795 250502 / 01282 798145.

Last modified 2014-12-16 21:30:08

The accounts are all done for our 2013/14 financial year and a copy is available to check-out. They still need to be audited but it balance to a few quid (not bad considering a near £10,000 turn-over).

Last modified 2014-10-01 21:12:12

We've had three days of adventures since the last news:

July took us to Eyam, the “plague Village” for a lovely day on the border between the White and High Peak. The A walk traipsed 2 miles over pathless heather moors to be underwhelmed at the largest stone circle in Derbyshire; the B, C and D walk were more sensible and concentrated on the fantastic views.

August was Conwy; a first for the coach. Fantastic day with fantastic walking at the very edge of Snowdonia and in the Conwy Mountains made all the better by the heather and gorse in flower. This was always going to be a day that stressed the logistics and for once, possibly a second time, they broke with the third coach having to double back from Bury to collect the 16 or so people that were patiently waiting at Clayton. One thing is for certain though: we will go again, and very soon.

September was Reeth in Richmondshire. Another great day for walking that had our four walks visiting Swaledale, Wensleydale and Arkengarthdale. The views from Harkerside Moor were awesome. It was a long way though that wasn’t helped by my bad choice of route in the morning and the drivers’ bad choice in the evening. It was a lovely journey there and a lovely journey back; it just took forever.

As you’ve read, we’ve had a couple of hic-ups since the last news. Paradoxically, this is a good thing; it shows that, now and again, we’re testing the limits of what the Area Coach can do but we still manage to deliver the walks and days out. This is a testament to our leaders, couriers and drivers.

Now to 2015; a significant year for our Area Coach:

First off, our dates and destinations have been decided; they are: 04 Jan Grassington, 01 Feb Arnside, 08 Mar Hayfield, 12 Apr Grasmere and The Langdales, 10 May Richmond, 07 Jun Castleton, 05 Jul Appleby and Dufton, 02 Aug Ruthin, 06 Sep Barnard Castle, 18 Sep Church Stretton, 04 Oct Hawkshead, 01 Nov Nidderdale and, finally, 06 Dec Windermere.

Some of you will have noticed that there are 13 trips despite there being the usual 12 months in the year [ok, so no-one did; stop skimming, go back, read properly]. Our trip to Church Stretton is an extra to mark the 50th birthday of the Area Coach; it’s a weekend away to run from Friday to Sunday with lots of walks and, hopefully, lots of cake. We’ll be taking bookings for this as soon as I figure out how to organize a weekend away!

Finally, our next trips; in Autumn/Winter mode; will visit Ambleside (02 Nov), Otley via Fewston (07 Dec) and Grassington (04 Jan).

Last modified 2014-09-10 23:46:12

Hello All,

Sir's not too good and the moggies are amusing themselves so I've finally managed to get the 2015 coach up-to-date!
All [but see later] dates and destinations are in the database together with the leaders that have declared so far; everything is at the usual place:

Main points from our meeting [including executive decissions] were:

WRT our 50th birthday; the extra trip to Church Stretton for the weekend has been approved but I've had a mixed opinion [i.e., one for and one against] about a further trip to recreate our walks from May 1965 in May 2015. More opinions would be appreciated. As always I'll try and secure more leaders for 2015 but don't hold your breath!

All the best; and as always, Thank You, Robert.

Last modified 2014-09-10 23:03:40

Had our meeting; not too many people attended but we still managed to spend two hours to find 13 destinations. Thus 2015 will be:

04 January                         Grassington

01 February                        Arnside

08 March                            Hayfield

12 April                              Grasmere and The Langdales

10 May                               Richmond

07 June                              Castleton

05 July                               Appleby and Dufton

02 August                           Ruthin

06 September                     Barnard Castle

18 - 20 September              Church Stretton

04 October                          Hawkshead

01 November                      Pately Bridge and Nidderdale

06 December                      Windermere

Last modified 2014-09-05 19:47:27

Our meeting to discuss destinations and all things coach will be held at Cambridge Street Methodist Church (Lodge Street, Accrington, Lancashire, BB5 6EH) on 02 September 2014 starting at 19:30. Everyone is welcome to attend and contribute. Dates are now fixed

Draft agenda is currently:

Current Status

Executive Decisions

Ticket price

Leaders' and drivers' thank-you

Re-election 2016

Approval of 2016 excursion dates

Selecting Destinations for 2016. Suggestions are:

Thirsk (2 suggestions)

Leek

Knaresborough

Saltaire

Langthwaite / Keld / Reeth / Arkengarthdale

Burley / Ilkley

Roseberry Topping / Great Ayton

Helmsley (2 suggestions)

Oswestry

Rowsley / Haddon Woods

Boulton-le-Sands / Lancaster

Pateley Bridge

Hawes, Aysgarth and West Burton

Youlgreave

Suggestions and Concerns< >Coach quality - what can be done ?The feeder coach is badly receivedPossibility of a scheduled stop on the way backPossibility of having toilets on the coachesAdding a formal E walk of about 4 miles10 January (second week because the first is too close to New Year)

Addition of an E walk to cater for the less able bodied. Historic / scenic but easy (cf Trevor and Frodsham / LLangollen)

Other additions to the agenda are welcome but need to be notified by the end of August.

Last modified 2014-09-01 18:06:07

We will have had four days out adventuring since the last news; July’s trip to Eyam will have to wait until next time to leave us with:

April to Llangollen. A beautiful day and a beautiful spot. All four walks took full advantage of the impressive limestone features and industrial heritage in and around this popular North Wales town. Many visited Castell Dinas Bran and some even ventured over the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct. If you missed this trip then you really did miss a treat.

May to Ashbourne. Think this would be classed as a good day; a lovely area but the weather kicked off now and again. Dove Dale is beautiful and all walks made a bee-line for it resulting in many meetings on the journey. There were a couple of hic-ups though: flooded paths that forced diversions and having to abandon Trevor’s sister-in-law in the middle of no-where as examples. (Many thanks to Tony for getting Trevor’s sister-in-law to Ashbourne; Gillian was not impressed when I turned up minus her Aunty Sue.)

June to Pooley Bridge. A fantastic trip helped by a perfect day for walking. All four walks took advantage of a linear walk that the coach can facilitate to explore the more eastern fells. Pooley Bridge, at the quiet end of Ullswater, proved a nice little end point with just enough to keep us occupied for the final hour of the day. Timings were spot-on, the logistics were going well; the planning couldn’t be faulted until that big “unsuitable for coaches” sign loomed around a corner causing a rapid reassessment of the A party’s plan for the day.

Now to social media and finally the 21st century; Michael has kindly established a Facebook page (search East Lancs Coach Ramblers) and I’m on with a Twitter feed (@CoachRambles). The former is aimed at how our day went with comments and pictures and the latter at notifications of the walks, logistics and last minute changes.

Looking forward to next year, our twelve excursion dates will be 04 Jan, 01 Feb, 08 Mar, 12 Apr, 10 May, 07 Jun, 05 Jul, 02 Aug, 06 Sep, 04 Oct, 01 Nov and 06 Dec. Please inform all relatives and friends to avoid having babies, getting married, having anniversaries, taking holidays or dying on or near these dates.

The meeting to discuss the destinations and coach related issues will be held at Cambridge Street Methodist Church (Lodge Street, Accrington, Lancashire, BB5 6EH) on 02 September 2014 starting at 19:30. Everyone is welcome to attend and contribute.

The tag line for 2015 is “be creative! We will try and make it happen”. Bookings, interest and enjoyment do spike when we do something different; that is obviously what people want from us and something I’d like to provide in our anniversary year.

Financially we’re obviously still fine: £3,266 in the bank, £546 allocated to future trips to leave a reserve of £2,720. The £420 increase in reserve since the last Area News reflects the popularity of the above trips.

Finally, our next trips are to Conwy (03 August), Reeth (07 September) and Hathersage  (05 October). To book: visit the web site at www.coach-rambles.org.uk, email bookings@coach-rambles.org.uk or telephone 07795 250502 / 01282 798145.

Last modified 2014-06-25 19:20:18

Our excursion dates for 2015 will be:

Our meeting to discuss destinations and all things coach will be held at Cambridge Street Methodist Church (Lodge Street, Accrington, Lancashire, BB5 6EH) on 02 September 2014 starting at 19:30. Everyone is welcome to attend and contribute.

Last modified 2014-05-24 18:55:15

We’ve had three successful and fun trips since the last news:

January was a local trip to Settle; a place we’d been to in the past but which [that?] had dropped out of favour due to being so close to home. We thought it worth the risk though for the Sunday after New Year and things worked out well. The A walk took on The Ribble Way from Gisburn but managed to avoid its many problems by hopping onto the Pennine Bridleway at strategic points. The other three walks headed north of the South Craven Fault and thus walked in the beautiful karst landscape of The Dales.

February was Grange-over-Sands with Robert’s A and Gillian’s C walk coming in a tad over budget at slightly longer or harder than advertised. George, Pauline and Paul though; for the B and D walks; were spot on. Many thanks to George and Pauline for stepping in with literally zero notice; it was very much appreciated.

March was Hawes and whilst it wasn’t as soggy as our previous trip it wasn’t the driest for some of the walks. Quickly skipping over the A walk climbing waterfalls and traipsing over miles of lumpy moorland [cough]; at least Michael, Paul and Roger managed to make the most of a lovely area under less than perfect conditions.

The above three trips more than recovered all the losses made from June to November 2013. Our current trip to Llangollen is looking like it will be the most popular under my watch with over 90 people booked so far. If this proves as good as it looks then I’ll be in a position to reduce the ticket cost from £13 to £11 (maybe £10) for the rest of the financial year. [Just as I’d got to grips with my 13-times-table as well.]

With respect to the overall financial situation, I don’t want to bore anyone so will just say that we are fine; but for those that need details: £3,088 in the bank, £787 allocated to future trips thus a reserve of £2,301.

2015 is our 50th birthday and we will be hopefully celebrating this with a weekend away. There has been a great deal of interest already but I’m still looking for a good (i.e., walking, accommodation and things to do) destination. Suggestions would be appreciated.

Finally, our next trips are to Ashbourne via A53 (11 May), Pooley Bridge via A6 (08 Jun) and Eyam, the plague village (06 Jul). To book: visit the web site at www.coach-rambles.org.uk, email bookings@coach-rambles.org.uk or telephone 07795 250502 / 01282 798145.

Last modified 2014-03-30 19:15:07

Each year we gather all the groups' walks into a single publication and the 2014 program of walks is available for download.

Last modified 2014-01-16 20:33:08

We’ve had another three successful trips since our last news.

October took us to Ulverston in the Southern Lakes. A lovely area topped by Hoad Hill and its panoramic views of the Southern Fells and Kent estuary. All our walks in this Lowland area nicely demonstrated that you don’t need to climb a mountain to see the sights.

November took us to Marsden in the South Pennines. Some had rain showers; some had hail but most managed to avoid both. The previous days’ rain caused problems though with the B walk having to re-route and the A walk finding itself facing a set of under-water stepping-stones. We all made it back though to this surprisingly large village for either the cafe or the pub.

December took us to Haworth; nearby but fitting for the shorter days. Like Ingleton last year this was a gamble with the destination maybe too close to home. It worked really well though; the timings for the coaches’ rendezvous could almost have been planned; we were walking early to maximise the daylight; and we finished at a village in full Christmas mode. A great day that really showed we are a club and thus, for me, this is my trip of the year.

Obviously we won’t name the infamous “Haworth Three” that failed to find the coach in the evening;  but we all reserve the right to mention it en passant.

With 2013 having zoomed by it’s time for a quick review:

January was Glossop with great walks to where, it can be argued, The Ramblers started; February was yet another soggy day at The Roaches; March was a crisp clear day at Coniston with fantastic vistas; April was the wacky Matlock Bath with the legacy of the Easter snow to contend with; May took us to Seatoller which lived up to its reputation as the wettest place in England; June was Middleton and a visit to the spectacular High Force; July was Leyburn for a fantastic , but hot, day in Wensleydale; August was Hutton-le-Hole with a triumphal climb of Sutton Bank; September was Frodsham and The Sandstone Trail with me texting / emailing last minute changes from a cafe in Venice [that’s either devotion or just plain sad]; October was Ulverston, dry until the A party got there; November took us to Marsden for moorland in autumn; December was Haworth for a lovely Dickensian end to the year.

In summary, 2013 was a good year for the Coach Rambles.

Now to business:

With this Area News you should have received a summary of destinations for 2014. Extra copies of this are available for leaflet displays together with the usual, more detailed, folded version. If you would like supplies for distribution then let me know and I’ll get some to you. (For the avoidance of doubt, that was a hint.)

Finally, our next trips are to Settle via Long Preston (05 Jan), Grange-over-Sands via M6 (02 Feb) and Hawes via Ingleton (02 Mar). To book: visit the web site at www.coach-rambles.org.uk, email bookings@coach-rambles.org.uk or telephone 07795 250502 / 01282 798145.

Last modified 2013-12-06 00:40:45

This report marks the end of my second year as Coach Secretary. From an administration part of view it’s been an easier year with software shouldering the burden of tracking passengers, payments, finances and walks. Strategy wise though it’s been far harder with the simpler problems now attended to.

The web site is being used a lot more to book and view information. People are finding it useful to see what will be happening on the next trip prior to boarding. The historical content has been added to and this is being increasingly accessed.

Numbers and finances have been very similar to 2011. We’ve maintained our average of 71 passengers per trip; which is not bad, but also indicates that we failed to increase our numbers.  Financially we again managed to average a slight profit (£57) per trip which, entirely due to random fluctuation, is slightly up from last year.

Overall, the financial situation would be considered good to very good and the passenger numbers fair to middling.

Our trips have been very varied with nearly half of them visiting new destinations. The year consisted of: Buxton, Ingleton, Kendal, Glossop, The Roaches, Coniston, Matlock Bath, Seatoller / Keswick, Middleton, Leyburn, Hutton le Hole and The Sandstone Trail. That’s quite a list of destinations that occasionally strained, but did not break, the logistics (for the record, it wasn’t my fault two coaches tried to get over the Honister Pass).

Rigby’s remain the supplier of choice. Whilst dealing with their office can be a chore at times their drivers more than compensate for this by being friendly, courteous and adaptable.

Now to say thank-you:

to our walk leaders that expend time and money planning our walks; our couriers that look after us on the day; both of the above who ensure everything works and that we have a good day walking; those that take the time to put up posters and fill leaflet displays; and, finally, those that just buy a ticket and turn up on the day. All are helping to keep things running.

The aims for 2012-13 were not really met. It’s proving stubbornly difficult to secure new leaders and increase numbers; granted an issue not unique to the coach, but that’s not an excuse. Thus for 2013-14 the plan is simply to keep trying to make at least some progress with these issues.

Last modified 2013-12-04 00:00:00

We decided on our Destinations for 2014 at last night's meeting:

DateDestination

05 January                        Settle

02 February                      Grange-over-Sands

02 March                          Hawes

06 April                             Llangollen

11 May                              Ashbourne

08 June                            Pooley Bridge

06 July                             Eyam

03 August                         Conway

07 September                    Reeth

05 October                       Hathersage

02 November                    Ambleside

07 December                    Otley

Last modified 2013-10-02 19:28:19

Article for our June Area News Letter

We’ve had three good, if not the most profitable, trips since our last news.

July took us to Layburn for a fantastic hot, sunny day in Lower Wensleydale. The logistics were quite interesting to say the least and saw us having a quick game of “musical coaches” at Aysgarth so that different coaches could serve each of the four led walks. The day proved a little too hot for the more strenuous walks but made refreshments at the end all the more welcome.

August was Hutton-le-Hole for another fine day in Ryedale. We last tried to get there in 2007 when the Blackburn coach refused to go up Sutton Bank. This time, whilst it was a slow agonising climb with our drivers finding additional gears from somewhere, both coaches made it up to spontaneous applause from all. It took a while for the B walk to find Guncroft Lane and when they did they wished they hadn’t; Nettle Alley would be a more appropriate name for it. Over-all though, there was good walking and a good finishing point.

September saw our first trip ever to Frodsham and The Sandstone Trail. When you think Cheshire you think “flat”, which is essentially true, but there is a sandstone ridge running north / south across the plain. All our walks took advantage of this for fantastic views across the Mersey estuary. Many thanks to Trevor for leading an impromptu “Town Tour” and Alan for stepping in at the last moment to juggle A and B walkers with road-works and extra miles.

We’ve just had our meeting to discuss the coach in 2014. Many thanks to all that attended or provided comments and suggestions prior to this. After a couple of hours of on- and off-topic discussion we came up with our twelve destinations for 2014. These; running from January to December respectively; are Settle, Grange-over-Sands, Hawes, Llangollen, Ashbourne, Pooley Bridge, Eyam, Conway, Reeth, Hathersage, Ambleside and Otley. (Fingers crossed Hawes isn’t under water this time!)

Financially we’re doing Ok and increased our reserve by £690 during 2012/13; money, for the moment at least, is no longer an issue. Other issues are minor, in-hand or on the back-burner. A serious issue, that is now becoming critical, is the lack of leaders. We saw a consequence of this at Frodsham and the situation will be much worse during 2014. In my professional life I’m blunt to the point of rudeness but otherwise tend to be very laid back. It’s now time to be blunt: we have to have more leaders; people have to step forward and lead a walk or two. If we fail to get more leaders for 2014 we will lose one or more of our four walks; during 2015, if the current trend continues, we could start to lose coaches.

Talking of 2015, but in a lighter mood; this will be our 50th birthday and I’m still looking at ways to celebrate it. Main suggestion to-date is for a long weekend somewhere like North Wales / Snowdonia where we will have the coaches for the duration to service trips and walks. I’d appreciate some suggests for this important event.

Finally, our next trips are to Marsden (03 Nov), Haworth via Hebden Bridge (01 Dec) and Settle via somewhere TBA (05 Jan). To book: visit the web site at www.coach-rambles.org.uk, email bookings@coach-rambles.org.uk or telephone 07795 250502 / 01282 798145.

Last modified 2013-10-02 19:18:05

Article for our June Area News Letter

We’ve had two fantastic and one rather soggy trip since the last news. Numbers have been good and we’ve managed to provide the four guided walks that we advertise. The Blackburn coach is thriving but the Burnley coach is often just over half full at the moment.

April took us to Matlock Bath on the very edge of the White and Dark Peak. This was another first that worked out really well despite the legacy of the March snow. It’s an odd but very popular little place often described as “The Blackpool of The Peak District”. For the first time our coaches didn’t travel together to the destination so we had to do a little people juggling at Buxton which, much to my relief, just worked. It was a lovely day in an area we rarely get to walk.

May and we were in Seatoller / Keswick. Things started out Ok but it quickly became a very soggy day; par for the course I guess when you head to the wettest place in England. Michael commandeered a ferry for the start of his walk, Chris took us to Dale Head, Roger stayed in the valley and led his walk around Derwent Water, Frank was off the coach first with his walk destined for Low and High Rigg.

June was Middleton-in-Teesdale; a long way but a fantastic day. When we landed there was cloud and the temperatures weren’t great but by mid-afternoon it was glorious. We just managed to make all the drop-offs before the drivers ran out of time. Robert took the A party to somewhere unusual (and over a wall or two) before doing the more touristy stuff of High Force where they met Trevor’s  B walk that had started at Langdon Beck and was following the Pennine Way. Paul’s C walk headed in a different direction to take in the beauty of the Lunedale and Teesdale valleys whilst Frank’s (cough, slightly extended) D walk concentrated on identifying all the flowers near to the river Tees.

Financially we’re still Ok with a reserve just short of £2,000. June saw our first loss on a trip since October 2011; whilst this was slightly annoying by breaking the run it was just a £40 loss.

We have the excursion dates for 2014 and the meeting to discuss destinations will be in mid-September. Any suggestions for destinations would be greatly appreciated. The dates generally follow the “first Sunday of the month rule” and are: 05 Jan, 02 Feb, 02 Mar, 06 Apr, 11 May, 08 Jun, 06 Jul, 03 Aug, 07 Sep, 05 Oct, 02 Nov, 07 Dec. It would be appreciated if Rambler-wise, when thinking about 2014, nothing major was staged to clash with these dates. Such things do have a dramatic impact on numbers and, potentially, viability.

Leader-wise, we’re making do but the burden is still falling on a few individuals. If you feel you could help with just one of the 48 walks then just have a chat with me. (You know I’ll just keep mentioning this until I get “volunteers” so just admit defeat now.)

We’ve getting more promotional material on display (thank you Anne, Frances and Margaret) but even more is even better. If anyone can help with this then I’ll be more than happy to deliver a supply of posters or flyers.

We’ll have just had our next trip to Leyburn by the time you receive this thus our future trips are to Hutton le Hole (04 August and fingers crossed we make it this time), The Sandstone Trail (01 September) and Ulverston (06 October). To book: visit the web site at www.coach-rambles.org.uk, email bookings@coach-rambles.org.uk or telephone 07795 250502 / 01282 798145.

Last modified 2013-06-28 19:41:34

We now have the more of less final dates for the Coach Rambles 2014. Destinations will be published as soon as we've all decided where we want to go.

Last modified 2013-05-30 18:37:40

Article for our April Area News Letter

We've had another three good trips since the last news. The weather has been a bit mixed but the walking has been great and fun, I hope, has been had by all.

January took us to Glossop. This was another new destination which, like Buxton, we passed through often but never stopped at. The weather was fine but very foggy on the tops. Paul's combined C/D walk took in the engineering heritage of the Longdendale Valley. Chris took the B walk along the highly significant Doctor's Gate path to Mill Hill and Harry Hut. Robert headed off-piste to take the A walk to the wreckage of "Over-exposed", the sister aircraft to the Enola Gay. Over-all, a good day and a good finishing point; bit of surprise that we'd not visited before though.

February took us to The Roaches. The day started well but the closer we got the darker the clouds turned and it looked like being a repeat of the 2010 seriously soggy trip. Things didn't quite turn out that bad thank-fully. Paul stepped in at the last moment to lead an impromptu D walk. Derrick, Trevor and Robert led their groups onto The Roaches and two incorporated the chasm of Lud's Church. One leader made a classic mistake in the mist: if you know where you are and you know where you want to be - then just take a compass bearing rather than rely on the "errrr, that way" method of navigation. (That's a mile of road walking I'll never get back.) The down-side of The Roaches is that it's not a great finishing point; there is not a lot to do there and, as the B party demonstrated, the pub is further away than you think.

March was Coniston and a lovely cold, dry day on the fells. If the weather's good Coniston is one of those perfect coach destinations. Chris took the A walk to the top of The Old Man and then on to Weatherlam; a tough 10 miles that was thoroughly enjoyed by all, including those stupid enough to turn up in shorts. Michael's B walk took in Tarn Hows and the Yewdale Valley. Paul and Sues' walks were off the coaches early to follow the lake into Coniston. Overall, a fantastic day out with the snow-capped Southern Lakes looking their best.

Now to more mundane matters:

Financially we're doing Ok with a reserve £1,880; at last nicely above my £1,600 minimum. I can now start to try and make our days out better or, at the very least, cheaper.

Leader-wise, I've not had a great response to the appeal. It's time to drop this subtle approach and opt for the black-mailing and the arm-twisting method I think.

My main focus for this year, besides increasing our leaders, is to get as much promotional material out into the community as possible. This approach does work to increase numbers. If anyone can help with this then I'll be more than happy to deliver a supply of posters, 2013 leaflets and flyers. Any help or suggestions in this area would also be really appreciated; it's not my strong point.

We'll have just had our next trip to Matlock Baths by the time you receive this thus our future trips are to Seatoller and Keswick (12 May), Middleton and High Force (09 June) and Leyburn (07 July). To book: visit the web site at www.coach-rambles.org.uk, email bookings@coach-rambles.org.uk or telephone 07795 250502 / 01282 798145.

Last modified 2013-04-07 00:00:00

Each year we gather all the groups' walks into a single publication and the 2013 program of walks is available for download.

Last modified 2013-01-20 00:00:00

This report marks the end of my first year as Coach Secretary. It's been a long year but very satisfying.

The web site was quickly up and running to provide trip details and allow people to book. Since then it's been extended to include information on previous excursions together with maps and GPS routes for both up-coming and historical walks. Over-all it's a well used resource for current and new passengers. There is still a lot of content, especially from the early years, to track down and add to make it complete but it's serving its purpose and looking good.

The software to run the coaches is working well and replaced the paper booking system at the start of 2012. It has subsequently been expanded to maintain the historical documents and handle the finances. (I just need to get it to pay cheques into the bank and then we'll be fully-automated.)

Numbers have been very variable with an average of 71 bookings for each trip. It's taken a little juggling of coach combinations but we managed to make a slight profit on all the trips (£47 average). This obviously helped to reverse the losses reported on previous years and we ended this year in a far better financial position than we started it.

Our trips have been varied and, I think, very successful. People have enjoyed themselves which is the important thing. Destinations were: Nidderdale, Hawkshead, Ilkley (changed from Holmfirth), Grassington, Arnside, Hayfield, Grasmere, Dentdale, Bakewell, Kirkby Stephen, Ruthin and finally Broughton-in-Furness.

Now to say thank-you:

Firstly to the walk leaders and couriers without whom the coaches could not operate; Sandra Pilkington who has had to more or less step down from notifying the papers; those of you that take publicity material; all passengers (thank you for passengers!) and finally the Area Committee without whose timely intervention the Area Coach would not be running today. It's all very much appreciated.

The priority for 2011-12 was to keep things running whilst the finances were stabilized. We managed to achieve this. For 2012-13 the priority is to increase the number of passengers and leaders to secure the longer term future of the coaches. This will be tackled by concentrating on publicity, negotiation and possibly a little bit of arm-twisting.

Last modified 2013-01-19 00:00:00

The brochure for the 2013 excursions is available for download and a hard-copy should be with RA members with the January News

Last modified 2013-01-01 00:00:00

Article for our January Area News Letter

We've had three obviously great but surprisingly dry and surprisingly sunny trips since the last report:

October was Buxton; a place we've often gone through but never stopped at. It was a lovely day both weather-wise and walk-wise. Trevor took the A walk over the Dragon's Back. Sue's D combined the sights of Buxton with the sights from Solomon's temple. Robert just about managed to hold together the B and C walks to visit a few of the "Derbyshire Dales". It was a lovely area with a lovely finishing point. Any rumours that a leader failed to find the start of their walk; despite being dropped there the day before; are, well, true.

November was Ingleton. This was a risk; would people be willing to pay to visit somewhere so close to home? In the end though we had 72 people which was fantastic. Harvey's A walk headed up to the snow capped Ingleborough, Frank's B and Paul's C stayed in the valleys whilst Roger's D made a bee-line for the waterfalls. The whole day worked out really well; it was a dry crisp day, we were walking early, there was something to do at the end of the walks and we were home sooner than expected. In many ways this was my highlight of year.

December was Kendal and just 30 years since we'd visited before. It was a beautifully clear but frosty day. Chris's A walk started at Milnthorpe whilst Sue's B and Paul's C/D walks starting in Kendal itself. All our walks headed for Scout Scar and were rewarded with the fantastic views over the estuary and snow-capped Lakeland fells; a really lovely spot that I'd never been to before. The logistics for Kendal were always going to be the most complex of the year but our couriers, a bit of planning and a few emails meant no one was left behind.

A quick review of 2012:

January was Grassington where we had too many bums and not enough seats (rookie mistake). February and Arnside in the snow; whilst the mist spoilt the views it made for an eerie journey along the coast. March was our first ever trip to Hayfield where the snow and sleet finally gave way to sun-shine. April took us to Grasmere and a fantastic sunny day with great walks, views and the C walk nearly out-doing the A. May was Dentdale; a good day but a long winding road to the village. June took us to Bakewell for a fine day walking in the White Peak. July was Kirkby Stephen where some of us had a bit of rain but worth it for the differing terrain at the edge of The Dales. August was Ruthin with high stiles and an embarrassing pick-up from the pub for the A party. September took us to Broughton for a simply perfect day with the weather and the walks. October was Buxton and another new destination that worked really well. November, to Ingleton, was on our door-step but still well attended and the first outing of the season in the snow for some. December took us to Kendal for a lovely day with fantastic views and, for a change, an official pick-up from the pub.

Now to business; the coaches have had problems for a while but I think we're making good progress in all areas save one: leaders. We're fine for the A and B walks but more often than I would like the C and D have to be combined. This is putting extra pressure on leaders (usually Paul) and can lead to a compromise with the walks. Thus:

If you would like to lead a walk, feel you should, or are being blackmailed (I have dossiers) then our current leaders will make sure that you're confident and know your walk before the big day. The remuneration package though is more a very small envelope with walk leaders just getting a seat and £10 for their work. Please have a think about this and if you can help then have a no-obligation chat with me.

Our next three trips are to The Roaches (03 Feb), Coniston (03 Mar) and Matlock (07 Apr). To book visit the web site at www.coach-rambles.org.uk, email bookings@coach-rambles.org.uk or telephone 07795 250502 / 01282 798145.

Last modified 2012-12-27 00:00:00

Article for our OctoberArea News Letter

This report marks the end of my first year as "Coach Captain". It's been a good year; couple of hic-ups but people have enjoyed themselves which is what it's all about.

We've had three excursions since the last news.

July took us to Kirkby Stephen. The weather was a bit showery; one walk missed all the rain, one had a brief spit or two but one had a deluge. The walks went really well from all reports.

August and we were in Ruthin. Again there were showers. The A party did as much of the Clwydian range as they could but failed to make it back to Ruthin in time, this led to an embarrassing pick-up at a pub. (Any rumour that the A party got slightly lost will be rigorously denied.)

September was Broughton in Furness. This was a perfect coach day out with lovely weather. The A walk had panoramic views, the B walk took in the history of the iron works and the C walk enjoyed fantastic sights of the fells and estuary. Paul deserves a medal for leading a walk with over 40 people on it.

Financially we're better than we were and during 2010-2011 we stopped haemorrhaging money. We're not in a great position but we're in a better position and we will make it to our 50th year. We have £2202 in the bank, £95 in cash, and £833 that people have paid for future trips; all of which gives us a reserve of £1465. For transparency all financial information is now available from the web-site.

I'm trying to accumulate and publish as much of the coach history as I can. Many excursion documents are already on-line under "The Archives" and I will be supplementing this content with GPS traces, OS maps and pictures of the walks. Many thanks to Pat and Tom for their help with this.

Our coach meeting went well. We had many suggestions for destinations but only a few on how to do things differently. For me both areas are important so if you have an opinion on how things should be run or a criticism about how things are being run then just have a word. People can sometimes forget that we are a club and not, regrettably at times, a dictatorship.

The gripes at the moment are: time spent on the coach, time spent at the rendezvous and lack of toilets on the coach. I think all coach-goers can relate to these and I'm looking for solutions.

The main outcome of the meeting though was our dates and destinations for 2013. These are on the web-site and the brochure should be with you late December (if everything goes to plan). Hopefully we've come up with a good mix of destinations; some are new, some are more local and some are further afield than we're used to. Fingers crossed (which, to be honest, is what all this comes down to) it's a programme that works well for our 49th year.

We're currently taking bookings for the next three trips to Ingleton (04 November), Kendal (02 December) and Glossop (06 January). To book telephone 01282 798145 / 07795 250502, email bookings@coach-rambles.org.uk or visit the web-site www.coach-rambles.org.uk. Cost is the usual £13 for adults / £6.50 for children and, unlike everything else, the price will not be going up in 2013.

Finally, I'm after a picture for the front of the 2013 brochure; if you have a photograph, either digital or print, that you think could be suitable and that you'd be happy for it to be used then let me know.

Last modified 2012-09-30 00:00:00

We've just had our meeting to discuss destinations and general coach things. Many thanks to the 11 that attended and to all those that offered suggestions.
Below are the destinations for 2013; I think we've managed a good mix of old and new places to visit.

Date            Return Time        Sunset             Destination

06 January    17:00               16:00        Glossop (was Yorkshire Sculpture Park)

03 February   17:30               16:45        The Roaches

03 March       18:00              17:40         Coniston

07 April         18:00              19:40          Matlock

12 May          18:00              20:40         Seatoller and Keswick

09 June         18:00              21:15          Middleton in Teesdale

07 July          18:00              21:15          Leyburn

04 August      18:00              20:40          Hutton le Hole

01 September 18:00              19:40          The Sandstone Trail

06 October      18:00              18:20         Ulverston

03 November  17:30              16:25         Marsden

01 December   17:00              15:45        Haworth

All done in 90 mins - leaving Trevor and Frank time for "a" pint.

Last modified 2012-09-18 00:00:00

Below are the suggestions received so far for our destinations in 2013

Last modified 2012-07-13 00:00:00

We now have the more of less final dates for the Coach Rambles 2013. Destinations will be published as soon as we've all decided where we want to go.

Last modified 2012-06-29 00:00:00

Article for our July Area News Letter

Once again we've had a good couple of months for the Coach Rambles; fingers crossed I can keep opening these reports with that same line!

New people are appearing and many have become regulars; some have just been on the odd trip and some have never been seen again. I'm not sure if these latter groups are just par for the course or if we're doing something wrong.

Burnley and Pendle Group kindly donated the £73 profit from their quiz night to us. This was really appreciated and not just from the financial point of view. It's good to know that others are aware of our situation and think about helping.

That brings me to finances. We're solvent with a reserve (i.e., money not required for trips or bills) of £1,137 which is good. Once this reserve hits about the £1,600 mark we can start to reduce ticket prices and time spent on the coach; both of these changes should help numbers and finances so we could then further reduce ticket prices and time spent on the coach and ... I think you can see where I'm going with this!

Now to more fun matters and our days out:

May took us to Dent and a place we'd not been to for at least 12 years. It was a dry, bright but draughty day. All the walks went really well and when we got to Dent the cafes had stayed open, there were couple of pubs to choose from and, thankfully, the coaches had made it over the really skinny bridge from Sedbergh and were waiting for us. The general conclusion was a lovely day and a lovely place but let's not go back for a few years. (It's simply a pain to get to what is essentially the Yorkshire Dales.)

June and we were in Bakewell on a lovely spring nearly summer day. This was a simply a great trip. We had walks for all abilities on terrain and through scenery quite different to what we're used to and a final destination with plenty to do. I went on Harvey's walk and we saw how the Derbyshire Dales mix their industrial heritage with their newer tourist and service industries. Trevor's walk found the "king" and "queen" trees at Monyash and took in the deep Lathkill Dale valley before getting slightly unsure of where to head next. Brian and Sue started their walks closer to Bakewell, took in the splendour of Chatsworth and visited the village of Edensor which had apparently been moved so the Dukes didn't have to look at it. A lovely day.

To the future:

It's getting to that time of year where some of us start thinking about Christmas and, more importantly, the 2013 programme. Carol has kindly booked our meeting for 18th September. Whilst this is mainly to decide the destinations and pencil in as many leaders as possible it's also an opportunity to discuss how things are run, how things should be run, what's working, what's not working etc. If you'd like to attend then let me know; alternatively just let me have any suggestions for destinations etc and I'll include them in the proceedings for you.

I've done a small leaflet with details about the Coach Rambles and our remaining destinations for 2012. If you'd like a supply of these to hand out at events or for your local library etc then let me know and I'll get some to you or drop them off myself. If you notice leaflet displays that don't have any of ours then again let me know and I'll investigate and try and get us included. Margaret has taken some for Nelson, Sue for Accrington and Pendle Walkers kindly let me include one in their July-December programme. All good stuff and all much appreciated.

Finally, now all the bank holidays are done we can have our first Sundays of the month back. Our next trips are to Ruthin in North Wales (05 August), Broughton in Furness (02 September) and Buxton (07 October). For more details about these or to book then visit the website at www.coach-rambles.org.uk, telephone on 07795 250502 / 01282 798145 or email bookings@coach-rambles.org.uk.

Last modified 2012-06-29 00:00:00

Article for our Area News Letter

It's been a good three months for the Coach Rambles.

Financially we've either broken even or made an appropriately modest profit. I'm now far more optimistic than I was six months ago that we'll make it to our 50th year in 2015. Our numbers seem to be increasing over and above what would be expected from the coming better weather. Finally, and this cannot be backed up with any stats whatsoever, we seem to be having a bit more fun despite the frustration that the odd feeder coach can cause.

January and Grassington; this was an experiment. It's been a few years since we're run one so early in the year and there was a niggling doubt that people would not be interested in paying for a trip so close to home and in the depths of winter. In the end though it was a success but the very mild weather we had at the start of the year helped with that.

Arnside in February was building to a nicely patronised trip until the snow landed the night before. From me getting up to setting foot out of the door the phones were ringing with people cancelling. Driving from Worsthorne to the coach at Burnley was eventful; mainly side-ways from what I remember. The snow, however, was very patchy with none from Accrington to Arnside. Arnside itself though had had a good few centimetres. Visibility was zero for the majority of the day which was unfortunate considering how picturesque the area is. Walking along the estuary in the quiet and the mist was a little eerie. We did get the odd break in the mist though to give us a glimpse of what we were missing out on.

March and Hayfield; 10 years ago we visited Castleton for the 70th anniversary of the Kinder Trespass so it seemed fitting this year that we should visit Hayfield for the 80th. It turned out to be a day of two halves. The A walk started quite high up and were in the snow (both on the ground and coming sideways) for most of the morning across Kinder Scout. The two other walks started lower down and mainly had to deal with sleet. None of us had great views but just after lunch all precipitation stopped, the sun sort of came out and the views over Derbyshire opened out rather nicely.

Grasmere in April was fantastic; warm, even hot, with unbroken sunshine. The A and C walk included Loughrigg in their itinerary which, in my opinion, is one of the best view-points in Lakeland. The D walk concentrated on the area's connection with Wordsworth which was rather appropriate in daffodil season. Congratulations need to go to Carol and Derrick for getting so many walkers from Low Wood to Grasmere!

There are a lot of people that put considerable effort into the coach trips. The couriers Camille, Gwen and Margaret look after us on the day; they take bookings, make sure we don't leave anyone where we shouldn't and generally direct operations. The leaders put far more effort and money into planning and visiting our destinations than the £10 "expenses" they receive would suggest. Sandra lets the papers know about our trips and many coach-goers take posters to help with this publicity. All this help is really appreciated by me and the vast majority of fellow coach-goers.

Our next trips are to Dent via Sedbergh (13 May), Bakewell (10 June) and Kirkby Stephen (08 July). For more details about these or to book then visit the website at www.coach-rambles.org.uk, telephone on 07795 250502 / 01282 798145 or email bookings@coach-rambles.org.uk.

Last modified 2012-04-11 00:00:00

More or less the final draft of Sunday's trip to Arnside is now available for download.

Last modified 2012-02-01 00:00:00

The leaflet for the 2012 trips is available for download

Last modified 2011-12-05 00:00:00

The poster for the Grassington trip on 08-01-2012 is available for download

Last modified 2011-12-01 00:00:00

The more or less final draft of the Ilkley Excursion on 04-12-2011 is available for download

Last modified 2011-11-28 00:00:00

As most of you are aware Hazel stepped down from running the area coach at the end of the financial year. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank her on behalf of all the coach-goers for running the show for the last five years and being actively involved for much longer. Hazel had just taken charge when I started walking and I've enjoyed all the trips that she has organised. Once again, Hazel, many thanks.

On October's trip to Nidderdale Douglas Neal slipped and fell onto rocks. This left him unconscious and with a large gash on his face. Carole and Derrick, with assistance from some passers-by and staggeringly none from a couple in a car, helped Douglas reach an ambulance where he was taken to Harrogate A/E and admitted for observation overnight. He was released twenty-four hours later when the doctors were satisfied there were no complications from the fall. We all wish Douglas a speedy recovery and a big thank-you to Carole and Derrick for their handling of the situation.

With numbers being a little erratic we've had to be creative with coach combinations. Sometimes using a feeder coach and other times juggling their sizes. It's not ideal but unfortunately necessary at the moment. People have, to date at least, been understanding of the situation.

September's trip to Glenridding was simply fantastic. The weather was perfect and the walking matched. I led the A walk from Pooley Bridge over Loadpot Hill with fantastic views of Striding Edge and Helvellyn, we were supposed to return via Place Fell but this was considered a hill too far. However Chris did manage to get his party over Place Fell without mutiny and we both met up on the lakeside path. Carole and Derick combined walking and sailing; they were off the coach first, walked along the lake and then cruised into Glenridding. Paul did an alternative that started from Hartsop and avoided the water bit. Great walking, great weather and a great finishing point; a perfect coach day out.

October's trip to Nidderdale had mixed weather. It didn't really rain but it wasn't really dry either; the weather was just, well, annoying. The driver balked at taking the coach down this really (really) narrow lane to the car park at Studfold Farm so we compromised on a near-by lay-by. Chris took the A walk over some rough moorland to Little Whernside and they were rewarded for their effort with the pub at Middlesmore being open for once. I led an easy B walk that essentially followed the Nidderdale Way to Pateley Bridge and Michael stepped in at the last moment to lead the 7 mile D walk to Lofthouse and Middlesmore. Everyone had a good day but obviously there was concern over Douglas.

6th November's trip is to Hawkshead; it's a lovely place and to quote Visit Cumbria:
"Hawkshead is still the same tiny village of higgledy-piggledy houses, archways, and squares beloved by William Wordsworth and Beatrix Potter. ... Tourism is now the main industry of Hawkshead, with many pleasant inns, guest houses, teashops and gift shops."
At the heart of the Southern Lakes the walking opportunities will be fantastic.

The last trip of the year should have been Holmfirth but the almost universal opinion is that this is a grim place at the best of times let alone in December. Thus Ilkley replaces Holmfirth as our destination for the 4th December; it's another West Yorkshire town but one that combines good walking with good shops, cafes and pubs.

Late September we had a meeting to thrash out our destinations for next year and generally talk coach. Many thanks to those that attended and to those that emailed suggestions. Two hours later, which is lightning-quick for Ramblers, we had the program done and dusted. Thus dates and destinations for 2012 are: Grassington (08 Jan), Arnside (05 Feb), Hayfield (04 Mar), Grasmere (01 Apr), Dent (13 May), Bakewell (10 Jun), Kirkby Stephen (08 Jul), Ruthin (05 Aug), Broughton in Furness (02 Sep), Buxton (07 Oct), Ingleton (04 Nov) and Kendal (02 Dec).

Cost should be the same as 2011 but we may be able to reduce it to £10 for the closer destinations.

Last modified 2011-10-25 00:00:00

Late September we had a meeting to thrash out our destinations for next year and the excursions for 2012 will be to:

Date                           Destination                      Notes

08 January              Grassington(ticket price may be reduced to £10)

05 February            Arnside via Carnforth

04 March                Hayfield

01 April                  Grasmere

13 May                   Dent  via Sedbergh

10 June                 Bakewell

08 July                  Kirby Stephen

05 August              Ruthin

02 September        Broughton in Furness

07 October            Buxton

04 November         Ingleton          (ticket price may be reduced to £10)

02 December         Kendal

07 February

06 March

03 April

08 May (second week to avoid Bank Holiday)

05 June

03 July

07 August

04 September

02 October

06 November

04 December

Drivers' thank you to increase to £15 from October

Leaders' thank you to increase to £15 from October

Ticket price to remain at £13.00/£6.50

To include an E grade sight-seeing walk where applicable

First aid kits are to be replaced every October

To ensure that all coaches have everyone before any coach departs

Profit for the year at £600 [£50 per trip} but could rise to £700 if Rigby's follow through and refund the disaster of a feeder coach for Conwy.

Appologies

Report on the Current Status

draft finances
draft annual report

Notification of executive decisions

ticket price
leaders' and drivers' thank-you
re-election 2014-15
First aid kits and replacement regime
Account with Dene healthcare

Approval of 2015 excursion dates

Selecting Destinations for 2015

Date and destination for 50th birthday weekend away

Any other business: suggestions and concerns

04 January

01 February

08 March (to fit in better with Easter)

12 April (to avoid Easter)

10 May (to avoid May Day)

07 June

05 July

02 August

06 September

04 October

01 November

06 December

05 January

02 February

02 March

06 April

11 May - second week to avoid May Day bank holiday

08 June - second week to fit better between the May and July trips

06 July

03 August

07 September

05 October

02 November

07 December

Bernard Castle

Buttermere

Frodsham

Garstang

Haworth

High Bentham

Kendal

Lancaster

Leyburn

Macclesfield Forrest

Mardale

Middleham

Middleton-in -Teesdale

Muker

Penrith

Ravenglass

Reeth

Rudyard Lake

Settle

Silverdale

Skipton

Wirral Way

06 January

03 February

03 March

07 April

12 May - second week to avoid May Day bank holiday

09 June - second week to fit better between the May and July trips

07 July

04 August

01 September

06 October

03 November

01 December