Stowe-on-the-Wold February 2011

We have been having our usual crop of weekend and midweek walks, but on the 2nd weekend in February 15 of us went on a Youth Hostel trip to Stowe.

Most of us travelled up on Friday and did a 5 or 6 mile walk before visiting the pub. A few volunteers cooked food for everyone for that evening's meal. No one was going hungry, there were 2 different soups, sausage casserole, vegetable bake, fish pie and 4 different vegetables followed by apple crumble and apple pie and custard, (all home made) and cheese and biscuits. Even after the afternoon walk I suspect no one lost weight that day!

This YHA is right on the Square in the centre of Stowe.

Some of us partook of a hostel breakfast, whilst others used the hostel kitchen.

Outside the hostel getting ready to leave on our walk.

In the afternoon the Hostel uses this room as a tea shop, you can see the square through the window behind.
The usual halt for a group photo, this time by the Well just outside Stowe.

What an idylic scene

The Saturday was beautifully bright fairly crisp day and we did a circular day walk to Burton on the Water via Lower and Upper Slaughter, which are very scenic villages despite the names.

Stowe in the distance in the brightness of a February day.

The river flowing through Burton on the Water.It was warm enough for most of us to sit in the sunshine by the river to eat our sandwiches (others found nearby establishments for refreshments and retail therapy).

Most of the group went over to one of the numerous local pubs for a tasty evening meal on the Saturday night and various forms of drink.

St Mary's Church and the water mill in Lower Slaughter.


The lure of the playground furniture was too much to resist.

Did we mention the spring flowers are starting to come into bloom?
The scenery was great, as was the company.

This doesn't really do the view justice, and the conditions were just perfect for walking.

On the Sunday we decided to visit the Rollright Stones, however the rain was like stair rods and the wind was bitter so the visit was short lived and the decision was made that home rather than any other activities was a good idea.
Investigating the stones in our wet weather gear.

Even in the pooring rain you can see the hills in the distance. (Wold means hill, so a trip to Stowe on the Wold does involve a few gradients.) It is true in the main though that the bigger the hill the better the view! Look at some of the Lake District and Derbyshire photos.

For more photos go to https://picasaweb.google.com/dunstablebogtrotters

January Social Activities

OK many of us worked hard at Studham, but we also enjoyed ourselves in January as well.

The photos above were taken at our Burns Night Celebrations, where we had Cockie Leekie Soup, Leek and Potato Soup, Haggis (including a vegetarian version), Inverness Cheese Cake, Oat Cakes with cheese, Oat Flapjacks, and Scots Whisky amongst other things accompanied by Scottish music, Burns readings etc. As you can see we also dressed for the occasion. A very enjoyable and fine evening. Many thanks to Lesley for her hospitality.


This was us walking up a bit of an appetite for our Post Christmas meal at the Plough in Wingfield. We made our way from Dunstable via Houghton Regis to the pub for our meal. (It was only muddy in a couple of fields).

Some of the group outside Houghton Regis Church after partaking of their very welcoming coffee morning with home made cakes (just in case we couldn't last out till we got to the Plough)!





These are a few of the 38 people who attended for the meal - many drove there and even more got a lift back instead of walking the 4 miles to the pub. Others feel very pleased that they tried to walk off at least a few of the calories provided by the hearty well cooked meals. Well done the Plough.

Of course there were the usual round of Saturday, Sunday and mid-week walks and a visit to our local Weatherspoons during the month as well.If you would like to join any of our socials, or better still organise one, or have some good ideas for things you would like to do, please email social@dunstablebogtrotters.co.uk or speak to one of the committee.....

Work Party at Studham Common

On Saturday 22nd January about 16 of the Boggies again joined the Friends of Studham Common for their Winter Work Party. In total about 58 people turned out to help the conservation group's work.

This is the tail end of the bonfire which was situated at the top furthest corner of the common. We reckoned those up there had earned their vituals just be walking all the way there and back!
A cuppa before getting back to the tasks.

As usual the day began with a hearty breakfast before starting on our various tasks, ie planting 80 whips and 50 gorse plants and which used to be quite common on the common, clearing back dead and intrusive shrub such as brambles and blackthorn (the one that gives all the white blossom and sloes with some vicious spikes), clearing spaces for the native wild flowers such as orchids,and clearing scrub from the Jubilee Copse clearing it all up and burning it off at a couple of large bonfires. We were given 11ses and then provided with an enormous hot cooked dinner before more drinks and cake mid afternoon. Good food, plenty of exercise, fresh air (if you weren't too near the bonfire) and lots of friendly people, what more could we ask for?

Here is a copy of an email the FOSC have asked us to circulate.

THANK YOU everyone for turning it out on such a miserable day and working so hard for the Common and its wildlife. It was a great turn out, and once we got going, the rain and the mud didn't seem so bad, sustained as we were by Don's Special Porridge and the other wonderful goodies produced by our Michelin-starred (well, they ought to be anyway!) Catering Team. I want also to re-iterate my thanks to Don Grozier and his team for all the planning and preparation they put into making the day such a success.

LOST PROPERTY: Don, lucky man, has acquired a pair of black leather ladies ankle boots, and a blue Chelsea bobble hat. If you wish to reclaim them, please call him on 01582 872937

If you (eg Steve Halton for P3 members, Sue Jenkins for Bogtrotters, John Creasey for May Day Trust) know of anyone who may not be on our mailing list, could you please pass the message on? Thank you.

Warmest thanks once again to you all and if you are up for more punishment, we look forward to seeing you at future work parties!

Best wishes

Pam Rumfitt

FOSC Chairman

pamrumfitt@btinternet.com

01582 872608

1st Weekend in January

On Saturday some of us decided to start the new year by going to a few members houses for nibbles and drinks before 13 of us went to the Red Lion in Bidwell Hill for their carvery and back to Jo's for her excellent apple crumble and more drinks. We may decide to make something like this an annual event. Thank you very much Kathy and Jo for your hospitality.
Then on Sunday 16 of us walked from Dunstable to Whipsnade Tree Cathdral and back to the Yum Yum. Sorry about the lack of photos, I have decided cameras do not like the chilly damp weather too much.

Enjoying walking over Dunstable Downs

13 Members went to the Lake District

It has become an annual tradition to go away between Christmas and New Year (last year the group went to Shropshire).This year it was Cumbria.


This is Derwent Water YHA


Ashness Bridge


Climbing down from Cats Bells towards Skelgill Bank






A bit foggy at times, but not enough to spoil the enjoyment of the Lake District.

The view from Castle Crag

Outside Borrowdale YHA


The lure of a snowball fight was too much to resist!

Derwent Water from above



Beauty of a British Winter Scene


Cold enough for the waterfalls to freeze.

November and December 2010

In case you blinked, this a photo of some Christmas Lights during our Recent snowfall.
It was taken in Caddington.

Again another snowy picture. It always looks pretty, and rarely stops us walking. If necessary we sometimes change it from that advertised so that we don't have to risk driving too far and getting caught up anywhere. Provided you are wrapped up well and have decent footwear most people find they soon warm up once they get moving (and there is often a nice pub somewhere along the way to help thaw out if necessary).
Here are 17 of us enjoying a break on a recent Saturday December walk. This seems to be a fairly average number, sometimes it is in the 20s and other times (usually on the longer mid-week walks) it can be down to a handful.


These are the same weekend on the slightly longer Sunday Walk, again with 16 people, after our morning coffee stop in a convenient local childrens' recreational area near Kimpton, and then getting ready to go into a nice real ale pub in Gustard wood for lunch.

We have been pretty busy over the last few weeks, unfortunately we seem to have few photographs to show for it! As we now have nearly 90 members we are putting on more walks. We started putting on more 5 miles shortish walks as they were proving very popular (and they still are), but we also started putting on more longer walks by popular request which range up to about 15 miles. There also seems to be a good demand for something in between for those members who have discovered that 5 miles isn't as onerous as they anticipated and are graduating on to our longer ones. We hope to see some of you out in the summer doing a walk you would have never imagined possible! If in doubt consult with the walk leader and they should be able to tell you the difficulty of the walk and if there is the option of shortening it or jumping on a bus if necessary! We usually do at least one weekend away most months. There are some planned for Cumbria, Stow in the Wold, Sheen in Derbyshire and a week away in Bulgaria. If interested, look at the programme, and get your place booked and deposit paid as they need to be organised well in advance.

Back to the subject, we have done 2 walks every weekend, usually one longer than the other, some on Wednesdays and several longer ones on Thursdays, and this will continue in the new programme. This month we also had what is probably our shortest ever walk; a two mile guided walk round College Lake Nature Reserve near Tring, which we hope to repeat in the warmer weather when it is not quite so misty or icy. A view of the College Lake, which will be full of bird and insect life in the Spring.

We have also had a social evening to the Ruchi Indian restaurant in Woodside where 16 of us throroughly enjoyed their excellent fare at a reasonable price and then the following week 18 also partook of the Xmas Dinner in the Gary Cooper (Wetherspoons) in Dunstable. Once again it was a tasty meal, served hot and promptly, and included a free drink which was excellent value for money. There was also a very sucessful quiz evening where we raised money towards the Wildlife Trust Totternhoe Quarry appeal to extend their nature reserve. We do socials at the Gary Cooper (and other local pubs) on a regular basis as the value is hard to beat and anyone can just turn up to eat or just for a drink without the need to book. We also have a post Christmas Meal organised for January, but you will have to book for that. Look out for them and other activities on our programmes. If you have queries about social events email us on www.social@dunstablebogtrotters.co.uk.

BATH November 2010

At the beginning of November we had another of our weekends away at Bath YHA. We chose the right weekend as it was dry and included Bonfire night. For more pictures of this and other trips etc. visit our Gallery http://picasaweb.google.com/dunstablebogtrotters


15 of us went altogether, some together,others at different times and by various modes of transport and as usual many of decided to do different things on different days. On the Friday night we all stayed at the hostel (which is some way up Bathgatehill) and enjoyed a huge meal provided by various members who were kind enough to supply it. Of course there is always the choice of going to a pub, sometimes a meal can be provided by the hostel, but on the Friday evening we thought it nice for everyone to be together and if we do our own meal the food is provided at the cost of the ingredients only! Some of us went on the Skyline walk with amazing view of Bath, others did a guided tour round the City. One day many people went on a walk down the canal and river Avon whilst others visited the museums and sights in the City.

This is the famous Crescent.


One of Bath's old streets, you can't avoid noticing how many cars there are about though! There was lots to see and do, including finding the places where Jane Austin based her Books and where they were filmed.

A view looking down the River Avon of Polteney Bridge.

The beauty of walking in the British autumn


Taken on the canal walk, which strangely enough finished at a fine public house in a nearby village.


A taste of the fireworks put on by Bath University for their local charities.


A view taken on the Skyline walk.


This is Bath Abbey taken at twilight. We should have been able to take the bus from here up to see the fireworks but it was so popular there was no chance so most of us had the pleasure of walking up the very steep 2 mile hill from here past the hostel to the University! Well we are a walking group I suppose, and being a frosty night it soon got us warm!



Click on the Arrow to see a very short video of some us near the start of the Skyline walk to see what you missed!

Another small video showing around the Circus