To all of our good friends in the Walking Group:-

The gifts you gave us at the Fiveways today were certainly unexpected and greatly appreciated. It has been a pleasure and a privilege to have been the Leader of the walks for the last six years, plotting the routes, printing the maps and contacting the pubs. (If anybody ever opens my phone there are more pub names listed than people.)  In that time  we were in the main blessed with good weather, sadly not today, and who can forget the time at Coniston when the rain came down in torrents but afterwards we all got toasty warm around a great roaring fire at the Crown Hotel. Our main thanks go to you the loyal walkers. Without you and your support there would be no group. With best wishes for the future.

Cheerio and have a good Christmas

Bill and Ann Langham

8th December – Start at 10.30 am from Ormskirk train station going through old Ormskirk, up to Aughton, around Gore Hill Reservoir and down to the Ormskirk Toby for lunch.

Leader Ian Gent

The Toby Carvery requires numbers before we set out, so, if you intend to join us on December 8th please give your name to me at the Walking Desk, or, if I am not there add your name to the list pinned on the notice board.

Bill Langham

Thursday 10th November saw us walking from St Michael’s Station to Princes Park,  Sefton Park , Otterspool Park then lunch at the Otterspool Harvester and finally through the Festival Gardens and back to St Michael’s. The weather was,  in the main,  dry with the occasional sharp shower. My thanks to Margaret Schumacher for leading sixteen of us safely around the course.

Bill Langham

The meeting was attended by 20 people who come walking and we decided the following for 2017.

1. The new Group Leader will be Margaret Kendall.  Deputy Group Leader is Alan Carr.

2. It was decided that all walks should be on the first Thursday of the month thus avoiding clashes with other activities.

3. Most members would like the walks to be accessible by public transport with occasional walks a bit further afield and one walk in June by coach. One person has an aversion to buses and would prefer to travel by train.

4. There was some interest in arranging venues using cars but the logistics could cause problems. Margaret Schumacher would be willing to make the arrangements.

5. There was a suggestion that some people would like longer walks and it was agreed that where feasible,and providing there are sufficient leaders, two walks will be arranged both finishing at the same point in order to maintain the social aspect of the group. One walk will be approximately 5 miles and the longer one 7 to 8 miles.

6. The 2017 venues for the first seven months are as follows:-

5th January –   Lydiate  – Leaders Judith Jones and Alan Carr

2nd February – Parbold – Leader   Ian Gent

2nd March –      Hale Village

6th April           Sankey Valley – Leader   Ken

4th May           Ormskirk (Warhorse walk)  – Leader Margaret Kendall

1st June         By coach, Destination T.B.A.

6th July          Aughton

I have deleted the word LOOP from the 5th Jan as the proposed walks do not use the Lydiate Loop.