Now that the nights are pulling in and winter looms, we have reduced our walks to 1 hour.  Whilst we are still walking in the Lydiate at present, it is our intention to move back to Maghull from the 30th. September, 2013.   We will then meet on the car park of Maghull Baptist Church.  We will continue to walk every Monday evening, commencing at 6.30pm, as it is the best night for all concerned.  The walks will be a 1 hour circular walk, on well lit roads, around the Maghull area.  This includes the usual warming up and cooling down exercises.  They will continue on a weekly basis, at the above time and place, until further notice.  I am also hoping that I will be able to offer some additional walks during the day, for those who cannot make the evenings.  These walks will be advertised when available.

More of our members are in the process of being trained by Sefton Active Walks and we look forward to them joining us on our regular walks in the near future.  This will bring the number of trained Nordic walkers from our U3A to 24.  One of our members, Brenda McKenzie, has also volunteered to be trained up as a Walking Group Leader, which will mean that I will have someone to lead the walks when I am not available.  She is currently awaiting a course.

Once again, if anyone wishes to get trained up and join us, please contact either myself at iangent@btinternet.com (0151 526 7736 or Stephanie Boote at Sefton Active Walks  Stephanie.Boote@sefton.gov.uk (0151) 934 2824.  All the courses, walks and the use of the Nordic walking poles are free.

HAPPY NORDIC WALKING,

IAN

NORDIC WALKING NEWS

Our Nordic Walking group has been meeting regularly on Monday evenings throughout the summer months.  The walks around the Lydiate countryside, using footpaths and lanes, have been most enjoyable as we have been lucky with the weather so far.  Our walks have now been included in the Sefton Active Walks magazine.

Please note that there will be a Nordic Walking Desert Challenge, on Saturday, 31st August, 2013, starting at Birkdale Beach and finishing at Formby Train Station.  Start time: 11:0am  Lunch stop: 12:30pm approx.  Distance: 10 miles (3.5 – 4 hours).  It is organised by Sefton Active Walks to celebrate 10 years of their newsletter.  It is free and is open to all qualified Nordic Walkers.

HAPPY NORDIC WALKING

Ian

Our recent Nordic Evening Walks have proved popular with members of the group.  We have been enjoying the lighter nights and improved weather conditions in the Lydiate countryside.  The circular walks, which start from Lydiate Parish Hall, are now longer, approximately 4 miles ( 1 hr 30 mins including exercises) using country footpaths, lanes, Liverpool Leeds Canal and the Cheshire Lines path.

Please note that whilst we have been meeting on various nights of the week, in order to facilitate our members personal commitments.  We will now be meeting on:

Monday evenings at Lydiate Parish Hall car park, Southport Road, Lydiate @ 6.30pm.

Sefton Active Walks have supplied me with details of the next Nordic Walking Technique Training Course, for members of our U3A who are not yet been trained.  The course will run from Monday, 3rd. June 2013,  1pm – 2pm,  at Sefton Meadows and will last four weeks.  There are 12 places available on the course and names have been drawn from the waiting list.

HAPPY NORDIC WALKING

Ian

Now that the nights are getting lighter and the weather warmer, we have decided to try some evening walks. It is also getting more difficult to find a time and day when all of our group can take part, due to their involvement in other U3A activities.

The first evening walk will take place on Tuesday, 16th, April 2013 @ 6.30pm. We will be meeting in Hall Lane, Lydiate for a circular walk around Lydiate, using local footpaths, the Liverpool Leeds canal, Pygons Lane and Sandy Lane before returning to the starting point at Hall Lane.

All our weekly walks will be advertised at the coffee mornings as usual and also by e mail to our group.

Once again, if you are interested in taking part, please let me know or contact Stephanie Boote, at Sefton Active Walks on (0151) 934 2824 or e mail: stephanie.boote@sefton.gov.uk to put your name down for one of the courses. It is only an hour a week for four weeks and it is completely free.

Happy Nordic Walking,

Ian

Congratulations to all those who completed their four-week training course in Nordic Walking Technique, with Sefton Active Walks (Nordic).  Their last session was on Monday 04/03/13 at Maghull Leisure Centre.  At the conclusion of the session, all 18 U3A members were presented with a Certificate of Competence by their Instructor, Georgina Morton.  They will now be able to register with Nordic Walks UK.

A meeting was held after the presentation and a date for our fist walk was agreed.  The walk will take place on Monday, 11/03/13 between 14.30 and 15.30hrs.  We will meet outside Maghull Baptist Church, when we will do our warm up exercises on the grassed area opposite, prior to the commencement of the walk.  The route will be a circular walk using the Liverpool Leeds canal footpath, local roads and footpaths, returning to the starting point for cooling down exercises.

Due to the commitments of our members in numerous U3A activities, our walks will be held weekly with the time and day varying from week to week, in order that everyone can attend at least one walk every few weeks.  As the walks will only be open to those who have attended the course, the time, date and place will be advertised to them in advance.

If anyone else is interested in taking up Nordic Walking, please contact me by e-mail iangent@btinternet.com or by telephone (0151) 526 7736.  I will also be available at our weekly coffee mornings.

Happy Nordic Walking

Ian Gent

As an active Nordic Walker and member of the U3A,  I have been promoting Nordic Walking, as a healthy form of exercise and social activity, which I believe will be of interest to our members.

As a result of the encouraging response to the taster session, which took place on 27th November 2012, a free course was arranged through Stephanie Boote, Co-ordinator of Sefton Active Walks, in order to train our members in Nordic Walking Technique.  The course was advertised at our coffee mornings and took place over the four week period commencing Monday, 11th February 2013.  It was held at the Meadows Leisure Centre, Maghull, exclusively for members of the Maghull and Lydiate U3A.  The sixteen places available on the course were quickly filled and there are may others who missed out.   A further course will be available for those who were unable to attend this course.  (Please contact Stephanie Boote on 0151 934 2824 for details)

Now that I have received my training as a Volunteer Nordic Walking Group Leader with Sefton Active Walks, I intend to launch our own Nordic Walking Group, for those members who have attended the courses and have received their accreditation.

Due to the fact that participants will require Nordic walking poles for the walks, we will have to rely on Sefton Active Walks to provide us with their poles on loan.  Some members may wish to purchase their own poles of course and may use their £5 gift voucher, which they will receive together with their FREEDOM cards on completion of their course, towards the cost.

In order to decide a suitable day of the week on which to hold our walks, together with other matters, I will be inviting all those who have completed their course, to attend a meeting at 10.3am, during the coffee morning, at the Baptist church on Tuesday, 5th March 2013, in order to discuss this.  It is my aim to get the new group up and running the following week.  The walks will be local at first and will last for approximately one hour, including warming up and cooling down exercises.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Stephanie Boote of Sefton Active Walks Nordic and all the instructors, also the Maghull and Lydiate U3A committee,  for their help and support in making this new group possible.  Also our members for their participation and enthusiasm.

Happy Nordic Walking

Ian Gent