After completing Country Walking magazine’s #walk1000miles challenge in early October I could relax but plans for November included taking on my 12th Seagrave Wolds Challenge and leading a Long Distance Walkers Association 14.2 miles group walk.
Saturday 12th November Seagrave Wolds Challenge 16.6 miles
In a year of five courses of antibiotics, three chest X-Rays, two blood tests and a course of oral steroids I find myself on the start line of the 2022 Seagrave Wolds Challenge (SWC). All this medication and medical intervention was there to combat recurring chest infections and Covid. After my disaster on the 56 miles Bullock Smithy challenge event in early September where I was timed out before I got to the second check point I wasn’t expecting too much. Therefore, I set myself a target of finishing in around 6 hours 30 minutes and my goal, like in 2019 when I was also recovering from a chest infection, was completing and not competing. In this sense competing for me is getting round the route in under the five hours mark which is the usual finish time for most of my previous eleven SWC completions. In 2018 I finished in 4 hours 21 minutes! Food and drink were provided at four checkpoints. Two of these checkpoints were in village halls and had a superb range of food available. The first of these I did stop at and this one I met John. John is one of the main organisers and I have bumped into him each year apart from the virtual event which wasn’t held on the usual day but could be completed in a time frame. The SWC shows the purpose of organising walks in advance otherwise I wouldn’t have bothered. I finished in 365th place out of 454, 32nd Walker and 48th age category position.
My official time: 4 hours 58 minutes 33 seconds
2022’s Roll of Honour
1st to finish was Lachlan Finch in 01:49
1st female Challenger was Natasha Harris-White in 01:54
Well done to all 439 who entered and completed the Challenge
Sunday 20th November Kinolton walk 5 miles
The walk was literally a pre-amble for the Rushcliffe Ramblers AGM with 37 people attending. As per the forecast the weather was sunny with blue skies. It was great to do a relaxing walk with time to chat and renew friendships. Part of the route passed Vimy Ridge Farm and the avenue of Poplar trees. These trees were not the ones I remember when I walked in this area in the 1980’s. I led a walk here in around 1984 for the fledging LDWA Sherwood Group. On that walk I met Tom and Carmel along with Alec Horn. In the morning there was heavy rain but this changed around lunch time when the sun came out but it was bitterly cold. I used the Nissan type corrugated hut by the farm as a shelter but the wind whistled straight through with the result that it was colder in the shelter than outside. So we left the hut and found places out of the wind. Today this corrugated hut wasn’t there either but the remains were stacked in a ramshackle way. I wonder why it wasn’t removed as soon as it was taken down. The farm buildings were in a derelict state. Walking to Grantham Canal there were information boards and one was a memorial to those who were remembered by the original planting to the Poplar trees.
Kinoulton is famous for the avenue of Poplar trees at Vimy Ridge, which runs between Owthorpe Lane and the Canal towpath. Sadly these had to be felled in February 1998 as they had been upright far longer than their natural life expectancy would suggest, and had become a safety hazard at over 90ft in height. The original avenue of 184 Lombardy poplar trees were planted by Sir William Jesse Hind in memory of his son Lt. Francis Montagu Hind who was killed in action at the Battle of the Somme on 27th September 1916. The trees also commemorated the 187 other officers and men of the 9th Battalion The Sherwood Foresters Regiment who died between 7th July (when the battalion entered the battle) and 30th November 1916 (the official end of the battle). The Parish Council has funded the planting of Poplar saplings and it is hoped that over the years to come this majestic sight will be restored for all to enjoy. There are plenty of pictures of the trees in the gallery, as well as a stop motion animation of a walk along the canal to the Poplars.
From this point it was a short walk on the canal then following the road back to the start point of the village hall.
Monday 21st November A Mini Adventure
Today I went on an adventure to Nottingham College’s Arthur Mee Centre. The night before I investigated the transportation possibilities. To avoid finding buses to the location I decided to see how far away the Arthur Mee Centre was from the Toton Lane Tram terminus. After looking at various maps I found out that it was only a 20 minutes walk away. So, the first leg was driving to Clifton South Tram terminus, leg two was travelling on the tram to Nottingham Train Station, leg three catching the jam packed tram going to Toton Lane Tram terminus and finally walking to the Arthur Lee Centre. Later in the evening I watched the following programme. Within a few seconds I realised I watched this when it was originally aired in 1974, the year I bought my Blacks Tromso sleeping bag. My adventure earlier in the day was a pale insignificance to this journey undertaken by the Simpson family:
Breathing Space: To the Land Where Glaciers Grow
The Simpson family, mum Myrtle, dad Hugh and four children (Robin, Bruce, Rona, Rory), love travelling to remote parts of the world on holiday. Last summer they undertook a 200-mile expedition in canoes and on foot across West Greenland. First aired by the BBC on 23rd December 1974.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p03yfgzt/breathing-space-to-the-land-where-glaciers-grow
After watching this programme I was curious to find out what happened to the family. Unfortunately, I found out that the father had died a couple of years ago.
Obituary: Hugh Simpson, explorer and pioneer of breast cancer research
Professor Hugh Simpson MD, PhD, MRC (Path), FRGS, explorer and scientist.
Born: 4th April 1931 in Ceres, Fife.
Died: November 18 2020 in Newtonmore, Highland, aged 89
The Lady, The Legend – Myrtle Simpson, the mum, was born in 1930 and was still alive in October 2022 when this feature was published online:
Sunday 27th November LDWA Logan Trail and East Leake 10.2 miles walk
A change of plan
Originally this LDWA Anytime Anywhere walk I was leading was going to be 14.2 miles The Mini-Zed Challenge. However, turning up at the car park only Tim the secretary of the LDWA Anytime Anywhere Group was there. Then Alison from the LDWA Staffordshire Group arrived. Before Alison arrived Tim and I decided to change the walk as Tim wanted to get back at around 1pm so I suggested the Logan Trail and East Leake ten miles walk. Discussing this with Alison she agreed and away we went. So, in total there were three people on the walk.
The starting point for this LDWA walk was the car park in East Leake and after introductions we were on our way and I used the main road to get to Stonebridge Drive. Taking the the footpath Alison noticed the sign stated Bunny. “Are we going to Bunny?” she asked. I replied “Nearly, we are passing near Bunny and will see it from a viewpoint.” On this occasion the path up to Sharpely Hill was reinstated making the ascent a heck of a lot easier than the last time I was on this footpath. At the top of Sharpely Hill we paused to view the East Leake and the new housing developments. Approaching Spring Woods we crossed the wooden walkway and I explained that it was needed as the end part used to flood in winter making this section difficult to pass through unless wearing Wellingtons as we crossed I pointed out missing planks. Coming out of Spring Woods the path on the descent was now existent and marked out in yellow. After following Fairham Brook we had to cross another field where the path was non existent this was the one heading to, and passing The Tree. I explained that the line of the path can go either to the left or to the right of the tree and in the distance the bright yellow of the BW sign could be seen. Onward and through the Great Central Railway bridge finally we arrived at the start of The Logan Trail. When we came to the half-way bench we decided to stop for elevenses. Just before crossing the road Tim had to stop to remove some stones in his boots. Now it was the ascent to the Cuckoo Bush to view the place where the tree of the Legend of the Wise Men of Gotham was reputed to be. At this site is also a tumulus and returning to the path this is an ancient track called The Portway and both are around 3,000 years old. Crossing the field we now entered West Leake Woods and its now seasonal muddy track. Exiting the wood we followed the tracks passing Ratcliffe Power Station in the distance. A slight uphill section passing the pond on the way to West Leake which did have some water. At the junction with the BW/FP I gave Tim and Alison a choice either head into West Leake to see the church and the Lynch Gate or miss this part out and head straight to the path ascending Fox Hill. After a discussion we decided on the route to the church and the must see Ha ha. Which I said was made famous as an illustration provided in a walk published in ‘No Through Road’ The AA Book of Country Walks published in 1975. Through West Leake and the start of the ascent of Fox Hill. Gaining the top we descended down the now slippery FP. Passing The Woodpecker Tree Bracket fungus was black and dead. At the Stone Bridge we turned into the woods leading to the railway tunnel. I was surprised that it wasn’t as muddy as I expected and the exit from the tunnel was dry not flooded. Through the park and onto the car park. Tim and Alison both said that they enjoyed the walk. I enjoyed their company and it was nice to have people to walk with.
Summary
During November I completed my 12th Seagrave Wolds Challenge, did a ramble with 37 other people, completed a mini adventure which led me to a television programme that was an inspiration to me back in 1974 then closing the month with me leading a walk for the LDWA.
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