HASSRA Leeds RAMBLING CLUB

ANNUAL REPORT for 2007

This was another very successful year for the Rambling Club. Membership was maintained at 73, with over 500 individual attendances at our 34 events. Once again, some new members joined one of our very popular walking trips for the first time.

The Saturday Rambles (on the last Saturday of each month) have continued to be the backbone of our programme, with six Sunday Rambles also being well supported. This year’s visits included Scarcroft, Kirkby Overblow, Hawksworth Moor, and Beckwithshaw to the North; Kirkham Priory and Osmotherley to the East; Hebden Bridge, the Peak District, Calderdale, and Cannon Hall Country Park to the South; and Top Withins, Mossdale Scar, Boulsworth & Wycoller, Malham, Simons Seat and Marston Moor to the West.

The Club’s midsummer Barbecue was blessed with better weather this year and was enjoyed by all after a longish walk on the Bolton Abbey estate. The popular East Coast walk in June was again followed by a fish and chip supper, and a delightful addition to the 2007 programme was the Farndale Daffodil Walk in April. The longer walks have gained in popularity (there will be more next year) and the Kiddie Walks continue to thrive, with 56 children attending this year. Summer evening walks are small, but are enjoyed by those who take part.

Trips away were as popular as ever, and in 2007 we were able to return to Swaledale for our early spring weekend. Many of this year’s participants were first-timers, who quickly realised why this event is repeated each year. The walking in this Dale has a character all its own, and the simple, friendly hotel is a delight. Our trip abroad came earlier this year, in June, when we visited Saxony. A slightly unusual destination, the area was rather like Brimham Rocks on a grand scale, with the river Elbe flowing through it all. Next came Northern Ireland, where we walked in the picturesque Nine Glens and visited the breathtaking Giants Causeway. The ever popular autumn Lake District Weekend returned to Forestside Hotel in Grasmere, where the food and hospitality gets better every year. The weather was kind too, giving us some stunning views of the lakes and fells. Our final trip, the Winter Walking Weekend, went to Grange-over-Sands, an area easily overlooked by those rushing headlong for the Lakes but with excellent walking and distant views.

The year ended with a late December walk around Swinsty Reservoir and Haverah Park, followed by the Club’s Christmas lunch.

We are indebted to our hard working Committee and to our walk leaders, new and old, without whom our programme would not be possible. We look forward to another year of good walking in 2008.