Mid-Sussex Rambler. Newsletter of the Mid Sussex Ramblers Number 158, April to July 2018

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Asher Harrington
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There are of course other reasons why we walk, yes we do enjoy walking, there is a fun element and hopefully by the time you read this the muddy season will be coming to an end.

Add to this the beauty of the countryside, the social interaction and the building of friendships, being members of MSR is a real privilege.

1 Mid-Sussex Rambler Newsletter of the Mid Sussex Ramblers Number 158, April to July 2018 CHAIRMAN S SCRIBBLINGS Ron Goodenough A while back some friends sent my wife and me a postcard, knowing that we belonged to Mid Sussex Ramblers. It showed a couple battling through driving rain and strong winds with one saying to the other; You know some people do this for fun! There are of course other reasons why we walk, yes we do enjoy walking, there is a fun element and hopefully by the time you read this the muddy season will be coming to an end. Treadmills are fine but exposure to nature and green space is proven to positively affect health and well-being. Add to this the beauty of the countryside, the social interaction and the building of friendships, being members of MSR is a real privilege. Why keep all this to ourselves, how about introducing a friend to MSR? Our introduction to walking started with a holiday in Madeira some 25 years ago. Walking the mountain tracks and levada paths in light trainers was not ideal, so the first thing we did on our return was to buy ourselves each a pair of decent walking boots! It s a shame it took us so long to discover the delights of walking. These are my first scribblings as Chairman so I want to thank those who have guided me through the last couple of months, also to thank those who attended our AGM in November. Continuing support from members who are not able to walk as much, nor as far as in the past is appreciated; we are grateful for many who have been committed to MSR and fulfilled various roles over the years. It was good to welcome Paco Gonzalez from Ramblers Holidays as our post AGM speaker. If you re planning a walking holiday why not log on to the Ramblers Holidays website to see what s available you might be tempted! Many of us spend quite a bit of time searching the web for information and items to purchase, could I encourage you to visit the various Ramblers websites; and you will be surprised to learn about the many aspects of Ramblers work it s not just about organising walks. Having said that, we are always grateful to those who organise and lead walks for MSR. We would always welcome new leaders, especially for our weekend walks. If this is something that you would consider, talk to a leader when you are out walking one day or use the contact form on our website for more information. RICHARD (DICK) MERCER Sue Berry Like many of you who knew him, I was saddened to hear that one of our committee members, Richard Mercer, had passed away just before Christmas. Richard had been a member of Mid Sussex Ramblers for many years and he made a great contribution towards the running of the group. A quick trawl through the archives reveals that there were walks led by R. Mercer and family from as far back as July 1978, in fact Richard repeated this first walk from Horsted Keynes in August 2010 when he led a group walk for the last time having reached the age of eighty. At the time of Richard s retirement from being a walk leader, fellow member John Cribb wrote in the newsletter that Dick s walks were always individually crafted and sometimes adventurous. He pushed boundaries usually landowner s boundaries and searched for fresh horizons. Some have become the stuff of legend. Page 1 of 8

organiser, Minibus rambles organiser and the group s main source of information on Access issues.

2 poems and fiendishly difficult puzzles. As well as being a walks leader, Richard also served as a committee member for many years in the roles of Indoor Meetings organiser (1998 to 2001), Newsletter editor (2002 to 2008), Outings organiser, Minibus rambles organiser and the group s main source of information on Access issues. All of these roles entailed a great deal of administrative work and Richard kept his detailed records in the form of hand written and typewritten notes he did not have access to a word processor or computer, although he did sometimes persuade others to type and print various documents on his behalf. As newsletter editor, Richard persuaded the committee to let him double the length of the newsletter and he proceeded to fill the extra space with useful access updates, crosswords, In the latter years access issues took up a lot of Richard s time. He represented Sussex Ramblers on the High Weald Access Forum which looked at ways of improving the rights of way network for walkers, horse riders and other users. One of his notable successes was the securing of a new permissive path to the south of Balcombe railway station which allowed walkers to access the rights of way network without having to compete with the traffic on the busy B2036. In 2009 Richard proposed a motion to be submitted to Ramblers General Council that the organisation should put pressure on Local Authorities to implement their Rights of Way Improvement plans. The motion was put forward by Sussex Area and agreed at General Council, thereby becoming part of Ramblers national policy. If all of the above was not enough, Richard was involved in special projects such as the production of a book of Ashdown Forest walks to commemorate the Millennium, a survey of Downland Access Land in preparation for the Right to Roam, and the filming of selected parts of the Sussex Diamond Way, a joint project with Haywards Heath Cine and Video Society which combined two of his main interests. You may remember seeing the resulting film which was shown at one of the group s annual meetings. After almost forty years with Mid Sussex Ramblers, Richard was still a committee member at the time of his death and we should all be grateful for the great amount of work he did on our behalf. Our thoughts are with his daughter, Barbara, at this very difficult time. CHAIRMAN S REPORT presented at MSR AGM in November 2017 Jill Brown As Chairman of Mid Sussex Ramblers (MSR) I am delighted to welcome you to our 45 th Annual General Meeting. If you have read our most recent Newsletter you will know that Tony Osmand, our Publicity Officer, has now retired from the position but he would like to stay on our committee. In his place, as no one person had come forward, a Subcommittee has been formed to take on the various roles that Tony had carried out during his 10 years in the post. Philip Casemore is now our Website Officer; Sue Blandford, our Committee Secretary, has taken on the role of co-ordinating the printing of the Newsletter and Walking Programme and she will also relate any relevant Committee activities to the Subcommittee. We have been, as ever, a busy Ramblers group since our 44 th AGM a year ago. MSR arranged 197 walks from November 2016 to November 2017, with an average attendance of 14.4 people; this compares with 177 walks and an average of 14 people in the previous 12 months. There has been a net increase of one in our membership, so we now have 460 members. As ever, we have remained in contact with organisations outside MSR such as the Monday group, who are a group of Rights Of Way volunteers making gates, stiles and bridges to keep access available within parts of Mid Sussex. Philip Casemore, our Committee member and Webmaster, is also our representative on the Sussex Area Council. Richard Mercer is our representative with regard to Access, in our particular area of Sussex. (Unfortunately Richard was not able to attend the AGM and sadly died shortly before Christmas. Ed) Page 2 of 8

Some of our members were fortunate to join our Minibus Rambles, organised by Paul Jenkins our Walks Co-ordinator.

A total distance of 45 miles was completed.

As before, the walks will take place on the second Saturday of each month from May to September inclusive.

please? Our holiday weekend organised by Ray and Alison Heath in April 2017 to the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley, was a great success.

3 Some of our members were fortunate to join our Minibus Rambles, organised by Paul Jenkins our Walks Co-ordinator. The five walks took place through the summer months and followed part of the route of the Sussex Border Path starting in Rye and ending at Ashurst on the Kent / Sussex border. A total distance of 45 miles was completed. For 2018, you will be pleased to know, that Paul has arranged Minibus Rambles to continue along the Sussex Border Path from Ashurst to Alfold Bars on the Surrey / Sussex border. As before, the walks will take place on the second Saturday of each month from May to September inclusive. At present we have volunteers to lead two sections of this Path and Paul is wondering if there is anyone present here who would like to lead any of the three remaining sections of this said path please? Our holiday weekend organised by Ray and Alison Heath in April 2017 to the Forest of Dean and Wye Valley, was a great success. However, the 2018 holiday weekend to Selworthy will be the last one they organise. These weekend holidays have been greatly enjoyed, by those of us who have been lucky enough to attend them. Ray and Alison will remain on our committee in their role as Newsletter Editors. In the winter months our Pub Socials prove popular, as do our guest speakers. Roger Nightingale is here tonight and I know that he would like to say something about this subject. Brian Judge, the other MSR member who works alongside Roger, has sent his apologies tonight. I would like to convey my thanks to all our members who support us all and contribute to make the walks so pleasurable. Thanks to those who give feedback on our walks. If there is anything we can do to improve our services do please keep us advised. I can hardly believe it was five years ago that I took over the role of Chairman from the very competent Sue Berry, in At that time, I had never served on a committee, let alone been a Chairman, and had not been a member of MSR for very long. I could not have done the job without the support, guidance and kindness of my fellow committee members. There have been misunderstandings along the way, but with understanding, tolerance and communication, these have been quickly resolved. I could not have done it without the support from you all, too. RICHARD (DICK) MERCER S MEMORIAL WALK AND AFTERNOON TEA SATURDAY 16 JUNE Sue Blandford In memory of Richard (Dick) Mercer, a walk has been planned for Saturday 16 June. Full details are in the April to July 2018 walking programme. John Cribb has very kindly offered to lead the walk, and after looking through all the old programmes, he has combined two of Dick s last walks for 16 June The circular walk from Horsted Keynes will start at 11:00 am. Afternoon tea will be served from 3:30 pm at the Martindale Centre, Station Road, Horsted Keynes RH17 7ED. There is free parking at the Hall. If you are unable to join us on the walk please come for tea, cakes and reminiscing. TREK OR TRACK? Alison Heath Some of you will know that Ray and I volunteer at the Bluebell Railway where we help in a variety of ways including the Santa Specials, the shop at Sheffield Park, the Sales Office, and serving refreshments at Kingscote where we have met some of you mid walk. In recent years, each November, the Bluebell Railway has organised a Track Trek, a fund raising event encouraging people to walk the length of the line and raise money through sponsorship towards track replacement or other specific fund raising projects. Page 3 of 8

He had walked the 11 mile length of the line from East Grinstead station starting at 9:00 am. He did tell us he is a keen cyclist but does not often walk.

4 In November 2017, Ray and I decided to act as Marshals for the day. We were stationed at Ketches Halt, about half a mile from the end of the 11 mile trek. We got to our positions in good time which was just as well since the first walker came through after only 2 hours 40 minutes of walking! He had walked the 11 mile length of the line from East Grinstead station starting at 9:00 am. He did tell us he is a keen cyclist but does not often walk. The Lady Mayor of East Grinstead was among the earliest people to pass us and she posed for this photograph. What delighted us even more was the sight of at least three people whom we believe to be Mid Sussex Ramblers! One person I do know but the others I was not quite so sure about. We must commend you all on taking up the challenge and raising money for the Bluebell Railway at the same time. Well done and a big thank you - you know who you are! Overall the day raised a net 13,500. On the day we wore some very glamorous high-vis jackets which, being on a railway, had to be orange. These have since become a conversation topic on Mid Sussex rambles! WALKING VISIT TO BOLNEY ESTATE VINEYARD Paul Jenkins On Tuesday 09 October we are proposing a walk with a difference. There will be two walks starting at 10:00 am from near to the Bolney Stage. One walk will be 2.5 miles in length and the other will be 8.5 miles. Both walks will proceed to the Bolney Estate Vineyard where, at 11:00 am, we will have a short tour followed by a tasting of a couple of their wines in the shop area. There is, of course, a small charge for this visit ( 7.50) so you will need to register your interest with Paul Jenkins on as he will have to place a deposit to secure the booking. There may be a limit on the numbers so a first come first served system will be in place. After the tasting the two walk parties will divide. The short walk will return to near the Bolney Stage and take optional refreshments, therein. Those on the longer walk will continue off into the Bolney Woods with their picnic lunches. MINIBUS RAMBLES ALONG THE SUSSEX BORDER PATH 2018 Paul Jenkins This year we are going to continue our hike on the Sussex Border Path around the outskirts of Sussex. We will pick up from where we finished last year at Ashurst Station and, after the five sections, we should arrive at Alfold Bars. Continuing with tradition, the rambles will be on the second Saturday of the month through the summer period. The sections we will be undertaking are as follows: Sat. 12 May Sat. 09 June Sat. 14 July Sat. 11 August Sat. 08 September Ashurst Station to Dormansland, 8.8 miles Dormansland to Copthorne, 9.0 miles Copthorne to Charlwood, 8.3 miles Charlwood to Paynes Green, 8.7 miles Paynes Green to Alfold Bars, 9.5 miles These rambles will use the CTLA minibus and have the same pick-up points as in previous years: 9:00 Hassocks (bus layby NORTH of Stone Pound) 9:05 Burgess Hill (opposite petrol station on London Road SOUTH of Royal George Road traffic lights) 9:15 Haywards Heath (bus layby outside Beech Hurst Gardens) The walks this year are a little nearer to home, so you will be pleased to see that this is reflected in the price at per person per ramble. If you are interested then please complete the booking form, and send it along with your cheque to me by Tuesday 20 March If cash flow is a problem, particularly with having to book other events (Ramblers holiday etc.) please post-date your cheques to the end of April. However payments will be non-refundable. If you have booked and later find that you are unable to come, please try to find a replacement person or contact me to see if there is a waiting list. TRAILS FOR 2018 Paul Jenkins After the success of both the Sussex Ouse Valley Way and the Wey and Arun trails last year, we have been planning two more exciting trails for you to walk. In 2018 we are going to be walking both the Sussex Diamond Way and the West Sussex Literary Trail. So, in addition to our usual Weekend, Page 4 of 8

5 Tuesday and Wednesday evening walks you will find that the programmes include walks on Thursdays between April and October. Unlike the Sussex Border Path walks where we use a minibus to transport the group we have to be selfsufficient, using cars. So, as last year, we all drive to the finish point of the section we are walking that day and park half the cars. We then use the remaining cars to drive to the start of the day s walk. On completion of the walk we use the waiting cars to transfer us all back to the start so that all are reunited with their cars. This works best with a planned average of 2 people per car. As you can appreciate, it takes a little bit of planning to ensure that we can match the numbers of cars, drivers and passengers. This is why we ask everyone wishing to take part to ring the leader to book onto the walk. This process has served us well for previous years, the only mishaps being people finding that they are at the finish of the walk with their car but their driving shoes are still at the start of the walk. (No names!) So, more about the walks, the Sussex Diamond Way trail (April to July) will be led by Paul Jenkins and the West Sussex Literary Trail (July to October) will be led by Sue Blandford. In 1994 the Sussex Area of the Ramblers Association decided to mark the forthcoming 60th anniversary, in 1995, of the parent Ramblers Association. Thus, during the Jubilee year, the long distance footpath, from Midhurst to Heathfield, was devised. Amongst those involved in this enterprise were our own John Cribb and David Johnson. The Sussex Literary Trail links Horsham with Chichester Cathedral along a 55 mile route. It takes you through some of the most beautiful villages and country side in Southern Britain. The trail will take in the many literary connections such as Shelley, William Penn, John Galsworthy and Hilaire Belloc. If you feel inspired and want to walk all of a trail but realise that you are away on holiday for a section or two, don t despair, the Leaders have already planned walkout dates and would be more than happy to have additional company on these. Sussex Diamond Way: 19th April Midhurst to Brinkshole Heath, 9 miles 3rd May Brinkshole Heath to Rosier Gate, 9.5 miles 17th May Rosier Gate to North of Cowfold, 8.8 miles 31st May North of Cowfold to Whitemans Green, 9 miles 7th June Whitemans Green to Dane Hill, 9.3 miles 28th June Dane Hill to Hurstwood, 8.7 miles 12th July Hurstwood to Heathfield, 9 miles West Sussex Literary Trail: 26th July Horsham to Barns Green, 10.5 miles 9th August Barns Green to Nutbourne, 9 miles 23rd August Nutbourne to Houghton Bridge, 8.5 miles 6th Sept Houghton Bridge to Duncton, 8.5 miles 4th Oct Duncton to Charlton, 8.5 miles 11th Oct Charlton to Chichester, 9.5 miles If these walks appeal, whether in part or the whole trail, please ring Sue or Paul with your details. PUBLICITY NEWS Sue Blandford and Publicity Sub-committee We were concerned to hear at the AGM that some members did not receive the for the December to March Newsletter and Walks Programme. One cause may be that the sending address has changed to msrpublicity@gmail.com, please ensure you have this in your address book. This will stop you missing any s from us that may end up in your spam/trash. On the front we can only contact members by if you have given your details to the Ramblers Head Office. By informing them of any change or by adding an address we will be able to use this to communicate with you. Please contact the Ramblers membership team or if you re registered on the website you can update your profile online. We would also like your help by letting us know of any local papers or village magazines that we could use to promote Mid Sussex Rambler activities. You can appreciate that our team members only know their own area. By keeping non-members informed in a wider area we would hope to attract new members so we can grow and flourish. Please forward any details to msrpublicity@gmail.com. Page 5 of 8

The 118ft tall redwood planted in the late 1890s, was one of the first exotic trees to be placed on the 565 acre Wakehurst Place estate.

6 YOU MAY HAVE MISSED Ray Heath Wakehurst Place Daily Telegraph As we prepare this edition of our Newsletter, Christmas is fast becoming just a memory, the decorations are down and the lights have been packed away - but did you know that the Christmas tree that you probably drove by several times without giving a second glance was actually Britain s largest living Christmas tree? The 118ft tall redwood planted in the late 1890s, was one of the first exotic trees to be placed on the 565 acre Wakehurst Place estate. Each year Wakehurst's Woodland and Conservation team use ropes, specialist climbing gear and two cherry pickers to put up the 1800 energy saving festive lights. Trees improve mental health The Daily Telegraph It has long been thought that living near trees is good for you, but now there is physical proof. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute, Berlin, found the structure of the brain s amygdala the grey matter vital for processing anxiety was more robust in people who live near forests. In a study involving the MRI testing of 341 German city dwellers between 61 and 82, Dr Simon Kuhn, a psychologist, found people living near woods were more likely to have a healthy amygdala. The correlation did not apply to people living near green areas, wasteland or open water. The age gap The Daily Telegraph Apparently England has more ancient oaks than the rest of Europe but this quintessentially English tree habitat is declining. This is due to an age gap, there are not enough younger trees maturing to fill the gap when existing ancients die. But there is a new 4.6m conservation programme, Back from the Brink, which aims to bring 20 species back from the brink of extinction ALAN COBB Les Campbell It is with much sadness that I have to report that Alan died at the end of November 2017 in the Princess Royal Hospital aged 84 years. He had been suffering with health problems for quite a while. Many of our longer serving members will remember Alan as a stalwart of the group who led many walks and organised a number of path clearance projects. He would often go off on his own to clear some distant path which he had found to be overgrown on one of the walks! He liked to get the job done without unnecessary bureaucracy waiting for the Council to take action! Alan was a committed member of the Ramblers Association and a passionate support of access to the countryside. He was particularly concerned about the increase in housing numbers which he considered threatened the enjoyment of the countryside for future generations. Our thoughts are with his wife Rosemary and his sons David and Richard. Page 6 of 8

ANOTHER CHAILEY William Coleman For those of us who know Chailey and have walked there, I thought you would like

On my autumn 2017 trip to France, I passed through a small region known as Pays d Othe.

It is a chalky block that stretches 60 km long and 20 km wide.

Burgundy, The Pays d'othe stands alongside the Champagne plain and is highly characteristic in appearance.

In fact, forests cover around half of the entire territory, very scenic and seemingly remote so imagine my

Stopping to admire the village, I soon discovered a charming and attractive community.

7 ANOTHER CHAILEY William Coleman For those of us who know Chailey and have walked there, I thought you would like to know about another one which I came across on my travels. On my autumn 2017 trip to France, I passed through a small region known as Pays d Othe. The country of Othe is a natural region of France of wooded hills forming part of the Paris Basin. It is a chalky block that stretches 60 km long and 20 km wide. Shared administratively between the departments of Aube and Yonne, and stretching from Champagne-Ardenne to Burgundy, The Pays d'othe stands alongside the Champagne plain and is highly characteristic in appearance. This green, undulating region boasts hills covered with forests. In fact, forests cover around half of the entire territory, very scenic and seemingly remote so imagine my surprise when this road sign appeared! Although with an extra letter L in the name, it s close enough. Stopping to admire the village, I soon discovered a charming and attractive community. The pictures show the main street, and the charming and very inviting bakery. The village is set in between the hills and up on the east side is a small chapel in regular use. So, if you are in France and touring around, I can recommend a visit to the area and see for yourself another Chai(l)ley. Horsted Keynes - Here no evil It s behind you! Ardingly Reservoir Page 7 of 8

8 SUSSEX BORDER PATH 2018 I / we would like to join the ramble(s) on Sat 12 May / 09 June / 14 July / 11 August / 08 Sept 2018 (please circle) I / we will board the bus at: HASSOCKS / BURGESS HILL / HAYWARDS HEATH (please circle) Name of person booking: Mr / Mrs / Miss / Ms Address: Post code: Phone: (include area code): Your address: Others included (if applicable): Mr / Mrs / Miss Mr / Mrs / Miss Please send this form with your cheque for ( per person, per ramble) made payable to: The Ramblers, Mid-Sussex before Tuesday 20 March 2018 to: Mr Paul Jenkins, 7 Farlington Close, Haywards Heath, West Sussex, RH16 3EH. Page 8 of 8

WHITE CLIFFS WALKING FESTIVAL (2015) - REVIEW. Not just a walk - an experience. healthy, interesting, sociable

WHITE CLIFFS WALKING FESTIVAL (2015) - REVIEW The purpose of the Festival Not just a walk - an experience healthy, interesting, sociable Through a varied programme of walks to suit different age, ability,