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Country Walks Newsletter

Country Walks Newsletter

Issue No 1: February 2005

Welcome to our first email Newsletter.

Country Walks 10th Anniversary
2005 is a significant year for Country Walks since in July we will be celebrating our tenth anniversary. It's hard to believe that ten years have elapsed since we first tentatively distributed our first leaflets to Surrey libraries and eagerly set out to lead our first walk - to which nobody turned up! Little did we know then that we would still be going strong ten years later.

We would like to thank all of you who have remained loyal to us over the years and we are proud that so many old friends from 1995 are still walking with us. Watch this space in our June newsletter for details of our 10-year anniversary celebration!

June's Accident
Thank you too to all of you who sent cards and messages after June's accident in November on the last walk of the season. We're glad to report that the shoulder has now mended. In future you will see June with a much lighter rucksack and a trekking pole or two!

Winter Holiday
We're off to South Africa on February 11th to explore KwaZuluNatal and to walk in the Drakensberg Mountains. We're looking forward to some sunshine and equally looking forward to walking in our own beautiful countryside on our return, timed to coincide with the beginning of Spring! _

Quote of the Month

Walking is man's best medicine H

ippocrates, Ancient Greek physician (460 BC - 377 BC) _

Pace

Walkers are asked to respect the leader's pace which is adjusted according to the grade of walk advertised, (A - easy, B - moderate or C - challenging). The pace is carefully timed to correspond with pre-arranged arrival times at pubs, places of interest, end of walk, etc. Furthermore, only the leader knows where to stop for commentaries and where to stop to warn the group of any potential hazards.

We would therefore respectfully request you not to walk ahead of the leader nor for that matter too far behind. Please choose your grade of walk carefully to suit your pace.

Walking Breaks

Our walking breaks for 2005 in Pembrokeshire, The Cotswolds and Sussex are now all fully booked. We will however advise you by email of any cancellations which may arise.

The Sussex Ouse Valley Way

Those of you who remember our former leaders, Peter and Terry, will be particularly interested to know that they have developed a new 42-mile walk through the High Weald to Seaford Bay through West and East Sussex.

An Inaugural Walk will take place on Saturday 30th April and Sunday 1st May and on Saturday 7th and 8th May, with a 12-mile walk on each occasion, led by Peter and Terry, and costing a total of £60 inclusive of transport, etc. For further details contact Terry on 01342 315786 or email larkshill@btinternet.com _

Stretching Exercises

Contrary to previously-accepted practice, recent research has found that stretching before exercise may in some cases do more harm than good. One study amongst athletes showed that static stretching before exercise actually hindered performance and can in fact stiffen muscles and increase the risk of injury. Furthermore, a review of six studies of stretching before exercise found that not one demonstrated that it prevented injury.

The research concludes that the best way to prevent injury and prepare for exercise is to gently warm up to get blood flowing to the muscles. If one does stretching, one should do this after rather than before exercise or at a time not related to exercise. Warm up first!

(Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine, Dr Shrier, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, James Brown, Sports Medicine Specialist and Spokesman for the UK Association of Doctors in Sport, Wakefield).

(Special thanks to Jean Sampson for sending on this report).

Price Increase

Due to increasing costs, we have found it necessary to increase our charges for the first time in 5 years - to £10 instead of £9 for a full-day's walk and £5 instead of £4.50 for a half day.

Season tickets, valid for one year, are available at £60 for 7 full days or 14 half days, or a combination, representing a saving of £1.43 on each full day walk or 72p on each half day walk, reducing the cost of each walk to £8.57 (instead of £10) or £3.28 (instead of £5). Season tickets can be purchased at any time during the year. Current unexpired season tickets, issued in 2004, are of course still valid. Welcome to Spring

The English countryside is marvellous to walk in, anytime of the year, each season offering its own unique brand of beauty. As one season follows another, nature ever keeps in store something new and wonderful for us to look forward and respond to.

In a few months time, winter will make way for spring - new life, leaf and colour will return to the countryside; the world is revitalised as described by William Shakespeare in his play Winter's Tale:

"When daffodils begin to peer, With heigh! the doxy, over the dale Why, then comes in the sweet o'r the year; For the red blood reigns in the winter's pale.

The white sheet bleaching on the hedge. With heigh! the sweet birds,O, how they Sing! Doth set my pugging tooth on edge; For a quart of ale is a dish for a king."