Past Holidays
Church Stretton Autumn 2024
The weather forecast was eyed with some trepidation before we 24 set off to Longmynd house, Church Stretton. Extra waterproofs were packed to help protect us over the three days walking in the rolling Shropshire countryside. In the end, we were fortunate to escape the worst - we were able to complete our very scenic walks and retire to our rooms / bar and other HF facilities before the worst of the weather flashed, rumbled and cascaded outside.
Six walks were arranged in advance but some late changes were made due to the topography - steeper than we are used to in Leicestershire. The challenge of leading a walk when no opportunity to recce was evident as the shorter walking group endured “one of the worst mile of walking” ever - a combination of mud and what farm animals leave behind… Nevertheless, we encountered some truly wonderful views, excellent walking and good company.
The HF hotel was sizeable, accommodating over 80 and providing substantial quantities of nourishing food by very hardworking staff. Whilst in generally good condition its lift was unavailable, providing for unanticipated additional climbing up several flights of stairs (all good exercise, if not entirely welcome?)
Its skittle alley provided a worthwhile diversion one evening with a clear winner but with some controversy over the precise rules regarding ricochets (formal protests are ongoing).
Some found time to explore All, Little and Church Stretton facilities including nice tea rooms, pubs and other essential facilities. Our education was extended not least by learning that Stretton derives from Old English “straet” and settlement “Tun”. However, the full derivation of a mynd (whether long or short) still escapes us!
Isle of Wight 2024
31 people enjoyed a trip to Shanklin. As we were down in numbers this year the holiday was opened up to other walking clubs and we had four from Lutterworth Club and a brother and sister of Club members joined us to make up the numbers.
We packed lots of adventures into our 4 days on the island. As the Isle of Wight had recently been battered by storms there were lots of road closures due to landslides (and closed footpaths) so the first day's walk which started at Freshwater Bay gave us a grand tour of the island before we eventually got to the start of the walk where the long walkers took the high road to Yarmouth and the short walkers took the low road which meant they had time in Yarmouth to enjoy a cream tea before the coach took us back to the hotel. The next day we all walked from the hotel to Godshill where there was time for another cream tea or an ice cream (every holiday has to include an ice cream at some time!). Long walkers walked back to Shanklin via the donkey sanctuary while the short walkers let the bus take the strain and made good use of their bus passes back to the hotel. We then had a free day where some took the opportunity to visit Osborne House, see what Ventnor had to offer or just had a leisurely day around Shanklin. The last day we hired a minibus to take the long walkers to the start of the walk as the landslides meant the coach could not get to the start and then enjoyed a walk to Carisbrooke Castle while the short walkers did a circular walk starting and ending at the castle itself.
The hotel was very good and there was a vast improvement on the food from the previous year, There must have been a properly trained chef/cook in the kitchen! Also those wanting to buy food for a packed lunch the shop was just across the road. Some joined in the evening entertainment where one of our party, who had never played bingo before and thought she was buying a ticket to win a teddy bear, won well over £100! Others honed their skill playing canasta. Some even managed to include an evening trip to the theatre.
The weather was kind to us and only rained overnight. No Leicestershire clay in sight so that pleased Craig, our coach driver, who was very keen to keep his coach clean! Everyone enjoyed the trip and the mini cruise across the Solent. Next year's holiday is in the process of being arranged so look out for the details which will be published soon and keep the Spring of 2025 clear so that you will be able to join us for an excellent trip away!'
Torquay 2025
Our long-awaited trip to the English Riviera had arrived and 34 eager holidaymakers boarded the coach, with our driver Wayne at the helm, and sped towards Torquay and The Devonshire Hotel where we were staying for 5 nights. One of our members, a keen cyclist, drove down with his bike to the hotel and met us there. We applauded our driver on arrival as the entrance into the hotel grounds was extremely tight. The staff at the hotel were very welcoming and that continued throughout our stay. There was a very relaxed atmosphere in the hotel and we enjoyed our breakfasts and dinners each day and even packed lunches for some. Our hotel was on a hill, known locally as cardiac hill! However, we didn't have to worry as there were two local shuttle buses going up and down the hill.
We had planned 6 different length walks to do during our stay. The first two walks were in the Teignmouth area taking in the Teign estuary and finishing in the beautiful village of Shaldon where we enjoyed ice-creams and tea/coffee and cake in a local teashop with amazing views. Two walks were from our hotel, one to Maidencombe along the south west coastal path where we had lunch on the patio in a pub with an amazing outlook, and one walk to the charming village of Cockington where you could enjoy the arboretum in the country park.
Tuesday was our free day and everyone enjoyed planning their day either on the local buses, which were plentiful, a cruise from Totnes to Dartmouth and the local ferry over to Kingswear, the steam train to Paignton or enjoying some time with friends and family There was certainly no shortage of outings to enjoy in the glorious English Riviera sunshine.
Our last two walks began in the semi-rural village of Galmpton. We walked along tracks and enjoyed the varied landscape on the John Musgrave Heritage trail heading towards Brixham where everybody did their own thing. After about 3 miles or so, the longer walk headed off along the very scenic coastal path towards Paignton, enjoying the absolutely stunning coastline on the way.
On all our walks we took time to enjoy the wonderful countryside in Torquay, the amazing views, the lovely beaches, the wildlife and indulged ourselves in one or two afternoon teas, enjoyed all the more sitting outside in the sunshine.
Our evenings were spent relaxing in the bar and talking about our day and we also spent time chatting with other residents who were very interested in where we had walked. There was also nightly bingo and live entertainment and plenty of board games and cards in the relaxing lounge area. There was even a games room where you could play darts or enjoy a game of pool. Just a short stroll out of the hotel and we enjoyed the sunsets up on the headland. A small group of members took in a show at the local Babbacombe Theatre. They provided transport to and from the theatre and the show was hosted by Comedy Excellence Winner Steve Laister. It was a fantastic evening with hilarious comedy routines, some powerful vocal performances and mesmerising dance routines.
Sadly all good things must come to an end, and after 5 wonderful days in Torquay, accompanied by beautiful weather, we thanked the staff and headed back on our coach to Leicestershire, keeping our fingers crossed that the wonderful weather would follow us.