RUMBLINGS…

Preparations for the 2010 South Pennines Walk & Ride Festival are well under way, and the draft programme will be handed over to the designer this week.

Most folk who visit this occasional blog (many thanks for your continue support – I know updates are rare!) will be backpackers and they’ll be delighted to learn that this year, for the first time, the festival will feature not one but two weekend backpacking trips, each organised by Backpackers’ Club stalwarts Christine Roche and Tony Whewell.

The festival will also feature a raft of Ramblers 75th anniversary walks, nature walks, LDWA walks, cycling events, mountainbike rides and, of course, some exciting equestrian events – horse riding made its debut in the festival last year and we’re delighted that we’ve more events for 2010.

The launch will be held in Ilkley on September 11, and hosted by Ilkley Walkers Are Welcome, who’re planning a superb day of guided walks, talks, displays and other attractions.

The final list of events is being, erm, finalised, as I write (well, as soon as I’ve finished writing and can get back to finalising the final list) and it’s expected to be distributed in mid- to late-June. It’ll also be on-line at www.southpenninesfestival.co.uk, for interactive searching and download.

In the meantime here’s the flyer … (above) … and as a PDf to print-out and show your friends!

pp-a5-flyer-2010.pdf

If you’re one of the many who’s contributed an event then please stand-by – the initial proofs will be sent around for checking this week. And many, many thanks for helping making this the biggest festival we’ve had yet!

For more details please get in touch, either with myself via this website or with Pennine Prospects (they employ me to pout the festival together) at their Hebden Bridge satellite office on 01422 846049.

See you there!

Phew… tickets for the pacific Crest Trail talk have sold so well that we’ve had to change the venue.

The talk will now be held at St Peter’s Church in Stainforth. It’s much easier to find that the village hall, being just a stone’s throw from the car park and visible to those coming into the village from the campsite.

This wonderful, generous offer by our vicar, Roger, means that we can accommodate twice the numbers and still serve tea and coffees.

That means that tickets are still available in the Craven Heifer in Stainforth, and are now available once more at Cave & Crag, and at Castleberg Sports in Settle. Only two quid a pop folks.

Other fine refreshments will be available in the Craven Heifer immediately after the talk.

Many thanks to everyone for the fantastic level of support we’ve had for this event.

This is Sierra Jane Manning, born on Monday, March 16. This is supposed to be a (rare, occasional) outdoor blog but I suppose her name is as good as an excuse as any!

The birth was perfect and very swift. As Sierra was two weeks overdue, Steph was due to be induced but there wasn’t even time for that; less than four hours after contractions began, Sierra was delivered in the induction suite before there’d even been chance to get to the labour room.

In fact, Sierra was very nearly born on the ward’s bathroom floor. Steph delivered with only the lightest gasp of gazanairre – there wasn’t time for anything such as proper pain killers. Thankfully she didn’t need stitches afterwards either. Mother and baby came home yesterday and are doing perfectly; Sierra’s feeding well. No doubt I’ll get a hunger for outdoorsy again soon but for now every thing’s family flavoured and it tastes great.

Sierra’s name, of course, refers to the Sierra Nevada in California, the “range of light”. Steph and I hiked there along the John Muir Trail a couple of years ago. It’s one of the most beautiful places on Earth, and a place that holds special memories. Sierra is a fairly popular name in the US – and it’s also a very beautiful name! Ron “Pathfinder” Strickland who I met on the Pacific Crest Trail in 2004 suggested it a few weeks ago during a Skype chat we had… to him we say a very grateful “thank you” for such a beautiful suggestion. We owe you a pork pie Ron – it’s on its way, also via Skype!

And congrats to the wags at TGO who correctly predicted that Sierra’s name might have a PCT connection – by the way, the fluffy rabbit’s great folks!

To everyone who’s sent messages and presents, Sierra says “thank you - see you at the bar!”

This afternoon the Government released its response to the petition, on the Prime Minister’s own website, for wild camping to be legalised in England and Wales.

Guess what? The government is going to do nothing.

Ho hum.

Let’s have a look at what the Government says, bit by bit. Along the way, purely for the sake of interest, I’ll compare it with the response I received from Environment Secretary Hilary Benn, via my local Tory MP, David Curry, way back in February.

“This Government appreciates the potential benefits of wild camping in England and its attractiveness to campers who already have the opportunity to camp in the wild in Scotland,” says the Government today.

Compare that to what Mr Benn said in February: “I do appreciate what Mr Manning says about the potential benefits of wild camping in England and its attractiveness to campers who already have the opportunity to camp in the wild in Scotland.”

Spot the similarity? There’s more…

(more…)

Congrats to “Weird” Darren Christie (pictured – click on the pic for a bigger-than-life nasty fright), John Hee and all those who are pushing for wild camping in England and Wales to be legitimised.

Their e-petition on the Prime Minister’s website clocked up its 1000th name at the weekend – there’s a still a long way to go but with every new signature it gets harder and harder for ministers to overlook the growing call for us to have the simple right to camp responsibly, quietly and – let’s face it – invisibly in the English and Welsh countryside.

Deadline for signatures is May 24 this year – that’s less than two months now but with the total standing this afternoon at 1085 signatures, hitting the 2500 target must suddenly seem so much more feasible.

(more…)