www.friendsofdalesrail.org
NEWSLETTER
FEBRUARY 2015
I’m always on the lookout for stories that support the idea of walking as a healthy way of life and a super one was published recently
by the University of Cambridge. It looked at over half a million Europeans and showed that inactivity killed twice as many people as
obesity. They suggest at least 20 minutes of brisk walking a day to reduce your risk of early death whatever your weight. I’d like to
think that if I add a few hours every Saturday to that I’ll live forever – but I suspect that’s not true!
I hope you can all use some of the excellent offers that Northern Rail are offering – it certainly makes it more attractive to go further
up the line. Perhaps with our support they’ll make enough money to upgrade the old carriages that they have to use.
I’ve seen snowdrops and my first lambs in the field recently so Spring is surely on its way; more hours of daylight for walking and
remember, ploughing through mud uses 10% more calories!
Penny Smith, Editor
Contents
Enclosures
Jon’s Jottings
Event Secretary’s report
Train walks and amendment
Coach walks
Membership renewal
Summer holiday
YHA Autumn weekend
Three Peaks Project
Penelope’s Pantry
Dates for your diaries
Summer holiday booking form
Coach pick-up points
AGM minutes
Renewal form
Officers’ contact details
Leaders Meeting info
ride2stride programme
Puns for educated minds – supplied by Rod Fall and the Hirsts
How does Moses make his tea? Hebrews it .....
Venison for dinner again? Oh deer!
I did a theatrical performance about puns. It was a play on words.
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Jon's Jottings
I took over as Chairperson of our club at the AGM last November. Moya McNamara was chair for the last seven years, and has
clearly helped Friends of DalesRail go from strength to strength, and my first thought is to thank Moya for all her hard work in
running our society so professionally.
I must confess to some doubts when first asked if I would consider being chairperson, as I had done no more than lead walks and had
never had a role on the committee. However, as I explored the workings of your committee, it became clear that all the current
members had their specific roles, which they all carried out very well, and really it was only a new chairperson that was needed.
Indeed, at the AGM, held at the Black Horse Hotel, Skipton, no other changes in the committee were made.
The AGM was notable for an illuminating talk from Peter Myers, Client and Stakeholder Manager for Northern Rail, which gave a lot
of interesting information about the problems and future plans for the rail services we use.
Martyn Benton presented a brilliantly arranged and entertaining slide show based on photos taken by members during walks during
the year. Sales of Jute bags are sure to rise following this!
For those who do not know me, a little background information:
I was introduced to Friends of DalesRail about seven years ago by my then partner (now wife!) Barbara Bate. I have been
leading/backing up walks for the last three years or so, since my retirement from my career as a hospital doctor. These are mainly
train walks, with one Thursday walk per year, and some walks on weekends away.
I have greatly enjoyed planning, recceing and leading walks, and getting to know the many parts of the Yorkshire Dales better.
Recent weather has transformed the fells to brilliant white, and the added bonus of the mud freezing hard more than makes up for the
cold and slippery ice that happen as well. This may all have changed by the time you read this, such are the vagaries of our climate!
Snow, wind, rain, sun - who knows what weather the coming year will bring. Whatever the weather is, we can be certain that Friends
of DalesRail will be out in it, enjoying the walking.
I hope to meet many more of you during the coming year's walks.
Wishing you all a Happy New Year, and a year of good walking!
Jon Williams
I used to be a banker – but then I lost interest.
Haunted French pancakes give me the crepes.
Event Secretary’s Report
Happy New Year Walkers! We had a splendid ending to last year with the final walk being on the 27 th December following not the
usual or expected Settle circular via Victoria Caves and Stainforth route but a variation most of us didn’t know. Eighteen folks turned
out to enjoy the snow and the beagles, which added to the day. Our leaders have done us proud as usual with a great variety of walks
and often exploring paths we haven’t tried before. The New Year’s Day walk also attracted a good number…sixteen ladies! Now
where were the men I wonder? Over the past year some 2500 have been on our walks. This included the very successful Ride2Stride
Festival in April/May and the Walk the Line celebration of 25 years since the line was saved. Friends of DalesRail had considerable
input to both these events and we thank all our leaders who took on the extra walks. Congratulations to all who completed all seven
sections of the walk from Settle to Carlisle.
Ride2Stride will take place this year from Tuesday April 28th to Monday May 4th and a separate leaflet will appear with all the
details. Once again this will be a full week of walks, talks and music.
To look at the ride2stride programme, go to ride2stride homepage for full information. (http://www.skyware.co.uk/scwf/)
The weekends away and the week’s holiday have been very successful and well supported. Our thanks go to John Crouch and Penny
Smith who have organised these and to Pat Wilson who has sorted out the bookings, not an easy task. A booking form can be found in
the enclosures for the trip to Northern Ireland. We look forward to the weekend in Seahouses which was heavily oversubscribed.
The AGM was well supported with some 63 booking for the meal at the Black Bull in Skipton. The highlight was the splendid film
show produced by Martyn Benton. If you have not seen a production you have no idea what you are missing. Tears rolled down my
cheeks! And yes, there are still a few jute bags left! The New Year Dinner at the Royal Oak in Settle was very successful with 73
booking. Richard and his staff coped admirably and it was good to catch up with those who no longer get out to walk with us. There
were three walks on the day all of which went well and the weather was a lot better than the forecast.
The next highlight is the Leaders’ Meeting on March 9 th at the Grove Pub, Back Row, Holbeck, Leeds…just down from the railway
station. This is open to all and a chance for everyone to refresh their first aid. There is a flyer in this newsletter. Please contact me if
you would like further details.
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The Coach: the December coach was cancelled because of lack of numbers but the walks were able to go ahead via public transport
and a good but muddy day was enjoyed by all who went. The coach in January went to Masham and three excellent walks were on
offer. These were much enjoyed. Our coach leaders put in a lot of effort in areas we are less familiar with and the coach is an
opportunity for walkers of all levels to meet up after their walks. Please do book ahead so I can book the right size coach in plenty of
time. In February we are going to Hollingworth Lake near Littleborough to enjoy the excellent walking area around there. This is an
area we like to return to. In March we are going to Sutton in the Forest, North Yorkshire. We are running the coach close to the line. It
needs your New Year resolution to book a place! Lynn is back from her travels so please contact her…(or myself).
We are looking forward to a brilliant year of walking….hope to catch up with you all on various walks. Friends of DalesRail has so
much to offer: Lakes Walks, First Thursday Walks, Weekends, Coach Walks and walks from the Settle and Carlisle trains (plus other
lines occasionally).
Diane Taylor
England has no kidney bank, but it does have a Liverpool.
Train Walks
A reminder of the offers available for cheaper train fares on Northern Rail this Spring:
OFFER 1: DALES RAILCARD HOLDERS
This year the offer is an £8.50 flat fare adult day return ticket valid for rail travel on the Leeds-Settle-Carlisle and Leeds-Morecambe
lines.
The Dales Railcard offer is valid during THREE separate periods:
- 2 November to 28 November 2014
- 27 December 2014 to 13 February 2015
- 23 February to 28 March 2015
For further details, please see http://www.settle-carlisle.co.uk/the-dales-railcard-winter-offer-returns/
OFFER 2: WEST YORKSHIRE METROCARDS, RAILZONES 6 & 7, MCARDS AND METRO-ISSUED
CONCESSIONARY PASS HOLDERS
Once again, Metro and Northern Rail have teamed up to offer a special day return ticket on either the Leeds-Settle-Carlisle or LeedsLancaster-Morecambe lines. This year the normal return flat fare is replaced by three fare zone prices, costing £11, £12 or £13,
depending on how far along the lines you are travelling.
The offer runs every day of the week from Sunday 2 November until Sunday 29 March 2015, except for the week of Monday 16 to
Friday 20 February 2015. The offer is valid 7 days a week, except for holders of Metro-issued English National Concessionary
Passes, for whom the offer applies Monday to Friday only.
For further details, please see http://www.wymetro.com/news/special_winter_offer_on_England%92s_most_scenic_railway/
OFFER 3: Unlimited one day rail travel with Northern Rail for just £10 per person or upgrade to a weekend ticket for just
£17.50 per person
From 24 January 2015 Northern Rail and Johnston Press are running a flat fare special offer for a day's travel anywhere on the
Northern Rail Network for £10 (£5 for children, no other further discounts). A weekend ticket for £17.50 (£8.25 for children) is also
available. To qualify you have to register online at the "My Northern" section of the Northern Rail website and collect two
coupons from any of a number Johnston Press newspapers. They publish a number of titles including the Yorkshire Post and several
titles in Yorkshire and Lancashire. You can then buy up to four Northern Rail Day Ranger tickets from any staffed rail station within
the Northern Network.
The offer runs from 24 January to 15 March 2015 inclusive (excluding 14 to 22 February) and is not limited to the Settle-Carlisle line,
but it is restricted to services operated by Northern Rail. All Friends of DalesRail train walks during this special offer period can
be accessed from Leeds using Northern Rail trains only.
For further details, please see
http://www.northernrail.org/JP2015?utm_campaign=Flat_fare_B+v2&utm_source=emailCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_cont
ent=
Up to date information can be found on the News page of our website.
Philip Birtwistle
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I tried to catch some fog, but I mist.
Train Walk Amendment
I am sorry, but due to another attack of senile decay, the details of the ‘A’ walk on Saturday 6th June in the programme give the
wrong starting point. The walk starts at Clapham and NOT Ingleton as stated but still finishes in Settle. The public transport
arrangements are still the same, in that we catch the bus at Giggleswick station at 09.35 (if it is still running), but alight a few stops
earlier at Clapham. Anyone thinking of driving to the start will have to make their way to Clapham to join us there at about 09.45 on
current timetables.
Martin Housley
They told me I had type-A blood, but it was a Type-O.
2-way radios
We now have 3 sets of 2-way radios that have been donated by Northern Rail. They have proved very straightforward to operate and
have rechargeable batteries.
If you’d like to use them on a Friends of DalesRail walk, please contact:
Diane Taylor (strenuous walks),
Glennys Ash (moderate walks),
Jenny Collins (easy walks).
Penny Smith
Coach Walks
If you haven’t been on a Sunday coach walk for some time, you may find the meeting points to be picked up have changed. The list
can be found as an enclosure with this newsletter and on the coach walks page on our website.
There are always three grades of walks offered on the day and suitable cafes and hostelries at the end of the day to socialise with the
whole group. As Jon has pointed out – deep, meaningful and lasting friendships have been made this way!
The early start does make it difficult to get to the pick up points if you rely on public transport so we would be very grateful if those
of you with wheels could liaise to offer lifts and car sharing. Please ring Diane, Lynn or Penny for help in coordinating this.
I changed my iPod’s name to Titanic. It’s syncing now.
Membership Renewal
If you haven’t renewed your membership for 2015 please do so ASAP in order to receive your calendar and membership card(s). The
membership database is updated regularly and non-members are removed and no further communication is sent out, either by post or
email. Please note: to take part in member only events like holidays, lead or back up, you must be a current member. To renew, please
complete a membership renewal form and send a cheque for £8.00 payable to Friends of DalesRail to:
Elizabeth Myers, 35 Waincliffe Drive, LEEDS LS11 8ET.
Please state names of each person in household who wishes to be a member.
NB: The renewal form contains information needed to renew your membership by bank transfer if you prefer.
Newsletters are being sent out by post or email. If you are not receiving it in the format you would prefer, please advise by email at
############################## or ring me on ###########.
Thank you to those who have already renewed their membership and many thanks for donations made which help to offset our
postage costs.
Elizabeth Myers
Jokes about German sausages are the wurst.
Calendar amendment
The eagle-eyed amongst you may have spotted that this year’s AGM is not on the calendar.
Rest assured – we wouldn’t dream of depriving you of one of the social and political highlights of the year!
The AGM this year will be on Sunday November 29th. Set the date aside and look out for further details in the Autumn newsletter.
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I’ve got an Eastern European cleaner –took her 15 hours to hoover the house. Turns out she’s a Slovak.
Two men called at my door and asked what bread I ate. When I said white, they lectured me for 30 minutes on
the benefits of brown bread.
I think they were those J Hovis Witnesses.
FDR SUMMER HOLIDAY 2015
14-20 June
County Antrim, Northern Ireland
This year we venture to Northern Ireland. The Dunadry Hotel lies about 20 minutes north of Belfast just outside of Antrim and close
to Lough Neagh. From this central position we should be able to walk most parts of Northern Ireland including the Giant’s Causeway,
Slieve Donard and the Nine Glens.
Accommodation is a mixture of doubles, twins and singles with breakfast and evening meal included. Each of the bedrooms is
equipped with en suite facilities and every modern convenience. What is more, each has its own tale to tell, with beautiful hand
carved furniture, specially loomed curtains and decor encapsulating the hotel’s rich and interesting past. The rooms are stylishly
designed, spacious and airy and many have French windows leading out to the beautifully landscaped gardens or the peaceful inner
courtyard – perfect for taking a romantic stroll or finding the ideal retreat at the end of a walking day. See http://www.dunadry.com/
for hotel website.
We will have the usual pick up points in Bradford and Leeds. Included is return coach travel, return crossings and daily use of the
coach
Please note that this is a 7 day, 6 night holiday. There will be 4 days walking with one day for sightseeing, probably to Belfast. I have
booked 18 double/twins and 4 single rooms. If this is all we use there will be no single supplement. If, however, there are more than 4
people requiring singles, I will try to book additional rooms. These may incur an additional cost of £90 each. I would propose to share
this between all the singles.
Cost £495 per person for 6 nights.
I know a guy who’s addicted to brake fluid, but he says he can stop at any time.
YHA Autumn Holiday
Losehill Hall, Castleton
Friday September 4th – Sunday September 6th 2015 (two nights)
Time to try somewhere new for the YHA weekend and we haven’t stayed in Derbyshire for ages.
YHA Castleton Losehill Hall is a newly refurbished Victorian gothic mansion and cobbled mews set in formal gardens and 27 acres
of parkland in the heart of the Peak District National Park. There are beautiful gardens, woods and streams to explore within the
grounds with one of the peak’s most popular and charming tourist villages on the doorstep. It is close to the spectacular Winnats Pass,
Peveril Castle and Mam Tor; a great base for activity breaks with superb walking, climbing, running and cycling all around. There are
four spectacular show caverns, two castles, shops and beautiful scenery to explore in Castleton – perfect for any kind of visit.
This hostel offers free WiFi.
The hostel has 146 beds in 36 rooms, most of which have en-suite facilities. YHA Castleton is finished to a high standard and boasts a
licensed bar and luxurious social areas.
The cost for 2 nights dinner, bed and breakfast and YHA membership is likely to be £70 and will need to be paid in full by the end of
June. The booking form will be in the next newsletter.
I have reserved 33 places but it is likely I can increase this if necessary.
Remember – people who lead walks will get their prize from Penny’s Pantry!
Penny Smith
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I stayed up all night to see where the sun went, then it dawned on me.
A plea
I’d like to remind you that if you don’t include a stamped, self-addressed envelope with your holiday bookings it costs Pat Wilson
or FDR extra money. We are seriously considering penalising people who “forget” to do this.
You have been warned!
Penny Smith
I didn’t like my beard at first. Then it grew on me.
Weekend Bookings
Pat Wilson has decided that she no longer wants to continue with sorting out the bookings for walking weekends. She will continue
until the end of this year (ie October weekend), but would like someone to take over for next year. If anyone is interested could they
please talk to Pat or John about what is involved. The committee will appoint someone at the AGM in November.
John Crouch
I got a job at a bakery because I kneaded dough.
Help to look after the Three Peaks by walking them
Have you thought about walking the Three Peaks or walking them again? An ideal opportunity has arisen for anyone wishing to
attempt a sponsored walk on Sunday 7th June. The event is organised by the Three Peaks Project team, which is part of the Yorkshire
Dales National Park. Steve Hastie is one of the organisers and was recently the guest speaker at the society’s AGM. If you would like
to take part contact Steve on the following link: < threepeaksproject@yorkshiredales.org.uk. >
A minimum sponsorship of £50 per person is required for the event and you have to be registered by late February, indicating you are
a member of Friends of DalesRail.
Anyone who is interested in supporting the event in a marshalling capacity can contact me or one of the committee to register their
interest.
David Reed
Secretary
The girl said she recognised me from the vegetarian club, but I’d never met herbivore.
Penelope’s Pantry
Sloe Gin Jelly shots
I couldn’t resist making these (and they work with Blackberry Vodka too) as they look so impressive and are really easy to make. I
pour them into plastic shot glasses but this could be made as one large jelly.
4 leaves (8gm) gelatine: soak in cold water to soften
350 mls sloe gin
100 gm granulated sugar
150 mls water
Bring sugar and water to the boil.
Remove soaked gelatine and dissolve in the sugary water.
Remove pan from heat and cool for 2 mins.
Pour in sloe gin, mix and pour into moulds.
Chill for at least 4 hours.
If they don’t turn out, just eat with a teaspoon.
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And now for something sensible – a recipe to do in the slow cooker. Put this on in the morning, put potatoes in the oven on a timer,
and voila! You come home cold and tired from a long walk to a delicious hot meal.
Lamb shanks done in the slow cooker
1oz butter
4 lamb shanks (although 2 are enough for 4 people really)
2 red onions, cut into wedges
2 tablespoons plain flour
200mls red wine
450mls lamb stock
2 tablespoons cranberry jelly
1 tablespoon tomato puree
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon juniper berries, crushed
1 small cinnamon stick, halved
zest of a small orange
salt and pepper
Use your own favourite seasoning combinations but I’ve found my Bramble jelly and Sloe Gin make particularly fabulous gravy!
Melt the butter and brown the lamb shanks, then place them in the slow cooker.
Add the onions to the pan and fry for 4 – 5 minutes until golden.
Stir in the flour then gradually mix in the liquids and sauce/jelly.
Add the remaining ingredients.
Bring to the boil, stirring and then transfer to the slow cooker.
Cover and cook on high for 5 – 7 hours (or automatic for as long as you like). The meat will be so tender it just falls off the bone.
Serve with a green vegetable and baked potatoes in their jackets or mashed.
I’m reading a book about anti-gravity. I just can’t put it down.
Dates for your diaries 2015
February 28th
Deposit for Northern Ireland holiday must be in
March 9th
Leaders meeting, Leeds
April 28th
ride2stride starts (finishes May 4th)
th
April 30
Balance for Northern Ireland must be paid
June 14th – 20th Holiday in Northern Ireland
June tba
Book Castleton YHA holiday
September 4th-6th Castleton weekend
Did you hear about the cross-eyed teacher who couldn’t control her pupils?
When you get a bladder infection you know urine trouble.
I dropped out of the communism class because of lousy Marx.
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