January to June 2012

As we welcome in 2012, yhere is quite a lot to look forward to! It's the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, the Olympics, and the commencement of a new programme of walks with the City of Birmingham Group of the Ramblers.

We hope the variety on offer covers all your requirements, from a tough day in the Lake District to a gentle 5 mile walk on the Lickeys, from a pub based walk in the Black Country to a picnic lunch walk in South Wales. In addition , why not join in one of our social events. This year we are arranging a "Walk Day Out" to Weston-Super-Mare as part of the Ramblers's campaign for a coastal route.

The programme format is the same - weekly Sunday walks by coach, fortnightly Wednesday car rambles, monthly "Walks for the Public", and the more strenuous "Rudges and Tops" in summer months. We all owe a debt of gratitude to the volunteers who lead the walks. Over 50 leaders are involved in the programme which offers in excess of 100 walks, including those offered during the Easter weekend at Minehead. In addition, there is the annual dinner in March, the Group holiday In Italy, and the aforementioned trip to Weston to look forward to. We are also continuing our current long distance footpaths, the West Midlands Way each month until March, and then, the Herefordshire Trail from April to June.

You may notice that the number of "C" grade walks has increased. If wecould put one on every week, we would. To this end, on some occasions "C" walks are arranged after the programme has been printed, and we do what we can to publish the addition. Announcements are made on previous walks, and detailks included in the "e-newsletter" issued on a regular basis by David Sutton as needed. Let him know if you would like to be included in the circulation.

Your Committee does all it can to make the programme a success, but if you have any comments or suggestions, please let any Committee member know. Contact details are listed at the front of the programme.