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April 2009

We hope you're enjoying the Spring programme and the warm weather it seems to have brought with it! The month of April is full of interesting walks, including a 26 mile marathon for the super fit among you! There are more leisurely walks too, and this month we even have a family-friendly walk in Bushy Park led by Coco and her son Tomo.

Walks and socials planning evening

The planning evening for the Summer programme will take place in Leatherhead on the 18th April, and full details are in the members' programme. Please start thinking about what you could put on the next programme. The long daylight hours and (hopefully) warm, sunny days should provide lots of inspiration for planning happy times outdoors!
If you need a map for your walk, you can borrow one from the SURG map library at no cost. Contact our Social Secretary to find out which maps are available, or come along to the planning evening and see them for yourself!
You can start sending in walks and socials even before the planning evening. Please use the walks and socials submission form when sending us details of your walks and socials. Using the form makes it so much easier to assemble the programme and also means that you'll be sure to not leave anything off and have to be contacted for any missing details.

Committee news

Richard Blakeley has recently stood down from the post of Intergroups Liaison Officer, and we'd like to thank Richard for the time he has served as a committee member. All our committee members are unpaid volunteers and their efforts are greatly appreciated.
So if you are keen to fill this role it is presently open. The Intergroups Liaison Officer is responsible for making contact with other groups and liaising with them on joint events. It's a not a particularly demanding role and a good way to find out what being on the committee is like. For more information on the role please email Leanne, the SURG Chair, or talk to committee members on walks or socials. We look forward to hearing from you!

Fly a kite at Westminster!

The Ramblers' campaign in support of the Marine and Coastal Access Bill shifts up a gear on 28th April with a kite-flying event in Parliament Square. By then the Bill should be in the House of Commons and the Ramblers want to put on a show of support, emphasising the benefits that it will bring to the public and to rural communities and businesses.
Please come along and join us on what should be a great, fun day. Ramblers members will be gathering at Ramblers' central office before making their way over to Vauxhall Spring Gardens (across the road from the office) to give the kites a flying and to build some atmosphere. Unfortunately local byelaws prevent anyone from actually flying the kites in Parliament Square itself.
Then it's a quick walk over to Westminster along the river, meeting at Parliament Square where Tom Franklin and hopefully Floella Benjamin, President of the Ramblers, will speak and have some pictures taken. After that it's back to central office for a sandwich lunch and a debrief.
This promises to be a really significant day for the campaign, and a fun and memorable one for everyone taking part. We are hoping to get a crowd of about 100 together, so if you'd like to attend, please contact the Ramblers Campaigns Officer Richard Granville (020 7339 8561 or richard.granville@ramblers.org.uk) to let him know because he needs to let the Police know numbers before the event.

South East Walker article

You should have received your copy of the South East Walker newspaper with your Spring Walk magazine from the Ramblers. On the back page is an article about our tenth anniversary. Alongside is an article about our sister group, SAWW, on their fifth anniversary. We did send in two photos from our anniversary walk but it looks like they ran out of space for ours (or decided we weren't as good looking as SAWW!).

SAWW

If you're reaching the upper end of the 'under 40s', why not find out more about our sister group, SAWW (Surrey Area Weekend Walkers)? They are a very successful group with a great range of activities just like SURG, but aimed at people between 35 and 55 years of age.

To find out more about SAWW and get a copy of their latest walks programme, SURG members can e-mail their membership secretary, Pear, at saww_enquiries@hotmail.com. If you'd like to transfer to SAWW as your local group you request a transfer online using the 'Register a change' option on the Ramblers website. Please also let Carolyn, the Membership Secretary, know that you are changing groups, and whether you'd like to keep receiving the SURG programme while you make the transition.

Best of the Bakes

This month's recipe is for Fruit Tea Loaf. A great idea for part of your packed lunch when out walking. Thank you to Carol A for this recipe. She says it's easy to make and even easier to eat!

2 tea bags
250g raisins/sultanas
50g glace cherries
225g dark brown soft sugar
2 medium eggs, beaten
225g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon

  1. Place the tea bags in a measuring jug, pour over 300ml boiling water and allow to infuse for 4 or 5 minutes. Place the dried fruit, cherries and sugar into a large bowl and strain the hot tea over. Stir well, cover with cling film and leave to soak for 4-5 hours or overnight.
  2. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C, gas mark 4. Grease and line the base of a 900g loaf tin. Stir the eggs into the fruit mixture. Sift the flour, baking powder and cinnamon together and stir into the mixture until thoroughly combined.
  3. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 1.5 hours, or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
  4. Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.