Carlisle & District Rambling & Fellwalking Club
Walk & Event Reports
Club Holiday 2017
Nether Grange Alnmouth 7 - 14 April 2017
Report by Ken Halliday
Photos by David Sheppard
A record forty-two members and friends travelled to the Northumberland coast for this year’s holiday. Such numbers required the provision of three walks daily to ensure something suitable for everyone, without numbers on any walk being too great for the leaders to handle. This was a mammoth task, but was executed superbly by the indefatigable Graham Bell. There were walks all over the county, from Bamburgh in the north to Warkworth in the south, Rothbury in the west to the North Sea coast (long stretches of it!) in the east. Members of the group also travelled independently further afield, whether to the Farne Islands, Lindisfarne or Morpeth. The local flora and fauna were greatly admired - primroses and cowslips, seals, slowworms and adder, as well as the first martins, swallows, puffins and terns of the spring.
Evenings were crammed with activities - quizzing, dancing, ‘Madge-ing’ (!) and, of course, the final night’s ceilidh, skilfully put together by dancing master Geoff, with the musical and organisational talents of Anne put to great effect in accompanying the soloists and bringing out the very best in the men’s and women’s choirs.
The Nether Grange staff were superb, under manager Reuben, who was always in evidence, very much a hands-on boss, helping with table service as required, and ever with a friendly smile for guests. His willingly taking part in the Mayhem evening was above and beyond the call of duty! To see staff arrive at seven in the morning, laughing and singing strongly suggests he runs a happy ship!
Everyone enjoyed the food - a huge selection of breakfast items, continental or freshly cooked, excellent packed lunches, in which sandwich self-selection encouraged adventurous experimentation ( anyone for tuna, egg mayonnaise and mustard?!!), and beautifully cooked and presented evening meals.
Another great success, for which many thanks indeed to Graham.
Roll on the next holiday!
Ken
