Pathfinders Club (Solihull)

Thank you for visiting our website.

If you are interested in joining the Pathfinders walking club why not go to our F.A.Q. page.

Please visit our ABOUT THE CLUB page to find out more.

This is the NEWS page.

Click on any Photograph to see a larger version.

Events will be highlighted in red on the Calendar and will also appear on the Forthcoming Events list - Click on either for more information.

News and Events added in previous months may be viewed by clicking on the appropriate month in the ARCHIVES box on the left.

If you are a newcomer to the site you will be more than welcome to join us on any of our walks, click onto any of the RED highlighted dates on the calendar for all the information you will need to find walk starting points - Just turn up - don’t be shy! 

If you require any further information about the club or any of the walks you can E-mail or send us a message using the CONTACT US page (above).

On one of our recent Sunday walks the information read,’expectation of Bluebells’, a little understatement I think!

The weather was glorious and the walk finished at the Church End Brewery which gave us the chance to sample some of their fine products.

I am sometimes asked,’Why do you walk’, WELL REALLY! 

Once again the Pathfinders gathered for their annual skittles evening.  Most attend for the social chat,the food or a gentle game of skittles.Others come with more intent.

Their goal, to lift the crown from the head of Barbara the reigning Champion.

Sharp at 7p.m. The games began.  One by one the contenders fell by the wayside as the champ bowled with her usual skill,all but one, little Julie. As the champ pulled away from the field she was chased by this little fighter.  They ran neck and neck, sometimes the champ, Barbara-The-Brutal, leading, sometmes little Julie-The-Jaguar had her nose in front.

After supper the fight continued. At the last round it was announced that the two adversaries were level, both well ahead of other bowlers with 45 pins down.

It was a Shoot Out.

The Jaguar stepped up first. Three balls rattled down the alley taking with them five pins.

The champion,palms sweating followed. Her first two balls took out five pins,they were level,with one ball left to play.  If the champ missed now the little fighter still had a chance. But the name Barbara-The-Brutal is not a title given casually.

The last ball thundered down taking with it a single pin.

The champ reigned on, Unbeaten. 

The Christmas lunch this year was held at the Haigs Hotel Balsall Common.

Despite sickness and bad road conditions 62 out of the 65 guests booked arrived in good spirits.

From the survey sheets handed in the following information was gained.

90% thought the price fair,92% said the food was excellent or good,84% thought the service good. This is the first time that we have used the Haig but overall we feel that this is a good response.

Skittles will be the club’s next outing. This will be held at the Navigation Pub Wootton Wawen. The event is sold out and I know that many skittlers are practicing hard, everone wants to topple the champion Barbara off her top spot to gain the crown. But to do it they will have to be good!   

Fourteen club members travelled down to Minehead to stay for a weekend at the Northfield Hotel. On Saturday a ten mile walk saw us taking in the scenic beauty of the Quantock Hills.

Sunday’s walk started of with a steam train journey from Minehead to Watchet. The eight mile planned walk back to Minehead turned into a ten miler, but was thankfully broken at The Blue Anchor Pub in Blue Anchor Bay.

Sunday’s walk was billed as flat but started off with the now customary steep climb. It seems that along with the Quantock Hills,Tittershill,Browns Hill and Wenlock Edge,encounted on the Shropshire Way walks, some members are trying to visit all of the old Trig Points in Britain! 

Maybe we should re-name the club the Mountain Goaters!

But do not worry Cramble devotees next year’s Cramble will be it’s usual delightful walk followed by a fine dining experience.

Non of that Trig Terror for us!

The seventh, and last section for this year, of the Shropshire Way has now been completed. 22 Members were on the first leg, thats us standing outside Ludlow Castle ready to start the long climb to Titterstone Clee Hill. At the top, once the heart had stopped pounding, we were able to appreciate the spectacular views.

The second section from Dodshill Bank to Wilderhope Manor  saw 19  members walking, I hasten to add that we had not lost anyone, other commitments called.

The views on the second section were just as stunning and there were climbs, but they proved to be just a little kinder.

You can see that on one of our lunch breaks that we were checked out be the locals!

The third section will take place on the 22nd August and will take us from Wilderhope Manor to Ironbridge. The seven sections walked so far have brought us from Ludlow to Shrewsbury. We are due to start the next section early in 2010,  

Sunday 24th May, Cramble Day ,dawned bright and sunny.So the day’s weather was not going to be a problem. Our coach driver, apart from constantly reminding us how long the coach was,asking,’can coaches really go over that hump-back bridge’? and getting the coach stuck in a car park,wasn’t to bad either.

Us, we were has happy has sand-boys. In glorious weather the opportunity to walk the famous Frogget and Baslow edges, wander  along the banks of the river Derwent, and to know that at the end of the day a three course hot meal awaited us at the Famous Red Lion Inn. 

Thank you to all friends and family that supported us and we hope that, along with all club members, you had a day to remember.

Here are a few pictures taken by that famous photographer, Big Roger, to remind you of that great day.

There are two more sections to walk before we complete the 146 mile Shakespeare Way. The Shakespeare Way will be the fourth long distance trail that the Pathfinders have tackled.

All of the trails have been organised and split into sections by are esteemed leader Brian. Our leader has an uncanny way of always finding a pub in the middle of each walk section and one at the end.

Sadly on the last section our leader had been struck down by the dreaded flu and could not attend. True to form he furnished us with all the details of the section to be walked including the pub stop name-The Flying Pig.  But what did we find when we reached the said watering hole, The Flying Pig-Had Flown!

So what did Brian know that we did not! that Pigs could fly?

Sunday 18/01/09 saw the first proper walk of 2009.  Yes , the sun shone the sky was blue and the scenery was fine . But there was Mud. Of course this was to be expected after the torrential rain that had hammered down the previous night. Not quite World War 1 trenches-but near enough.

Then there was the strange house-owner.

We were stopped from reaching a stile by a large pool of rain water. We crossed a small bridge to a narrow dry bank that led us up to the stile. Although the stile looked sturdy the two stretcher bars were missing.  While some walkers crossed the bridge someone found the two stretcher bars and attempted to make a bridge across the water.  It was very difficult to try and balance on the stile and to reach the stumps where the stretcher bars had once been fitted.  The house-owner had appeared at this point to see who was crossing his small bridge. While he chatted to some of the group he announced that he had removed the stretcher bars from the stile.

He said’ I thought that they were dangerous,’ - - - - HELLO!

Hah, the joys of walking.   

All sections of the Shakespeare’s Way have now been completed.  After the fifth section the walk schedule was reversed, we then started from the Globe Theatre in London back towards Stratford. The Shropshire Way will be the next long distance trail the club will tackle.Has first reported numbers are restricted to seats available on the mini coaches hired for each walk, however there have been seats free if you are interested. 

Should you wish to take part in any of the Shropshire Way please ask the organisor or a committee member for more information.