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Mince pies & mulled wine at Di & Chris’
…and a partridge in a pear tree…
NEWS AND EVENTS
News
Please note that all Walking Group forms are now accessible from the "Forms" link at the bottom of each page.
A special Thank You to all those members who help maintain our footpaths throughout year and report defects. Some members have ‘adopted’ a particular path, maybe near to home, and regularly take their secateurs with them to tackle the brambles etc. and Ian (Sunday/Thursday group) carries roundel way markers and his trusty screwdriver with him to replace lost or damaged ones. Many thanks guys, your efforts are very much appreciated.
PRIVACY POLICY
Our privacy policy can be viewed by clicking on the link at the bottom of each page
A couple of tips for members:
We have found a couple of very useful free apps for your smart phone. Firstly, OS Locate will give you map co-ordinates which will help the emergency services to find you should you find yourself in trouble. It also has a compass. The second one is Maps.me which can help you find your way home in the event of you becoming lost (or maybe in thick mist). It shows you where you are on the map and has already proved itself useful to us a couple of times. Neither require mobile data to work away from home. Of course, there are many more apps. of this type on the market, I’m sure you’ll find one to suit you. Lesley
First Aid Kits
The St.John Ambulance instructor was very impressed with the First Aid Kits we have bought for the club. Several members have expressed interest in owning their own. If you would like to buy one for yourself please click on the following link https://www.mistrymedical.com/search.php The ref is RL1233 and the price is £12.17
‘Walk the Isle of Man – 2-19 Event – UPDATE…
Sally Helwich and Andrew Foxon are pleased to announce that there has been considerable interest in the “Walk the Isle of Man” event running from Monday 30th September – Friday 4th October 2019 and are very happy to confirm the event. Several members of the MFCG have offered their services as walk leaders and if you would be willing to help with this as well, please contact Andrew Foxon direct on afoxon@iom.com or via 480129. Andrew will be contacting and arranging to meet with walk leaders during 2019 and providing support, risk assessments, training and emergency backup. Walk leaders will be insured for the event. If there are walks that you would particularly like to lead and offer to visitors and residents, please let Andrew know! To sign up more generally for information about the event please use https://www.facebook.com/WalktheIsleofMan/ or contact Sally Helwich at sally@iomevents.com direct.”
Ramblers Association Holidays
Did you know?...That the MFCG is affiliated to the Ramblers Association. When you book a walking holiday through the Ramblers Association and you say that you belong to an affiliated walking club they will pass on a small sum of money to the club. It costs you nothing extra and it benefits YOUR club.
The following MAJOR footpaths have been temporarily closed
PRoW 608 Orrisdale to Glen Trunk closed from 04.01.19 to 10.01.19 for work to enable the renewal of failing footbridge.
PRoW 423 from junction of A3 Ballamodha (‘Scout Camp path’) to Grenaby will be closed until 09.01.2019 for safety reasons
PRoW 360 The Heritage Trail. Continued works on the tree felling, ditching and footway improvements between Crosby and Peel Power Station are now underway between Coolingel and Rhenny Road and this section is likely to be closed until at least 23rd January 2019..
Great news! After a prolonged closure the Tholt y Will Glen is now OPEN and has brand spanking new bridges and steps. WOW!
Temporary closures are currently in place for each of the following three tracks/paths. However, a more prolonged 6 month closure has been applied for on each of them. This is due to the extensive amount of damage that they have suffered. There is currently no date set for when works will be carried out. The closures will be published on Roadwatch.
The byway known as 'The Dowse' (map ref: 304828 to 285824)
PRoW405 - Lynague, German
PRoW632 - Riverbank Road, Ramsey
For further details the contact number for DoI is 850000.
Subscriptions
Subscriptions are due 1st January each year payable to the Manx Footpaths Conservation Group and will remain at £6 for this year. Please post cheques to Maree Harper at 14, Derby Square, Douglas IM1 3LS. You can click on the following bold links to download the Membership Application Form & Standing Order Form.
Isle of Man Hills Walks Book - Important Addendum
Walk No 9 - Pages 24 and 25
Please note that this walk crosses private land. If you would like to walk this route, please contact the landowner, Mr Corlett (Tel No: 812160 / Mobile: 480338) for permission beforehand.
Footpaths
Should any member/visitor to the Isle of Man encounter problems with any public footpath, i.e. overgrown, broken gate/stile etc, please could you e-mail David Leiserach, Foothpaths Officer at David@manxfootpaths.org. It would be most helpful if you could also include a photograph and any details that will help identify the public footpath and/or position of the gate/stile etc.
Photographs
We would like to update the website photographs on a regular basis and would be pleased to receive photographs from members. If you are happy for your photograph to be used by MFCG on our website, please email it to Lesley@manxfootpaths.org (Tel:437978), including the place and date of the photograph. Thanks go to members for providing photographs from our walks. They are always greatly appreciated.
MFCG Badge
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Newsletters are distributed in Spring and Autumn each year to all fully paid up members, together with the Walks Programmes for Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays with the addition of Wednesday evenings in the summer period. Subscriptions are £6 per annum, payable before 1st January each year. Membership Application forms can be downloaded from the Forms page or contact our membership secretary Maree@manxfootpaths.org or tel: 671740.
Walks Programmes
All paid up members should now have received their exiting new Winter Walks Programme, so time to wax those boots and get walking! Our sincere thanks to Bob Garrett, Gill Percival, Tony Archibald, Peter Gunn and Pat Mudie for all their hard work in compiling the walks lists. The subtle art of persuasion is evident when they are looking for people to lead walks. Once again, we have no shortage of volunteers and we are extremely grateful to all of them (too numerous to mention individually) and without whose knowledge and experience the walks could not happen. A huge thanks also to those who send in photographs for the website. Please keep them coming, they are very much appreciated.
All walks are open to all walkers but please choose walks that will suit you. Please bring Bus or Railway Passes, Travel Cards or Cash for walks which start with a train, tram or bus journey. Also please bring a packed lunch and a drink for all day walks. Leaders who are unavailable please arrange a replacement.
EVENTS
Dates for your Diary
Winter Talks Programme
After two very successful events in our Winter Talks Programme we are now looking forward to our third and final event in this series.
Wednesday 6th February 2019 ‘The Old Ways are the Best’ with Andrew Johnson. Andrew is one of the Island’s leading Archaeologists, author, and Curator of Field Archaeology at Manx National Heritage. He also took part in the popular TV programme Time Team in 2006 when they uncovered some very important finds at Mount Murray.
Christmas is past…and a good time was had by all…
Thursday 13th December - Thursday Group Christmas Lunch.
Thirty happy members set off from Conrhenny Planation on a dry but overcast day for a walk of 3½ miles. They then drove to the Creg ny Baa to join members who had not walked and to catch up with members who no longer walk but like to stay in touch with the group. 41 members in all enjoyed a delicious Christmas lunch. Thanks to the management and staff of "The Creg" and to Peter and Gay who organized the lunch for the group.
Sunday 16th December - Carol Service at St. Lukes.
Although it was raining heavily the weather didn’t stop 27 intrepid walkers setting off from St. Lukes Church for a short walk around the Baldwins. It was then back to join friends from St. Lukes congregation and more of our members for a carol service in the Church. Almost 40 people joined together afterwards for a delicious ‘bring and share’ tea and a good old ‘chin wag’. All in all, a lovely afternoon and thanks to St. Lukes for their generous hospitality and Pat for arranging it all.
Tuesday 18th December – Tuesday group Christmas Tea Party
Unfortunately the atrocious weather meant that the walk was cancelled but almost forty members turned up for the delicious cakes (more than we could eat) put on by Peel Golf Club. We spent a lovely couple of hours chatting and catching up with other members. Many thanks to the golf club and especially to Bob and Ann for organising our annual tea party.
Thursday 20th December – Thursday Group
Starting from Fleshwick, Peter led twenty-five members on a very interesting 3½ mile walk around the area, taking in the beauty of this coastal setting. The group then returned to Fleshwick for a wonderful spread put on by Jane and Peter – many thanks to you both for the festive fayre.
Sunday 22nd December – Saturday Christmas walk
Twenty-one walkers had good weather for an eight miler before returning to Chris and Di’s to join other members for a fabulous feast of mince pies and delicious mulled wine. We had great fun with the carol singing even though the ‘dings and dongs’ (Ding Dong Merrily on High) were a bit dodgy, but ‘The Twelve days of Christmas’ (when everyone has to play their part) was such a laugh we did it twice! Special thanks to Chris and Di and Santa’s little helpers, Nicki and Donna, for all their efforts…it was a great afternoon. Looking forward to next year…
Sunday 23rd December - Sunday walk
Despite the unsettled weather twenty people set off for a lovely circular walk of 4 miles in the area around St. John’s. Everyone was in good spirits and looking forward to the mince pies, chocolates and hot drinks generously provided by Liz and Paul at the end of the walk. Our thanks to Liz and Paul for making this a delightful annual event.
Sunday 13th January at 12.30pm – Saturday/Tuesday groups post-Christmas Lunch
After a hectic Christmas it’s time to relax with a post-Christmas get together for lunch at the Best Western Hotel in Douglas. We look forward to seeing old and new members and you are welcome to bring partners/guests. Tickets are £22.50 each and booking with Ken is essential and before Friday 21st December if possible. Look forward to seeing you there.
A new challenge?...
We now have the opportunity to take part in a Hills Skills, and a separate Navigation course for members who would like to improve their leadership skills. Both courses will be run by Dr. Andrew Foxon who has numerous qualifications in leadership training, is a registered tour guide and a training officer for Civil Defence (you can meet Andrew at our next Special Interest Talk on December 5th). The Hills Skills course will take place over two full days in February 2019. It is on an attendance basis (like the SJA course). The Navigation Course gives members a choice between Bronze or Silver awards and will take place in March. For members with some navigational experience it will be possible to do a three day, straight to silver, course. This is an assessed award. If you would like to know more please contact mrkevciom@yahoo.co.uk. to book your place and receive a full information pack.