CYHA News

Dartmoor Adventure

The time: May Bank Holiday. The place: the wild, windswept moors of Dartmoor. The hunt was on. With the scent fresh in her nostrils, Helen tracked the letterboxes across the tors, aided by her faithful bloodhound Clive. No crevice was left unprobed and no stone unturned in the quest for new stamps for her collection.

The first Dartmoor letterbox was placed at Cranmere Pool in 1854, where the Victorians left their calling cards. From this humble beginning grew a hobby that now enthrals hundreds of enthusiasts. Letterboxes can now be found all over the tors and number in their thousands. Look for a small box hidden under a rock, containing a rubber stamp and a visitors book. The locations are kept a jealous secret and some boxes even move around every few months to make the pursuit that bit more of a challenge. It can be quite addictive, as proven by the letterbox veteran Helen met on the moor who had a collection of about 14000 stamps.

The moors have also been the location for more sinister investigations. Conan Doyle aficionados will recognise the locations around Princetown from The Hound of the Baskevilles. Holmes spent time holed up in the bronze age ruins at Grimspound whilst hunting for the terrifying beast.

No spooky howling or swirling fog during our visit. It's hard to imagine an atmosphere of terror when you're basking in glorious sunshine, listening to the birds singing. Better luck next time.

Ali

TORS TEAS AND TRAINS - A WEEKEND IN DARTMOOR

The early May Bank Holiday saw us venturing West to Dartmoor and the unusual hostel at Steps Bridge, secluded in woodland on the edge of the moor. Luckily the warden agreed to let us have the hostel to ourselves even though we did not fill it and we were not forced to arrive before the normal 11pm curfew on the Friday night.

So three cars left Friday evening from three different locations at three different times - yet by some amazing group telepathic effort we all arrived within 10 minutes of each other!

Saturday was a misty day so the sensible ones did a nice low level walk from the hostel. I and a few others decided we must go on the moors with some vague hope that we might walk above the mist. Some hope as we began our walk on part of the Two Moors Way in mist where we stayed for most of the day although the gloom did lift occasionally to give us a glimpse of the views we were missing. It was good navigation practice as we could not see where we were going half the time and we had a good view of the inside of a Tupperware from Hameldown Tor where we were sure we heard the baying of hounds - and were tried to locate Baskerville Hall on the map!

We came across the Stone Row, a prehistoric site consisting of an 'avenue' of 3 or 4 foot high stones in a long line seemingly guarded by a single stone about 50 yards beyond it. Having done no research at all on the area I do not know what they were - a religious site? Meeting place? A site for pagan sacrifice? Whatever they were they were given a spooky and ghostly quality by the swirling mists and you quite expected that a couple of druids or wizards to appear.

My group revisited the area later the following day which was sunny and clear having done half of another walk which was pleasant enough but too low level to see anything. The views were good across the moor and to the sea in the south.

We were all too late back on the Sunday for the alcoholics in the group to go to the pub - however luckily we had made an emergency trip to the off-licence earlier in the day and were spared the trauma of boozeless evening.

Monday saw a train trip from Teignmouth to Dawlish and a gentle stroll along the coast back to Teignmouth, where some of the group showed worrying signs of train spotters disease, as great excitement and photographic activity occurred every time a train passed us by.

We ended up with the traditional Devon cream teas before the journey back to lovely Essex.

Dave J

Bird watching by Bike

Another sunny day, and James led a pleasant cycle ride around Hanningfield Reservoir, including lunch on the veranda of the Waters Edge restaurant and plenty of bird-spotting opportunities around the lake, including a woodpecker which posed for us outside the window of the visitors centre.

Ground Force Team Reunited

We enjoyed a day of hard work and tea-drinking in the sun. A special thanks to Jim the Lopper, John the Hacker, Chris the Weeder, Trudi the Gossip, Ken the Digger and Ali the Caterer for all their help tidying up the garden at Saffron Walden hostel.

Dave P

Sun & Steam in Clare

Last Sunday saw 12 of us travel over to the Suffolk town for a magnificent walk, ably led by Bethany Strellis, aged 5. Not only did Bethany walk all 7 miles, but she carried the map and navigated the whole way.

The weather was beautifully sunny & perfect for walking through the gentle rolling fields on the Essex border. No pub for lunch, but this was more than compensated for when we got back to Clare Country Park. To commemorate 40 years since the railway closed, there was a full-sized steam train on display and a much welcomed beer tent for refreshment. Possibly the best Sunday walk ever.

Ali

Last Sunday we went for a walk. We crossed a bridge and we saw a snake swimming to the other side of the bank.

Love Bethany (age 5)

The Tale of the Seaman's Lane

Thanks to Carol for leading a superb evening walk from West Hanningfield along Seaman's Lane. The sunshine brought out a crowd of 20 of us. Carol gave us some interesting snippets of information as we went along, including the story of the sailor who lost two limbs, found two chests of gold, and bought two pubs. Our walk was his route between the pubs, hence the name of the lane. Perfectly timed, all limbs intact, we finished at the Three Compasses just as it was getting dark.

YHA Local Groups Conference 15 May 2004

Dave P and I went to the local groups conference at Baden Powell House, (also known as YHA South Kensington), London, on Saturday 15th May. Baden Powell House was built as a worldwide centre for scouting on a WWII bombsite and was opened by the Queen in 1961. It is now run by YHA.

This conference happens every year, and each YHA local group can send two representatives. Dave and I decided to go in response to a YHA consultation paper called "Local Groups - The Way Forward" which was rather controversial.

The Way Forward paper set off quite confrontational and gave the impression that YHA wanted to distance itself from Local Groups, or abolish them altogether, and I hit the roof when I first read it. However, in the end, it seemed to suggest more or less the status quo. Once we'd signed up for the conference, YHA put out a proposed Local Groups Charter to formalise the relationship between YHA and affiliated groups; it wants groups to be known as "affiliated groups" rather than "local groups" so that national special-interest groups are included. In the main, it is reasonably positive, and details what distinguishes a YHA affiliated group from any other another group using hostels, and suggests benefits that YHA would provide. Our group is already very much in line with this.

At the conference itself, we met 50-odd people from other groups like us, a couple of YHA trustees, the volunteering coordinator, national chairman and secretary, (and my old university clean-room lab technician!) There was a presentation on the proposed local groups charter, and then we broke into groups to discuss it. There were a couple of people who appeared to be there because they liked the sound of their own voices, but in the main, the discussions were constructive. My feeling is that conference were mainly happy with the proposed local affiliated groups charter. The annoying thing is that despite this, the YHA brass won't have it ready to discuss at September's NEC (National Executive Committee). Surely they could respond quicker than this.

Two motions were also sent forward to the NEC; one suggesting the formation of a local groups co-ordinating committee (the YHA disbanded the last one a couple of years back), and another asking the YHA to clarify what insurance cover they provide for affiliated groups; even YHA aren't clear on this. There was quite a bit a of discussion about insurance during the day, but a motion asking YHA to provide groups with full liability insurance was defeated. Conference also sent 5 Local Group reps to the NEC; Dave and I stepped back when then asked for volunteers to step forward.

In some ways it was an interesting day, and it was worth going to make sure that YHA weren't going to do anything rash to the detriment of local groups like ours. However it was frustrating that once YHA had a proposal for the relationship with local groups (the charter), which is more-or-less ready, that they then aren't capable of finishing the job off in time for the NEC, and it be kicked into the long grass for another year!

Jim