The summer of 2026 has been dominated by heatwave after heatwave. Whilst it was still pretty hot in the far north, our trip to Sheen in Staffordshire did provide a bit of temperature relief. At one point I even had to wear a jumper!
Sheen bunkhouse is in a converted gritstone barn in a beautiful little Peak District village. It was the perfect location for a sunny weekend with a charming, sheltered courtyard for a sun-kissed breakfast (Dave’s usual sausage and bean masterpiece). The only thing the place lacked was a handy pub. Still, nothing phases us! Our Saturday walk took us out from Sheen along the Manifold Trail following the course of the Manifold river. It was a gentle stroll along a beautiful valley with a short uphill pull to bring us into the village of Longnor. Now, Longnor had pubs but we were a little bit too early to pop in without looking desperate. However, there was an excellent alternative in the splendid tearooms so we skipped over the cobbles to embrace excellent coffee and a couple of slices of bara brith.
Suitably refreshed we left the narrow stone streets of Longnor for the neighbouring village of Crowdicote. By the time we arrived there the sun was at long last over the yard arm, so we could justify a bit of hydration in the rather nice beer garden. Just as we were sitting back & saying "why have we not been here before?", Dave pulled out the evidence from his photo archive that several of us had been there before, in the same beer garden, possibly on the same picnic bench.
Our route back to the bunkhouse took us along the River Dove and past the remains of the guardian of the valley: the old Norman castle of Pilsbury. The crumbling wall of the bailey forms a dramatic peak overlooking the river which was the perfect location for lunch, all we had to do was chase off another group of ramblers. Then, just as we were finishing up, the next batch of walkers came along to replace us.
In a walk beset by treats we still had one to go. As we battled the heat of the afternoon, we descended into Hartington with the footpath spitting us out by the duck pond and a truly excellent ice cream shop. By chance we were there at the same time as Sue and Steve, who were recovering from their 30-mile bike ride. From Hartington it’s only about a mile back to Sheen, some cool beers in the courtyard and a splendid dinner from Cynthia.
Ali
A Sunny Afternoon at Chignal St James
A huge thank you to Jim for organising our summer party at Chignal St James Village Hall. His planning gave us a relaxed, cheerful afternoon that everyone clearly enjoyed. Thanks also to all who brought along such a delicious spread of food — the table looked fantastic and there was plenty for everyone to share. The gentle outdoor games added a nice touch too, with plenty of laughter from those taking part and those simply watching.
It was lovely to see everyone - gatherings like this show we don’t need to wait until Christmas for a good get together!
Gliding High at Wormingford Airfield
Our thanks go to the Essex & Suffolk Gliding Club for giving us a fantastic gliding experience at Wormingford Airfield. Seven of us took turns soaring up into the blue sky, enjoying smooth flights and even having a go at taking the controls — and yes, we can confirm that none of the parachutes were used! A special mention to Cynthia, whose initial reluctance melted away after seeing the rest of us return grinning from ear to ear. She bravely went up last and was rewarded with an extra‑long flight that she thoroughly enjoyed. A brilliant day out, great company, and unforgettable views. What more could we ask for.
Dave P