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Baton Walk, 22 November 2010
The Thame & Wheatley group successfully passed the baton on to the Vale group on Saturday, November 20th at Tetsworth. This was one leg of the Oxfordshire Groups “Walking the Oxfordshire Way” for the 75th Anniversary Baton Walks. Twenty walkers gathered with Mike Smith at Tiddington to join the Oxfordshire Way at Waterstock. In spite of dull weather and an excess of mud, it was a very enjoyable day. Lunch was either picnic or in the Old Red Lion pub at Tetsworth. The landlady there made everyone very welcome, in particular by offering a special rate on a meat pie she had made especially for us! After lunch the Vale group returned to Pyrton, while TW took the ever-muddy Judd’s Lane to Moreton then on to Thame. Here we finished off the day with afternoon tea at Bobo’s. Thanks to Mike for planning the day which used buses to successfully turn a linear walk into a circular one!


Thame & Wheatley Ramblers AGM, 13 November 2010
The Thame & Wheatley Ramblers group held its AGM on Saturday 13th November in Memorial Hall, Christchurch, Thame. In a change to the usual format, the meeting was held in the evening and, once the business was over, a talk was given by Annette Venters of the Chiltern Conservation Board. Annette described the successes of the Board in this AONB, but also the challenges facing the Chilterns, particularly with the HS2 proposal. The talk was followed by a fish and chip supper brought in from the chippie just along the road. Mike Smith, the chairman, reported on the successful year the group has had. He thanked Dave Mould for his contribution to the committee as Walks Organiser - Dave stood down earlier in the year and was replaced by Bob Ward. He also paid tribute to Janet Noyce who was standing down as Secretary after serving in that post since the group was formed. Ann Harman was elected to replace her. The remaining committee members were then reappointed for the coming year. The consensus was that the new format for the AGM was very successful so it may be tried again next year.

Grand Day Out in the Malvern Hills, May 2010
About a dozen ramblers joined Mike Smith for his day out walking in the Malvern Hills. With an early start from Redbridge Park and Ride, they were able to enjoy a long walk from Great Malvern to Ledbury across the hills, returning by train.












Beetle Drive and Barbecue, July 2010 at Ickford village hall
The Beetle Drive and Barbecue on Friday 16th July proved to be a very successful event. Congratulations are due to Christine Barnett for scoring the highest marks in the very competitive Beetle Drive so winning the special prizes (including a tea towel decorated with dozens of ladybirds!). Many thanks are due to Mike Smith and wife Jan for planning, buying, cooking etc all the excellent food and also to Chris Bignal for picking the raspberries to top off the cheesecakes.

Thame & Wheatley Ramblers Get Walking Day events, May 2010
Thame & Wheatley Ramblers helped to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Ramblers on the weekend of 22nd/23rd May. As part of the national Get Walking Day campaign to encourage people to enjoy the benefits of walking we set up a stall outside Thame Town Hall on Saturday to explain what the Ramblers is all about. Then on Sunday we led a leisurely walk from Upper High Street to the county boundary and followed it with coffee and cakes in Memorial hall, Christchurch. Both events were well supported, obviously helped by the sunny weather.

Summer Stroll and Spud Supper, July 2009
Driving rain and gale force winds failed to dampen the spirits of Thame & Wheatley guests at their summer stroll and spud supper, held in Thame on Friday 17th July.
Many donned their waterproofs to follow leader, Tony Clark, on a local heritage route, conceived by the 21st Century Thame Partnership, of which Tony is a member. This route replaced the possibly waterlogged route Tony originally had in mind!
Those preferring to stay at Christchurch Hall, the venue for the supper, were entertained by a series of quizzes and brainteasers, organised by Bob Ward, using his experience as a qualified HF leader.
Some 38 people then enjoyed the spud supper, Mike Smith’s chilli con carne proving the most popular choice of filling, and Chris Bignal’s hand picked raspberries the favourite pudding. Thanks are due to the many helpers in the kitchen, in particular to Alison, who provided invaluable help in finding everything in the first place and then putting it all away!
Mike closed the evening, thanking the committee for their efforts in organizing the event, and promising that similar social functions would remain a strong feature of future Thame & Wheatley group activity. So, contact Mike with any ideas or requests!

Thame & Wheatley Group AGM
The Thame & Wheatley Ramblers group held its AGM on Saturday 7th November in Chinnor. The meeting was preceded by a walk in the area led by Tony Clark, who was accompanied by fifteen walkers in bright and sunny weather. The walk crossed farmland before climbing up to the Ridgeway above Chinnor to enjoy extensive views. Several of the group then ate lunch in the Village Centre before being joined by others in the Reading Room for the meeting. Mike Smith, the chairman, reported on the successful year the group has had, while Chris Bignal outlined the financial accounts and membership figures and Tony Clark discussed footpath issues in the area. The existing committee members were then reappointed for the coming year. The meeting was followed by an illustrated talk by Steve Gunn on Red Kites in the Chilterns. This was very well received and generated lots of questions and discussion afterwards.

Get Walking Day, May 2009
Thame & Wheatley Ramblers enjoyed fine weather on the weekend of 30th/31st May for their stall outside Thame Town Hall on Saturday and their walk from Upper High Street on Sunday. These activities were all part of the national Ramblers Get Walking Day campaign to encourage people to enjoy the benefits of walking. The stall generated a lot of interest and consequently 30 members of the public joined about a dozen Ramblers on Sunday morning for a 3½ mile walk to Moreton. The route used the Phoenix Trail (part of the Sustrans network of cycle paths), minor roads through villages, footpaths across fields and paths through the Cuttle Brook Nature Reserve in Thame. Everyone enjoyed the coffee and cakes provided at the end of the walk in Memorial hall, Christchurch. Anyone interested in joining Ramblers or wanting more information on their activities and organized walks should contact 01844 215624.