With the autumn season now in full swing where we can enjoy the season of conkers, fallen leaves, harvest and Halloween, CommunityAd spoke with Christine Williams from Oakley Ramblers to find out more about this wonderful club and their joyful rambles that you can attend…
When were the Oakley Ramblers first formed and what was the reason behind creating the group?
The club was founded in 1976. The inaugural meeting was held on July 15th 1976 when 33 people from the village attended. The purpose of the club was, and still is, to encourage the enjoyment and understanding of the countryside and protect the amenities of the countryside by arranging rambles.
Since the creation of the group, would you say you have felt local community support from Oakley?
The club has been well supported by the local community. Over the years there has remained a steady membership of between 35 and 50 members. Several founding members still belong to the club and take an interest in our activities. In the early years a number of families with children took part in the walks but recently with so many more activities available and competing for the attention of younger people, the membership has tended to be confined to a largely retired age group. However, we would be delighted if more younger families would like to join our walks.
What is your greatest memory and walk of Oakley Ramblers?
Some of my greatest memories of belonging to Oakley Ramblers have been associated with our annual residential walking weekends which are always a great opportunity to explore beautiful areas further afield from Oakley. On these weekends we have visited the Cotswolds, The Isle of Wight, The Sussex Downs, The Brecon Beacons, The Shropshire Hills, The Peak District and Dartmoor. About a dozen members recently enjoyed a walking weekend in Exmoor with HF Holidays. Next year we are planning to go even further to visit Yorkshire. One stand-out memory for me was our trip to Sussex two years ago. On the Saturday we were deluged by torrential rain but the Sunday was a glorious crystal- clear sunny day for our walk on the Seven Sisters.
Another fabulous day was climbing to the top of Pen y Fan in the Brecon Beacons. This was a more strenuous walk and quite a challenge for some but the views at the top were well worth the effort!
It is important to state that we have also had some really fabulous walks much closer to Oakley. I particularly remember a delightful walk through the bluebell woods near Hannington one spring and the pleasure of hearing the first cuckoo call of the year. Another was trekking across snow covered fields to The Queen at Dummer for a post-Christmas chance to blow the cobwebs away. We have also had some very memorable Christmas parties held in the village halls and from time to time we meet up for a meal out and sometimes to play skittles.
How much has COVID-19 affected the Oakley Ramblers and are you able to continue your walks at the moment?
Unfortunately, COVID-19 has meant that some of these activities have had to be put on hold this year. From March to August, despite having arranged a full diary of walks, we had to stop meeting as a group. But I do know that as individual households many of our members continued to enjoy exploring the great network of walks in the local area and I would often pass members on my own excursions. We all agree that especially during lockdown we were immensely grateful to be living in such a beautiful area with access to open countryside and green spaces right on our doorstep. It was noticeable how many people from the village seemed to discover the joys of walking locally during this time. The opportunity to walk out into the country from my own front door is one of the things I enjoy most about living in Oakley. That and the lovely people and community spirit in the village.
Thankfully, under the current regulations we are now able to resume our walking programme and walks have been taking place again since the beginning of August.
Are you currently looking for any new members and if so, how can readers register their interest?
We are always keen to welcome new members to the group and joining in is really easy. All details of our walks can be found on our website where you can register your email address to get regular updates and information about upcoming walks. If you would like to know more then please email us at [email protected].